The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 9, 1905, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1905. KUROPATKIN'S DEFEAT Tremendous Task Confronts Russian War Chief. MAY BE CUT OFf Army Must Fight Its Way Through to Tie Pass. PETERSBURG, has March resulted 8.—The in a hal Oya as once more one of the greatest mas apo- end his essful retreats with its im- Tie Pass, where prepared with view. he Russian com- uch difficult et successfully at he is threatened left wing being en- region far Nevertheless, Rus- 1 here express & fair untainous d General Kuro- P s more to extricate I ian Sedan action, BATTLE. r contained cred- the first OPED T0O AVOID but o accomplish The Japan- accept bat- g movement e major part g line and er-stroke decision to ken on March begun dur- ENK AMPFF IN DANGER. now and the one staff burned ht, s wheth- as entangled ategic net suf- successful retreat ¥ "kampff Japanese railroad and for a few gravest conse- tkin, who race with urally de- I north- flanks of of retreat s forced to guns op his he succeeds artillery Russian sed his icate that reckles the Jap- of sacri- ck after attack r the center and st, guns and infantry mowed down the making human the survivors could behind piles KUROPATKIN TO BE DEPOSED. After this action, General Kuropat- kin’s dep: ion may be regarded as « a War Minister Sakharoff is T as his probable successor; Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholo- vitch of the Board of be entrusted with the A strong faction of the army—thos> influence about the Emperor— posed General Kuropatkin from the and though his early defeats were med because it was realized that eral Kuropatkin was doing all that could with the tools at his com- it is now felt that after twice ¢ had the opportunity to show he could do with a powerful and having failed to accomplish ry either time, his removal is visable. high miltary official said last night e Emperor had -had enough of ral whose Interpretation of a ry was a successful retreat. en tactics are well enough in way, say these critics, but opatkin went beyond those of Fa- bia d neglected to take account of .’:\urable opportunities for counter strokes Friends of General Kuropatkin, how- Strategists may direction of af- ¥ ever, say that no other general is apt to do as well as he has done, and de- clare that his removal may mean, os in the American Civil war, the ex- is now | d off all| rmy intact, with | desperate, | of | | change of a Hood for a Johnston. REVIVES PEACE TALK. The news of a retreat on Tie Pass Is bound to revive talk of peace, though if Field Marshal' Oyama has failed to | crush General Kuropatkin, peace is no more imperative now than it was last | month. Peace advocates point out the | departure of Vice Admiral Rojestven- y's squadron from Madagascar for Jibutil, simultaneously with the loss of Mukden, and intimate that, perhaps | the movement of the fleet may have | been made in view of the latter event. | The movement, on the other hand, may | | be in pursuance of a plan for a junc- | tion between Rojestvensky and the re- | inforcing squadron, preparatory to giv- ing battle to Togo’s fleet. | The peace movement admittedly has a strong follow , even in the Min- istry; but it cannot be stated now whether the defeat at Mukden has been effective enough to turn the scale. No decision can be taken, at least un- til the extent of the reverse is known. ON THE 2 OF DEFEAT. Incidents of the Fighting West Mukden Station. MUKDEN, Tuesday, March 7.—The chief objects of the Titanic combat west of Mukden were the villages of of Ushuntun, seven miles west of Muk- den station, and Tatchekiao, where the results practically were a draw; but a further t ng movement has developed. The Japanese are extend- ing their forces still farther toward Tie Pass. At dawn to-day, after a night bro- ken by irregular musketry fire and ding, the fight began at chekiao, both of lages nestling in ds now bare of are constructed h thick walls and the villages are surrounded. by high clay ramparts, converting them into fortifications impervious to rifle bullets. It was each house had to be taken v by hand-to-hand combat. The Russians who held Ushuntun for a night were forced to withdraw at dawn the next day by a terrible fire of shrapnel and shimose shells, under which the village seethed as if in a caldron; but, reinforced by the bri- gades of riflemen and reserves, the Russians again advanced to the at- a Under the eyes of General Ibars, who, with his staff, moved about where the hail of iron was th charmed life, the rifiemen deployed over'the plowed flelds as if at maneu- and without firing a shot, though pattered by the continuous burst- shrapnel and shells. They pushed