NOTES ON THE WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12625, 4 August 1904, Page 5

NOTES ON THE WAR.

There is again silence from Port Arthur. A Tientsin report-, however, refers to a sortie of the garrison, which was repulsed. It is cot stated when the sortie took place. If it was a recent event, then the assault upon the fortress hardly can have been made. The sortie story may be just as unreliable as havo been most of the reports from Chinese sources. There can lie little doubt that the Japanese are striving to effect the capture, bat the world will get no details until the end. Weeks ago the Japanese said that Liao-yang and Pert Arthur would be attacked together. We know that General Kuroki is forcing his way to Liao-yang, and there is no reason to doubt that- Field-Mar-shal Oyama is carrying out his share of the programme. Admiral Skrydloff reports on the case of the Knight Commander and the raid of his squadron in a way that leads to tho belief that it lias returned to Vladivostok. According to him tho squadron returned through the Tsugaru Straits, followed by some Japanese warships. These did not attack. Such an assemblage of vessels as that described could not hope to defeat the three powerful Russian cruisers. Why the Japanese did not spare efficient cruisers for the task is inexplicable. They seem to have deliberately allowed the raid and the return. It may be policy on their part to give tho Russians every opportunity for making bad neighbours. There is an air of weakness about it, however, which is certain to exasperate the Japanese people. The battle on Sunday at Liao-yang, it now appears, ended in a serious reverse for the Russians. General Ivuropatkin's report agrees in the main with the Japanese report as to what happened. The Russian right rested on a place that General Kuropatkin calls Ikavuran, and which has been previously called Ikaboran. It is not on the mops, but it may be the Russian spelling for Aikialing, a place just where the Russian right would be. The Russian front would thus extend from Aikialing to the cast to Lang-sze-ling, and then north-west along the Motion Road towards Anping. According to tho reports, the Japanese turned both right and left wings and made progress in the centre, but failed to dislodge the Russians from the pass by which the Motion Road goes through Lang-sze-ling. Thoy captured this pass on Monday, and have apparently an open way to Liao-yang. There can be little doubt that the Japanese are on the verge of capturing Liao-yang. They are to the north and the east of tho city, and the Takushan army may be advancing from Niuchwang to the westward. 1 Tho Japanese already have superiority in numbers, but they continue to land troops at Yinbow. From there they can march on to Haicheng or Liao-yang, while General Oka. acting as drover, advances northward by the railway. The land operations are now compressed within the 35 miles of country extending between Haieheng and Liao-yang. The Japanese and the mountains are to the east and marshes and bad roads to the west. Within that narrow strip of country General Kuropatkin may have 80,000 or 90,000 men. The Japanese estimate was that 40,000 Russians fought at Tashi-chiao, but General SakharofT said this was an over-estimate. In Sunday's battle at Liao-yang about 40,000 Russians took part. These may have included some of the troops that escaped from Tashi-chiao. Giving General Kuropatkin 80,000 men, he is being assailed by three times that number, if not more. The Russian Commander-in-Chief is in desperate straits, and there may well be anxiety in Russia on his behalf. The Japanese front now extends from north of Liao-yang to Motieu, 10 otnmucheng (which place has been ocoupied), to Tashi-chiao, and on to the Liao River at Yinhow and Niuchwang. From Liao-yang to Tashi-chiao by rail is about 60 miles and to Yinhow about another 20. Between Shimucheng and Liao-yang, however, the mountains run and the Japanese hold the passes. Then they can receive reinforoemonts .as they please at Yinhow and Kaiping. They could not be in a better position for striking heavy blows at the enemy. The Russians, who have onlv once in the war taken the initiative, and then failed miserably, have nothing but defence left, unless a relieving army from Mukden appears on the scene. It would have to be a large army to save General Kuropatkin.