The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-06
HANGING IN BALANCE
FATE or KUROPATKIN AND HIS
 ARMY UNCERTAIN.
Feature of Fighting Has Been the Aw- ful Carnage-Nogrs seldiers Com- pared to Stonewa1l Jnckson's
 FnmOus aFOot Cayalry.o

St. Petersburg, March e.--(3:25 a. m.) The fate of General Kuropatkin and hisA army hangs in the balance today, depending on the result of the fighting almost in the outskirts of Mukden. According to the latest reports this morning. the fighting went we'll for the Russians, who beat back the wave that threatened to roll over Mukden as 1t had over the Notifications of Port Arthur. but nothing is known as to what Is going on beyond the line of breakers-whether part of General Nogfs force is in full control of Tie Pass. or whether the Japanese have succeeded.
 Imminence of the peril on the west wing has withdrawn attention from the operations on the center and left, where the fighting has been extremely heavy. and on the left especially the Japanese gains are sufficiently great to cause apprehension to themselves. Military critics here point out that the Japanese have put themselves in a critical position by the extreme exten- sion of their lines. laying themselves open as they did at Liao Yang to the possibility of a most effective counter stroke and probable defeat If General kuropatkin should be able to launch a column against a weak link in the chain.
 HI othcr respects the situation also resembles that at Liao Yang. the Jap anese making a costly demonstration" to hold the Russians on the center and throwing away the lives of thousands in order to give the fanking force an opportunity 10 administer a telling blow.
 feature of all accounts of the fight ing reaching St. Petersburg is the em- phasis laid on the awful carnage. There Is reference after reference to dead piled high on the ground over which an attack was deliveed, strewing breastworks. almost hiding the abattis from sight and even being used by the Japanese to construct hasty entrench- | ments. The Russian losses on both | Hanks are conceded to be enormous. but 1t Is certain that defenders of the center suffered comparatively little by the Japanese bombardment and beat ing off the Japanese attack. | The attacks delivered by General Nogfs soldiers were marvellous, in view of the forced marches which they made for six days. recalling the rec ords of Stonewail Jackson's foot cav airy" They entered the battle with the greatest dash and fought day after day with vigor. but those of them who were taken prisoners dropped to the ground utterly exhausted and hardly able to speak. They had not eaten for two days. which accounts in part for their utter fatigue.
 General Kuropatkin's line of com munications has not been touched. though 1t is in extreme jeopardy. His l right flank Is bent so sharply back ward that 1t max necessitate the aban- donment of Poutiloff hill, to which the Russians are still firmly clinging.
 The Russian left also has been so sharply repulsed that a correspondent compares the entire position to the letter C. The Japanese possibly are pushing northward at tangents with both Hanks.
 A hopeful sign is the postponement until tomorrow of the grand council of war. which was to have met at Tskarsko-Selo today. This lends color to reports that the general situation has somewhat improved. The council was called to discuss the retirement on Tie pass: but the action of the Jap- anese has made & successful retreat far more difficult than that at Liao- yang. where but one flank was rolled back.
 flood of dispatches came through today. but they were mostly old. re- fering to the fighting on the left flank and General Linevitch's losses. which have been already described.