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IN THE FAR EAST

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 22, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 12.

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IN THE FAR EAST.

THE greatest battle of the Russo-Japanese War is now being fought in the vicinity of Mukden. For thirteen days the battle has been raging continuously, day and night, along a front of from eighty to one hundred miles. Both of the Russian wings were first crumpled back upon the main body of the Russian defense, and the attack was pressed home on three sides with unremitting vigor. Much of the fighting was done in the midst of snow storms and dust storms of great severity. The whole Russian army is now in retreat, or so much of it as has not been surrounded or left upon the field. This battle is rightly called one of the most desperate and dreadful battles of the world. It is reported that the Russians have lost 125,000 men in killed and wounded, and that the Japanese have lost 75,000. These figures may be increased in later reports, as the Russians in their retreat find the Japanese on both sides of their marching columns, and the former are being constantly shelled from both sides. The Japanese planned to entrap Kuropatkin's army, and compel the surrender of at least a large portion of it; but the Russian commander seems to have been able to extricate himself from the trap with the major part of his troops. He has been compelled, however, to abandon several million dollars' worth of supplies, guns, and ammunition. So far as possible, the abandoned supplies were burned before the retreat began. The Japanese are now in possession of Mukden, the Manchurian capital, which has been the headquarters of the Russians since the disastrous battle of the Shakhe River. The total casualties since the beginning of the war, not counting those lost in naval engagements, are as follows: Russians, 260,206: Japanese, 166,748. It is reported that Russia's creditors are urging her to bring the war to a close; but neither of the belligerents is showing any indication of so doing.