Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-15

n on the railroad south of Newchwang.
 The Russian army. based on Liaoyang,
 under General Kuropatkin, extended
 south 4on the railroad as far as New
 chwang and Kaiping and held all the
 mountain passes east of the railroad in
 the Fenshui mountains, thus protecting his base and line of communication. | Kuropatkin's available active forces at this time, exclusive of the garrisons at Vladivostok and Port Arthur and the necessary railway guards, were ap- proximately equal in numbers to the First, Second and Fourth armies under Oyama. Kuropatkin's force, however, appears to have been still imperfectly organized and not suitable for taking the offensive in campaign against we'll organized and thoroughly disci- plined troops such as the Japanese. It appears also that the Russian com mander was considerably interfered with in his plan of action by Admiral Alexeieff, who was viceroy at that time. While the campaign was going on
 against Port Arthur by the Fourth army the Japanese commander in chief determined to attack with all his pow CT the Russian forces on his front and | gave the signal for the movement of his great armies. Kuroki and Nodzu | moved against the mountain passes,
 while Oku continued his advance north on the railroad. All roads and other lines of communication from the Jap anese line, hundred miles long, con- verged toward Liaoyang, the base of the Russian army. The movement of the Japanese armies was naturally made with the view of concentrating here and giving battle, if not in the hope of destroying the enemy, at least in the expectation of depriving him of a strong base and forcing him into less comfortable winter quarters, depriving him of large amount of local supplies and securing more favorable terrain for the winter quarters of the Japanese armies.
 1 While the Japanese armies were ad- vancing toward Liaoyang minor ac- tions took place, due to the stubborn resistance of the Russian army. The principal ones, hardly worthy of the name of battles, however, in so great a war. may be mentioned chronOlo.. ically as follows:
 Kaiping. July 6. z. s-Oku.
 Lianshan, July 17-Kuroki.
 Tashichao, July "A. &-Oku.
 simuchen. July 30. 31-Oku.
 Haicheng, July 30. s1-Nodzu.
 Lantse Pass, July 31 and Aug. l. and Yushulin, July Sl and Aug. 1-Kuroki Nodzu had many small affairs with Russian detachments in the numerous passes in the Fenshui mountains. By the 1st of August all the noun. tain passes southeast of Liaoyang were in the hands of the Japanese, and their various columns, like mighty snakes, were slowly but surely getting into position to make leap at the sullen foe, whose methodical retreat under a great commander emphasized the na- tional characteristics of the Russian soldier. already well established in his- tory-the national trait that knows so well how to sacrifice and the exercise of which sent home in sorrow and dis grace from the plains of Moscow the greatest commander who ever lived.
 Oyama's columns were now, Aug. 1, about twenty miles from LiaOyang. to the south, southeast and east. During the next, athsee weeks he moved for ward his reserve ammunition and sup plies. brought up at the same time all possible re-enforcements reconnoitered the Russian position and made his plans for battle. This battle. known as the battle of Liaoyang. was begun or Aug. 26 and lasted practically for ten days. It must be recorded as one of the worlds great battles. though the re. suits achieved, did not mark turning point in history. The details have been given at some variance in the dispatch es. The turning point in the battle wns the bold flanking movement. two di. visions of Kuroki's army taking in flank the Russian forces north of the Taitse river and threatening the lines of communication of the Russian ar. my. IT,.
 The masterly retreat made by the Russian commander, saving all his ar tillery and carrying off all his wounded and practically all his supplies. con. vinced the Japanese commander in chief that his armies were not suffi- ciently large to strike finishing blow at his antagonist, and 1t was at thls time that he demanded energetic ac- ton at Port Arthur in the hope of in- creasing his forces by adding to them the Fourth army after the fall of Port Arthur. It was at this time also that he conveyed to the emperor the infor- nation that the army must be in- creased if the foe was to be speedily overcome. The loyal and brave troops at Port Arthur responded with the en- ergy that can only come from brave men, and the Japanese government re- sponded no less energetically and au- thorized an increase in the army of about quarter of a million men.
 After the battle of Liaoyang the Rus