KUROPATKIN'S HEAVY TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 206, 3 September 1904, Page 2

KUROPATKIN'S HEAVY TASK.

IMPtiNDINU KUStIAN uifeM& I feK. GERMAN MILITARY CRITICISM^ LONDON, September 1. German military critics take a very unfavourable view of toe Russian situation, and complain that General ivui opatkiin's tactics do not exhibit tluit energetic initiative tiy which he would oc able to prevent .lupanese concentrating around a position which is strategically weak and they also declare mat unless Uie Russians are victor oum all along the line a great disaster is pending.

THE GENERAL OPERATIONS.

A HUNDRED THOUSAND JAPANESE THREATEN MUKDiIN.

LONDON, September 1. A division of General Kurokl's urniy crossed tlie Tai-isu River in pontoons, additional troops following lat*r.

a Tokio message says that 'the right and centre deienuing- Uao-yang to the south were retiwating tWa afternoon, and that the Japanese weie pursuing. i

too.ooo Japanese are reported to be advancing by the north-east cm Mukden. . .

Olllciui Japanese despatches state that nowiher contestant at Uaoyang realised the visible result; tmofllcial Tokio aovjees abate that uho strength of the second Ruwian iino exceeds that of the An-ahan-Uan army, it is estimated that General Kurojjatkia has 100,000 fighters The Russians on the 2»th evacuated Taiien Haw, abandoning lUw valley after a Uvely artillery «- gageinent. * -

the strength of the Japanese force* up the Jiao River General Kuropatkin anxiety, Reports from St. INjtoraburg state that a battery of Russian artillery at Liao-yang on Tuesday lout every ollicer. The lighting may last several days yet,. JAPANESE DETERMINATION.

HOW GREAT DIFFICULTIES ARE SURMOUNTED,

(Received September 2, 9.09 pm.) LONDON, September. 3. The Japanese 0 u Tuesday and Wednesday desperately attacked a lot* chain of splendidly fortified poliit.ons on the southern front, coofronting a tremendous Are. For a long time the attack toiled, but the Russians were dislodged, from three positions, enabling the capture on Thursday of the roma&iM heights, thus forcing tin Russian night and centre to retire. l''ive thousand Japanese troop. have been landed at Nivhchwana. Marquess Oyama, CommoJeWnLaief, has ordered 185,000 tnea, held ceed north. *"

SAKHAROFF'S REPORT,

CHARACTERISTIC ACobuNT OSRUSSIAN ACffiBVB^ENTIk (Received September 3« 10.10 n.m ) LONDON. September 3 [ General Sakharoff reportTulat » «vUod of Japanese infantry., with TaJ-tee River on the ntgfct, or . th. dirt nit., and advanced wertwardj. and towards the Ycnrtal mines, thus Mreemng the passage of towards ftn advanced position, a*. *♦ hai-ofl claims that in the desperate. luting of the 80th and SUtcomt ploto success attended the Russians who maintained all their advance* positions, though exposed to a hatt of shrapnel. Russian rifle pita inTa . millet field fronting the torUfted post- - tions were.completely filled witH-Ja-panese corpses.

General Mioaovoski was wounded " and the Russian losses were conaut cranio, whilst the Japanese casual- ' ties reached aa enormous total , Router's Mukden correspondent reports that the train service, to U*oyang was interrupted late on Thui*. day evening. The roads are tmpassable. ST. PETERSBURG'S DARK DAYS. \ RUMOURS OP AN INTERRUPTED ■ RETIREMENT. (Rtaeived September 2, 10.18 p in ) LONDON. September 2 St. Petersburg's optimism is converted into' pronounced pessimism No telegrams have been received from Liao-yang since the morning and it is leared the Japanese hold! the telegraph lino. .

It is persistently reportatt that Mineral Kuropatkin ordered a retreat but found the retirement cut ofl' St. Petersburg estimates of the BusZ man losses on Wednesday place Una number at 5000. JAPANESE IN LIAO^YANa.

REPORTED OCCUPATION OF THP TOWN.

(Received September 2, 11.88 p m ) LONDON, September's It is reported in Tokio and. Shangnal that the Japanese occupied Llaoyang on Thursday afternoon, but there is no official conarmation of this.

It is reported ftt St. Petersburg that General Linovitch, with 80 000 men, is within two days' march of Mukden.

Tho reported capture of 46 Japanese guns is unconfirmed.

AN EFFECTIVE PLAN,

IKT DIFFICULT TO CARRY OUT,

(Received September 8, I 7 a M ) LONDON, September 3. Militaiy critics consider that Xuropatkin. s only chance la to onnihiiate Kuroki's forces at wjy coat.