The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-21
Linevitch Establishes Headuuar-
ters on the Sungari River.
From There He Is Directing the
Russian Retreat.
THE POSITION is VITAL
Must Hold 1t for Time to Save
His Army.
Retiring Troops Destroy Every
thing as They Go.

St Petersburg. March 21.-1:15 p.
m.-General Linevitch's headquarters
has been established for the present
at Chenchfawatzu, situated at the
crossing of the Sungari river. whence
he is directing the retreat. of the three
armies and disposing of the fresh
troops of the Fourth corps just ar
irving from European Russia The
protection of the Sungari bridge is
vital to the salvation of the army as
the river is not fordable below Kirin
and once the line of the river is passed
and the bridge blown up the Japanese
pursuit Will be effectually checked.
At the same time the second army
is falling back of the line of the rail-
road while the first and third and
transport are retreating along the
Mandarin road to Kirin both destroy
ing bridges and roads and denuding
the country behind them and making
it impossible for the japanese to live
in the Immediate wake of the re-
treat without their own commissariat.
The Japanese are advancing over the
Grand Trade route 90 miles west of
the railroad. However. they could
probably live on the country the road
just before the opening of the naviga-
ton of the Lao river being crowded
market southwark. Apparently there
is a question as to which army will
out march the other, although the
general staff seriously doubts the
ability of Field Marshal Oyama's
fatigued soldiers with the difficulties
of getting guns, ammunition and pro-
visions over the ruined roads to con-
tinue the psrsuit energentically.
No information is available regard
ing the strength of the Japanese
column advancing along the Grand
Trade route, but the war office says it
is hardly large enough to constitute a
menace with the dispositions General
Linevttch IS able to make of fresh
troops Nevertheless St Petersburg is
in the dark as to the exact situa ton
and considering the resourcefulness I
of the Japanese there Is constant fear
that they may manage to get astride
of the railroad and bar the Russians
retreat
The Trade World in an article re-
viewing the suspension of industry in
Russia directly or indirectly produced
by the war, the immense losses suf-
fered as result Of the 350,00O tons
of grain left rotting in the Volga dis
tricts owing to lack of transportation
and the hardships imposed on the
peasants by the sending of many
young and able bodied men to the
front makes an earnest and anxious
think. gentlemen Chauvinists, OF
doubtful victorfes2 Conclude peace
and allow agriculture and industry to
revive and set to work and revive the
people That is the victory Russia
needs. Glory to him who leads"
Russia shy on Doctors
St. Petersburg. March 21-In view of
the increasing number of doctors re-
qu1red at the front an official order was
published today permitting during the
. int r-ear7r Of
medical posts and allowing foreigners
to join the services.
New Men for Linevitch.
st. Petersburg, March 21-A couple
of brief kilograms from General Line
witch, dated March 20, were given out
today They merely say that the
troops continued to retreat northward
March 1S- That he had allowed the
men to rest March 20 and that he had
inspected more new arrivals from Rus
sia and had found the troops in ex-
cellent spirits.
Russian Troops Got Lost.
Gunshu Pass. s Miles North of Tie
Pass, Manchuria, March 21.@The
japanese losses are estimated at the
Russian headquarters to be 100000
Some of the troops employed to
cover the retreat from MuSden were
badly demorahzed, losing their way in
the hills eastward and only now re-
Joining their own divisions.
So certain was General kuropatkin !
of being able to hold Nukden that
maps of the country northward were
not even distributed Kuropatkin, /
however. resolved to accept battle
against his better judgment owing to
the impatience of St Petersburg for
victory and he was confirmed in this
decision by false calculations of Field
Marshal Oyama's strength
One of the main factors of the sue
cesses OF the japanese was their viola
tion of Chinese neutrality in the use
of the Sinmintin road