Telegrams, official and private, have been received from the continent of Europe transmitting the Press comments regarding the Japanese victory north of Liaoyang. Among others the French papers are unanimous in recognising it asa fatal and complete defeat for the Russians. The announc compared with ite dianstrous result, and his mistakes have been severely criticised by the papers, while the question of the responsibility for his adventurous attempt occupies almost all the papers. As might be anticipated the pro-Russian and Nationalist papers are making pardonable efforts to minimise as far as possible the importance of Japan's victory, but the Socialist organs spare no words in blaming the incapacity of the Russian military system. M. Jauré, the Socialist leader, says that while ti situation is not one which any Frenchman can be glad to have predicted, he hes had to warn the leaders of the French public in regard to the grave events in the Far East.
Most of the papers at this moment are laying stress first of all on the fuct that General Kuropatkin had loudly announced his intention to take the offensive, which announcement found an immense echo throughout the world, and raised sri ardent hope among the Russian people; but at the first shook of battle this hope was totally destroyed. The writers then criticise the motive for this vain taking of the offensive and express the opinion that the moment is ripe to get rid of the vain illusion about the military resources of Russia, and to suggest some suitable means to terminate the war in the interests of Russia.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.