Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-05-30

Inc SuDJOlneu ASSOcluteu ITeSS IcI-
ter Is from the pen of a special rep
resentative OF the great organization,
but owing to delay by the censor and
the time required TO Bring the CORE.
spondence from the heart of Man
churia and across the ocean. the date
of the letter Is two months old II Is
given ont by the Associated Press be-
cause OF the light thrown upon inside
matters and because of the eXcep-
tional opportunities for observation
given to the writer,
Correspondence of the Associated
press.l
Headquarters of General Kuroki's
Army. near Tiehling, March 25.--The
first realization of the immensely Of
the Japanese forces was brought
home to the observer when the Two
central armies rolled across the
Shaho on the morning OF the eighth
of March in the wake of the re-
treating Russians. Hitherto during
the battle, parts Of two or three brig
AIDES of infantry with a few battalions
of reserves, dozen or more
batteries, with pack trains and
field hospitals, were all that one
person could see in the noun
famous county, Of the great armies
engaged, But when the whole ar
ray moved northward with its i'm
pedimen.s following il was an impress
sive host. Looking from the heights
where the Russian batteries had been
one could see many khaki colored pro-
cessi0ns for miles on either hand
emerging from the valleys and passes
where the japanese had been concen-
trating since October, streaming
across the dry bed of the river and the
narrow channels of ice and winding
plains nUrthward. 1t was a business
like army swathed in dark blue and
khaki with no spectacular show Of
gold braid, nor brass, and hardly a
touch OF color except the scarlet blank
cts worn over the shoulders. Most of
the ranks were boys yet, but they
were tOughened by a year of CAM
paigning into hardy veterans. They
plodded on silently. as usual, with
no show of rejoicing over victory,
without confusion or excited officers.
Japanese dominion over Manchuria
was spreading at the rate of two
miles an hour. BY the river banks
were fields of kaoling which had stood
unharvested since fall Between the
lines of hostile cannon, and through
these were swarming men, women
and children reaping and stacking
their crops. The Chinaman fritters
away no time gaping at victorious
armies when a few dollars are to be
gathered.
For ten days from that morning
the whole country within the area
of the fighting, was covered with a
mist of fine dust stirred up by the feet
of more than million men and ami
mails. 1t never settled for a minute,
1t checked the throat and blinded the
eyes, sifted under clothing, made
food gritty and turned all water into
mud The flames from burning
houses and stacks of grain showed
through il in the nights like the moon
through the fog. The sand storms
which began on the second day of the
pursuit and continued at intervals for
a week came from the north directly
into the faces OF the Japanese and
made the discomfort and hardship
worse. There was great contrast be-
tween the country south of the
Shahoo and north of ii. The villages
toward Mukden were larger and
more prosperous, with better build
ings. and the picturesque temples and
tombs surrounded by groves of dark
green frs made welcome panorama
TO the eyes of the men from beautiful
Japan who had spent months among
the dreary and monotonous hills.
Chinese families gathered in front of
their houses and greeted the japanese
with shouts. Doubtless they were
equally ready TO acclaim the Russians,
and denonnce the Japanese, when II
was politic. Outside the larger towns
Chinese officials wearing their robes
of office ana buttons on their caps
with banners and soldiers in CANDY
uniforms received the Japanese gen
erals. and General Kuroki and his
staff rode into the village where his
headquarters are now through q
double fle of villagers kneeling on
both sides of the road.
The beginning Of the Russian re
treat from the Shaho was orderly and
they left clean field None of theii
portable effects worth taking haf
been abandoned, except hundreds o
stacks of tin cases in the trenches
and huts containing cartridges. To
ward evening of that day Genera
Kuroki's troops overlook their reaI
guards eight or nine miles north 0
the Shaho and from that time tn
retreat became a scramble for safety
At the various supply stations hugl
piles of grain were fired and smold
cred for days. The pursuit continues