on' in skirmishing order, cap- tured the village and advanced on the Japanese flanks. The fight then grew more bitter, the Japanese attacking | madly, but at 4 o’clock in the after- noon the Russian position' became more secure and General Kaulbars, who had spent most of the day at this point, moved off to visit the other Russian positions, the Japanese bid- ding him adieu with a burst of shi- mose shells. Opposite was of an The in the villages of Tsunhuanche and Liudyaofani, but night fell with Tat- chekiao still in the hands of the Jap- anese, North of Tatchekiao the cannon | also roared. The regiment under the | command of Colonel Zapolisky clung tenaciously to a village, under a show. er of shrapnel. Toward evening Gen- eral Kuropatkin rode out of Mukden in an automobile and examined per- | sonally the positions of the setond | army. | At the close of the fighting this | evening the infantry on both sides was short of ammunition and the night was devoted to replenishing supplies of individual soldiers. Southwest of Mukden, at the Shantan pivot fight, the Japanese succeeded in establish- ing themselves in the southern part of the village, but they were expelled by the Russians. Reports received here say the re- peated attacks of the Japanese on Poutlloff and Novgorod hills have been repulsed with heavy loss. A division of Russian cavalry which was patrolling the Liao Valley and was cut off on March 2 by the rapid advance of the Japanese succeeded to-day in rejoining the Russian army without having sustained any losses. It took a number of prisoners. —_——— RUSSIAN FLEET TURNS BACK. Baltic Warships Are Steaming { Homeward Direction. PARIS, March 8.—A dispatch to the Temps from Tananarivo, capital of the island of Madagascar, says the entire Russian fieet has left the wa- ters on its return to Jibutil, French Somaliland. Tatchekiao the equally desperate fighting | | in cles are not surprised at the return of the Ruseian fleet to the Red Sea, since recent events here indicate that tha Russian Government. is undecided vith reference to further attempts to send the fleet to Eastern Asiatic waters. The chartered steamship St. Ninian, | which was en route to Batavia with coal for the second Pacific squadron, returned here recently upon orders from the Russian Government. e TWO STEAMSHIPS SEIZED. TOKIO, March 8.—The British steamship Venus was captured by the Japanese patrolling flotilla on March 4 and another British steamship, the Aphrodite, was seized on March 6. Both_vessels were bound from Car- diff, Wales, for Vladivostok. Since the beginning of the war the Japanese have seized thirty-two steamships, ranging from 1000 tons register upward and .totaling more than 100,000 tons. fiicult® to approach these vil- | kest and who seemed to bear a| nature. | Russians established themselves | HAMBURG, March 8.—Shipping cir- { | VIEW OF MUKDEN AND VICINITY, SHOWING POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES WHEN THE RUSS] | > g | K uropatkin and Oyama Are Racing for Tie Pass. Continued Pms Page 1, Column 7. | B | | orderly manner before the onward rush | of the Japanese, who have advanced more than twentv miles in four days, always being in touch with the Rus- | sians. | The Russians had many strong de- | fenses along several lines, but these | were not defended by them as strongly | as the Japanese had expected. It is evident that the Russian soldiers had become disheartened by the fall of Port Arthur, and it is believed at these headquarters that they are, or have been, in almost open revolt. without a show of resistance. The battlefield shows evidence of a hasty retreat. It is covered by bits of clothing and heavy felt boots, thous- ands of the latter having been thrown away, probably because they impeded the hasty flight of the Russians. | Many rifles and thousands of rifle cart- | ridges were thrown away. The Russians are retiring to the east and north in confusion, and it is now evident that all plans for retreat were upset by the rapid rushes of the Japa- nese. The entire Russian right seems | to be disorganized, and reports " re- | cetved to-day show that the troops are |in an almost panic-stricken condition. One Russian army corps opposed to the extreme left of the Japanese armies is retiring rapidly, making practically no effort to stop the movement of the Japanese. The Russian center the railway still retains its position, but it is be- lieved that unless the Russians there retire the entire command will either be surrounded or its retreat cut off at Tawankampu on the Hun River, which was captured last night by the Japa- nese. In this capture the Japanese se- cured large quantities of supplies and considerable light railway material, the