Evening journal., 1905-06-19


they suspended their attack and scout
Cd the positions before them, and for
seven days the right was to make little
further progress. On the 9th the cur
tain was withdrawn, and Nogi took the
stage. The cavalry which had screened
him foil back On TO the bank OF the
Lao river to protect bis flank. On the
2Sth he made fifteen miles without op-
position OF account.
He was now up even with the center.
From end to end the japanese hae was
a hundred miles long. Thus ths arst
period Of the operation may be REld -
have closed with February. QIfE the
right had been engaged as yet ffhad
felt Of the enemy and founa him
strong not even yet realizing how far
his strength there was to prove to be
his strategical weakness. Nogi, pro
ceeding across the plain, was not yet
opposed. The casualties were few on
either side. On March / the issue was
fairly joined.
There is an impression that the Japa-
nese army takes no chances. That is
because it always wins. Had Oyama
failed at Mukden all the world would
have marveled how be had dared to
take such risks, which would then have
been pointed out as the reasons Of his
undoing.
Consider this one thing: When the re-
suit was still In doubt and the battle at
It's height every single man was fight
t2S. The reserve consisted solely of a
supreme confidence that no portion of
the line could be driven back. We
speak Of the value of the trust Of
troops in their general. The significant
feature at Mukden was the trust Of
general in his troops and their COM
manders.
With at least 100000 men engaged,
counting both sides, this was supreme
ly necessary.
The field Of Marengo or a Chancel-
lorsville was as a suburban yard be-
side a Dakota farm. That Napoleonic
genius Of selzing the moments advan-
tage, of launching a brigade upon a
weak point or marching it within an
afternoon from flank TO flank, might
not be exerted here or If so only by the
heads Of corps and divisions To them
the grand STAFF had set each bis task,
for Mukden was many battles inter
woven into a gigantic movement. In
order to accomplish each his object,
which was in keeping with the whole
plan, the different generals were ex-
pected TO make brilliant combinations,
and they did.
on the Russian side there was not
one army, but three. On the center is
Bilderling, on the right TO the vest is
Kaulbars and on the left 0o the east Is
Linevitch, with his Siberian reservists
and sharpshooters, who understand
mountain work, facing Kuroki. Surviv-
ors OF the Yalu, who have never won,
face survivors of the Yalu, who have
never lost.
Kuropatl1in's plan, so far as we
know, was based on an entire misap-
prehension of his enemys He thought
that Oyama was to throw all his
strength into a fanking movement to
the eastward. This conclusion he drew
from the advance Of the Yalu army
through the mountains, as have al
I ready explained. It was the conclusion
Oyama wanted him to draw.
From the vital railroad westward TO
the Lao stretched the open plain. with
no defensive works and none possible
while the ground was still frozen. Thus
1t was plain as day that the west was
the easiest direction from which to
move in flank upon Mukden. Although
the japanese have chosen the easiest
way in every battle they have fought,
Kuropatkin evidently thought that this
time they were going to choose the diff
hcult way.
KurOpatlin's Great Mistake.
As against the plain on the west, it
was all hill work on the east North
west Of Mukden the mountains extend
farther westward and reach the rail
road itself at Tiehling, forty miles
north Of Mukden. Kwopatkin already
had a strong force in the east to face
any fianking movement, which must
fight its way over the slopes for twenty
miles before his center was endan-
gered. Had he lost confidence In the
courage as well as the Intelligence of
his troops? If so 1t seems that 1t was
without reason. We have "a foeman's
testimony to the stubborn tenacity Of
the Russians when in trenches Or was
he afflicted, as some reports say, with
nervous prostration?
While he marched his reserves to the
! ooef NoOi xuoe cxvincfnor fn oz-or 4bn
plain from the west On March / he
met one regiment, which promptly fell
back On the I'd he came up with only
few detachments. LIKE frightened
rabbits by the wayside, they took q
good look at his columns. Then. like
wise rabbits, they ran away. On this
day he made seven miles. At night
Nogi was three miles north Of a line
drawn east and west through Mukden
He was facing the line Of Russian re
treat to the railroad instead Of in the
general direction Of the army, to the
north.
Nogi Strikes His First Blow.
BY this time, waiting for the erigs tc
appear on the left, Kuropatkin must
have had news Of the danger to his
right. RaulbarS sent out TO meet II
without plan two divisions as hastily
az they could he dispatched. One was
ready before the other and started OF
On the morning Of me Sd the first dl
vision ran into NogL Neitber side Sraf
intrenched; neither eouid lntrench
| Wu,rs.a mas Sna ahooir - a raof er,corr,