RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7939, 22 October 1904, Page 5

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Russian Reinforcements.

A _?igbt on/ Equal Terms.

Japanese Fierce Charges Irre-

sistible.

(By, Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Per /Press Association,

LONDON, Oct. 21

:/ A Russian officer reports that 40. men belonging ;to General Kuroki's force, with several officers, were surrounded in ahufcand summonded to surrender. '

: Soohere than do this,/.-/however, the men. committed suicide, with the exception of; five, who .were captured. ;.

' Adyices from Tokio'fix General Kuropatkin's reinforcements at 30,000.:

: .Six. divisions: confront/General Oku, including the 16th. corps, large portions of the tenth corps, and the portions recently arrived, of the sth and 6th Siberians. . ' "■' •'*•■■ ''.•;■

• General Oku's captures near Langtzuchien were's344: rifles, 78,000 cartridges,; 4820 shells, and - quantities of tents, clothing, swords, and-six ammunition carts.: * * .

Nodzu's additional ' casualties are twelve officers killed and, thirty wounded.

The principal Russian' casualties were in the counter attacks. In each captured village many parties were entirely annihilated.

This is the first time the" Russians ■have met the Japanese on equality, not depending on strong' defensive positions. They: attacked .the ■_Japanese'in the: trenches and fought bravely, but; were' unable to expel the Japanese or withstand the latter's fierce charges. They almost invariably retired, and then repeatedly, attempted "to re-capture the positions they had lost. The majority of those, who fourght General Oku are newly-arrived levies,, while the Japanese were the same soldiers as those , who took part in the Liaoyang battle.

The Czar has issued a decree, doubling the trans-Siberian railway.