Russians having retreated precipitately without having time to either carry away or destroy their supplies. The advance of the Japanese left armies has been the most rapid they ever made. Recognizing the fact that the Russians had become demoralized, {the Japanese determined not to allow them time to rally. So far the Japa- nese have not captured any guns, but they have taken a large number of rifles and much ammunition. The movement of the Japanese troops practically throughout the entire battle was conducted by telephone, the per- | fect flatness of the country not allow- ing any hill from which a commander could direct the movement of the troops. The ground is still frozen, and therefore it is impossible for the ad- vancing Japanese to throw up any shelter, and they are using various de- ! vices for protection, some of the men ! belng furnished with small steel shells large enough to cover the head whil~ lying, and others carrying sand bags. | Some of the Japanese even use a ha! i dozen bricks taken from the ruined { Chinese houses and bound together i with wire. The Chinese are suffering greatly as 2 result of the fighting. Many of their ¢ villages have been burned by shell fire, and others have been set on fire by the Russians. All the houses containing anything of velue, have been looted by the Russians. AL Village Southeast of Mukden Taken by the Japanese. TOKIO, March 8.—The following dis- patch was received at 4 o’clock this afternoon from the headquarters of the Japanese armies in Manchuria: “Our force which has been engaging a superior .force of the enemy in the Many | | strong positions were given up by them | l l | morning of March 6 our his positions at 8 o'clock this morning and is now pursuing him northward. | “In the direction of Singking on the force ad- vanced toward Huaijen. It first occu- Pinshihhata, and then Huaijen. “In the direction of the Shakhe River, east of the railway, at 3 o’clock on the morning of March 7, the enemy’s in- fantry attacked the heights north of Tunchiatun, but were repulsed. The enemy left thirty dead on the field. “At 2 o'clock on the morning of March 7 the enemy’s artillery concen- trated its fire on the lines between Ta Mountain and Wanpao Mountain, and a large body of infantry attacked us, but was entirely repulsed at 4:30 o’clock. “West of the railway we occupied East Hanchenpao on March 7, and later we repulsed an attempt of the enemy to retake the right bank .of the Hun River. ““There are indications of the enemy’s gradual reinforcement, and of a gather- ing of trooos in the vicinity of Yang- shihtun, seven miles southwest of Muk- den. “We captured two-thirds of the vil- lage of Likuanpao, repulsing a counter attack made by the enemy with a division. Likuanpao is situated eight miles west of Mukden.” T B ety WALL OF HUMAN BODIES. Plastered Their Dead To- gether With Mud. MUKDEN, March 8.—Up to noon to- day, when the order to' retreat was given, the almost unparalleled death struggle in which the armies of Kaul- bars and Nogi were locked seemed to be largely a question of endurance. It was difficult to decide with which force the advantage lay. The Japanese stormed village after village, only to be driven out again by Russians. Some po!"flona were captured and recaptured many times. One village was occupied by each side four times. This village was finally held by the Japanese, who made entrenchments with the bodies of their own dead, piling them up through the night and making of them a com- pact wall with mud. A correspondent to-day rode over ground strewn with Japanese dead. An hour later the Japanese marched back and reoccupied the same ground. Push- ing on, they encountered Russian troops, which held their ground stub- bornly’ and ultimately hurled the Jap- anese back. At sunset three Russian regiments marched across the plain, a distance of two miles, into battle. They advanced in column of companies, with their ri- fles at the shoulder, colors fiyirg, bands playing and the men singing the mighty chorus of a Russian hymn, which was heard above the roar of bat- ‘e. Shimose shells burst so thickly .sound them that black smoke hid them from view; shrapnel raged over- head like an electrical storm, but still the regiments moved forward, closing up gaps in their ranks and forming into line when they reached the point of engagement, as if on parade. The spectacle was sublime. e BEHEADED BY BANDITS. Chinese Put to Death Two Alleged Russian Spies, Japanese NEWCHWANG, March 8.—With Japanese flags flying, a band of Chi- nese bandits to-day beheaded ‘two young Russians, who were alleged to be spies, at Sinmintir. The first one | options out. He whimpered for a moment, but regained his nerve and struggled fiercely. He was thrown and killed, while long trumpets fanfared. The chief of the bandits was a mild-man- nered old man, wearing a Japanese sword. He watched the executions un- moved. 3 “They are spies,” he said, “and we should kill them. Besides, it is dif- ficult to transport them.” e L SLAV COMMANDER’'S FAULT. Kuropatkin Uses Subordinate Gener- als Merely as Messengers. ST. PETERSBURG, March 8.—A general who has just returned from the front says that General Kuropat- kin's faults as commander in chief are due to his bureaucratic training and his desire to keep all the reins in his own hands. Instead of relying on the judgment of the army command- ers to carry out his general orders he made them simply orderlies for the transmission of specific orders to in- dividual units and kept constantly be- fore him a map showing the location not only of the corps but of the bri- gades and regiments, and undertook to control the movement of every unit. “The genius of Napoleon,” the gen- eral added, ‘‘could not acocmplish the task Kuropatkin set for himself.” e ety Jew’s Action Prevents Rioting. LODZ, March 8.—In consequence of threats of anti-Semitic ‘disturbances the authorities have induced Poznan- ski, who is a Jew, to withdraw his or- ders shutting down his mill indefinite- ly and throwing 6000 persons out of work. The mill was reopened to-day and the men returned to work. e paigr i s KING'S FORMER WIFE IS COMPELLED TO ECONOMIZE Countess Montignoso, Once Crown Princess of Saxony, Needs Ali- mony to Pay Hotel Bill. FLORENCE, March 8.—The Coun- tess Montignoso, formerly Crown Princess of Saxony, has been obliged to give up her villa at Papiniavo and has taken rooms in a hotel at Fiesole. The Countess states that the change is necessary until her former hus- band (King Frederick Augustus of Saxony) either voluntarily or by or- der of the courts, pays her the al- lowance agreed upon at the time of her divorce. gz AT OB e GERMAN WAR MINISTER IS TURNED DOWN BY REICHSTAG Commiittee on Appropriations Rejects’ Measure for Twenty-Eight More Squadrons of .Cavalry. BERLIN, March 8.—The Govern- ment’s measure to increase the cav- alry by twenty-eight squadrons has been rejected by the appropriations committee of the Reichstag, against the earnest protest of War Minister von Einem. The Government doubt- less will not accept this defeat, but will urgently press its proposals. e BREAK IN PRICE OF JULY WHEAT OPTIONS Excellent Weather Conditions Cause a Drop of More Than Three Cents. CHICAGO, March 8.—A break of 3% cents in the price of wheat for July delivery occurred here to-day. almost as sharply. suffered executed was evidently an officer, but | Excellent growing weather throughout hes was wearing a Chinese overcoat. hnl: kneeled without a murmur, while second The captive the winter wheat section of the United States was the cause of the general companion watched the d at resulted in the - Telghborhood of Machuntan (southeast | stroke, 4 e death | selling that severe set. of Mukden) dislodged the enemy from !clothed in Chinese clothing thros rices. The close for July was yubwk'fib ugh- | at the/lowest point of the day—92%e. MEANS HIS RETIREMENT FROM COMMAND OF CZAR'S ARMY AND REVIVES THE TALK OF PEACE IN RUSSIA'S CAPITAL AN RETREAT WAS ORDERED. | WOULD CRUSH OUT_REVOLT Journalistic Spokesman of the Russian Autocracy Urges Drastic MeaSures ST. PETERSBURG, March 8.—A sen- editorial in the Moscow Gazette, the traditional spokesman of autocracy, declaring that the present revolt in the interior should be put down immedi- ately by the method by which General and Lithuanian rebellion in 1863. says the Gazette, “but a hundred times less now than if the revolt were allow- ed to continue until it becomes abso- lutely necessary to take decisive steps.” LONDON, March 9.—Anarchy and open deflance of the authorities, ac- cording to the Daily Mail's correspond- ent at Batoum, is spreading in the Western Caucasus. The situation is so serious that an expeditionary force has been mobilized to enter the disaffected districts of Georgla. It consists of seven battalions of infantry, six com- tillery, and is commanded by General Alikenoff, who is noted for his drastic methods. The Georgians threaten ‘that the first shot will be the signal for a revolution. —_———— STANDARD OIL HITS BACK. Rockefeller Branch in Kansas Shuts Out Many State Producers. INDEPENDENCE, Kans., March 8.— The Prairie Oil and Gas Company, the Kansas branch of the Standard Oil Company, to-day isued an order to the effect that. hereafter in Kansas oil testing below thirty degrees gravity will not be bought by the company. This is characterized as the hardest blow yet struck by the Prairie com- pany at the Kansas oil produceys, as it means that practically no oil “will be taken by this concern in Kansas out- side of the bottom Independence field, Tyro and Chautauqua County. —_—— INQUIRY WILL PROCEED. Garficld’s Report Does Not Check Beef Trust Investigation. WASHINGTON, March 8.—Although the Attorney General declines to ‘dis- cuss the subject, it is known that the report of the Department of Commerce and Labor on the beef inquiry, pub- lished last week, will have no effect on the investigation now being conducted by the Department of Justice to as- certain whether the injunction issued against the “becef combine’ in Chicago is being observed. This investigation will proceed as originally planned. —_—— TWO HUNDRED INDICTMENTS. Standard Oil Charged With Peddling ‘Without License in Kentucky. CYNTHIANA, Ky, March 8.—The Grand Jury which has been in session now for more than a week to-dav brought in more than 200 indictments against the Standard Oil Company. which is charged with “retalling oil from a wagon without a license.” The axazoln‘uch case varfes from $50 to ———— SANTIAGO DE CHILE, March 8.— The tenth Ministry of the present ad- ministration has fermally ed, as forecasted in these dispatches Sat- urday, owing to internal dissensions. —_——————— § sation’ was caused to-day by a leadilng | Michael Muravieff crushed the Polish ] “It would be a sad sacrifice of life,” ! panies of Cossacks and a battery of ar- | ! i | | | RUSSIAN PRESS WELL CENSORED All Articles Must Pass Test of an Official Inspection Before Being Published PRI SV Special Dispatch to The Call. LONDON, March S.—What fun it must be to run a newspaper in Russia is shown rather strikingly by the fol- | lowing skeétch which appears this week in the St. Petersburg Novoe Vremya. The journal says that the sketch is Im no way exaggerated: Scene: The ecditorial offices of & great po- litical, literary and soctal daily paper. The' editor is playing nervously with a pencil and reading manuscrips. Near him at a stable stands the Sub-Editor, a despohdent-looking man of middle age, read- ing out the material for the next day's issue. “Cessation of work on the N. Factory.” For censorship to the Governor Genaral.’* “Report of the sitting of the Municipal Council.”* For censorship to the Prefect of Police.” Note on the carrying capacity of the Sibe- rian Rallway." “To the Military Censor. ““Report of yesterday's meeting of the St. Pe- tersburg governmental zemstvo. “For censorship to the Governor."" “Hlustrations for the supplement.’ “For various censorships according to the contents."" “Appeal for contributions toward the bufld- ing funds for a new church.” ““For censorship 1o the Ecclesiastical Consist- ry. “Appeal for help for a discharged soldier in distress.” “For censorship to the police officer of the ward in which the man resides.” “‘Note on cene in the court ot/ Police istrate X ’ ““Throw it away—can't menticn that scan- dal—the Prefect of Police telephoned just now that it is to be suppressed.'” The porter comes in: “Fedor Fedorovich, the Chief Board waat and you on the telephone.” The Editor hurries to the next room seizes the receiver. In a moment he calls.sar- castically to his colleague: ol “Kindly make a note, Ivan Ivanovich—oral command to make no mention of the case of the flogged schoolboy.” Then coming back he asks wearily: ““Well, what more?" “*A letter from Mr. Egorov from Uralsk on & case of sicknesa similar to plague “For censorship to the Commission on ‘“Telegram on an address passed by the zemstvo at A with the approval of the Cen- sor." “That is not enough: we must get the ad- itional approval of the Chancellery of the Ministry for Home Affairs. Send thers. ‘An article on the present state of labor associations In Sweden.” “Well . . lt_me ses Gat TR éee it is. You might get me St ament circutars; 1001 . belleve that deuced one that came yesterday said something about labor assoclations in Sweden.' The Sub-Editor disappears, and presently comes back ing with nervous annoyance: "gdnr l‘ld':;\gvlch! The circulars are mis- laid. I can’t think who has had them!™ Editor stands motlonless with anger, srowing red and thea white. Then he N fers: FDamn you! Do you want to kill me® velope: “A cireular Board.” The ‘Editor man without & “God in Heaven! Another!” Then in & low ""}". Ivanovich, kindly copy this.” P —— GENERAL BOOTH ARRIVES AT CITY OF JERUSALEM et Turkish Subjects Will Be Forbidden by Authorities to Attend the Famous Salvationist’ from the Chief Glsmisses the 's Meetings. JERUSALEM, March §8.—General Booth of the Salvation Army has ar- rived here. He intends to hold a se- ries of meetings. The Porte has di- rected the local authorities to hibit Turkish subjects from at! these meet!