Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1895 — STORY OF THE WAR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORY OF THE WAR.

JAPAN’S BRILLIANT TACTICS iN SUBDUING CHINA. A Succession of Victories--An Offensive and Defensive Alliance by Which Japan Will General China’s Vast Armies Should Either Be Besieged. The full terms of the treaty of peace between China and Japan are finally avowed, and more than justify the wildest estimate that has yet been made of the ambition of the conquering power. The independence of Corea was assured, but such independence as Corea would enjoy under this treaty is a mere sham. The annexation of Formosa, of the conquered strongholds and of the territory east of the Liao River is the dismemberment of China. The indemnity is $142,000,000. The sixth article provides for “an offensive and defensive alliance between China and Japan.’’ This means Japanese generals in command of Chinese armies, Japanese admirals restoring China’s navy, Japanese control of Chinese finances, legislation, commerce and foreign relations. In a word it gives to forty millions of Japanese the power of handling the resources of the four hundred millions of China. What use Japan would make of this power is sufficiently indicated in the words of Count Okuma, an ex-’Minister of Foreign Affairs, who frankly says: “The European powers are already showing symptoms of decay, and the [ next generation will see their con- 1 stitutions shattered and their etn- j pires in ruins. * * * Who is fit | to be their proper successors if not ourselves ” Japan is undoubtedly dreaming of j world conquest. The absorption of China is really ‘the chief article of the .

Japan, an empire with forty million population, conquered China, an empire with four hundred million population, within a little less than eight months. The war virtually began on the 22d of last June, when 20,0.00 Japanese troops were landed in @orea. It practically ended February 14 of this year when Admiral Ting, the Chinese commander, surrendered Weihaiwei and then committed suicide. The United States tried to prevent war by offering (July 18) to be a sort of mutual friend in settling the quarrel. China seemed willing to consent to mediation, but Japan as much as told the Americans to mind their own business. Nevertheless, on every favorable occasion during the struggle the United States sought to play the part of peacemaker, and eventually peace was brought about through the instrumentality of Minister Dun in Tokio and Minister Denby in Pekin. The first overt act of war was the sinking of the British steamship Kowshing off Asan,Corea, in July by the Japanese crusier Naniwa. The Kowshing was transporting troops to reinforce the Chinese on the peninsula. Two days before the Japanese had in effect seized the king’s palace at Seoul under pretense of protecting the helpless Corean monarch.

July 29 Japan called out her reserves and on Aug. 1 she notified representatives of other countries that war was on and politely informed the rest of the world that things were just what they seemed. There were numerous engagements of minor consequence while the Japanese were driving the Chinese northward out of Corea, but the first great battle was at Pingyang, Sept. 15 and 16, when Field Marshal (now Minister of War) Yamagata’s army captured that stronghold. Sept. 17, the sea fight off the mouth of the Yalu River substantially destroyed the Chinese Navy. Field Marshal Oyama sailed from Hiroshima Sept. 23 with the second Japanese army, but was lo3t to sight until exactly one month later he landed with his forces at Talien on the Shinning Peninsula of China. Marshal Yamagata meanwhile had been leading liis victorious army through Northern Corea. Port Arthur, looked upon as one of the best fortified places in the world, fell Nov. 21. The two Japanese r then marched leisurely on to Peking. There was occasional fighting, but evidently the Japanese did not press the campaign, moving along leisurely and when ready capturing Newchwang on the Leaotong River. The battle of Weihaiwei was the

next and the final ‘.mpcrfan? eagsgt ment of the war. Japan has made a hostile demonatrration about Formosa, but probably in order to lay a foundation for a claim to it in the peace negotiations rather than to seize the island. About the middle of March the talk |of peace negotiations, which had been heard for some weeks, crystali lized in the definite agreement of 1 China to accept the conditions which ! Japan proposed. The correspondence was carried on through the United States ministers j in order to avoid a repetition of the incident of February, when Japan kicked out two emissaries masquer- ! ading as peace ambassadors, but without credentials. After some further delay Li Hung ('bang was duly commissioned to rep- ; sent the Emperor of China and sailed for Shimonoseki, Japan, where he was received by Japan’s peace commissioners, Count Oto and Viscount Mutsu. The peace conference was only fairly under way when a fanatic shot Li Hung Chang, inflicting a slight wound in the face. The Mikado promptly proclaimed an armistice, intended to last until the Chinese Envoy should recover. Before the armistice expired the peace conference had agreed upon a treaty. The provisions of the treaty of most consequence to outside countries are these: China agrees to no longer impose upon foreigners the odious tax known as liken, levied upon goods and sales. v A uniform standard tael is to be adopted by China for her currency. Much confusion is caused in money calculations, because there are the Aaikwan or custom tael (usually meant when government computations are made), worth about 72 cents, and the Shanghai tael, worth about (>9 cents. .All foreigners are to be permitted to introduce into China factories and machinery, and to lease warehouses in the interior. Japan takes Formosa, the Pescadorea Islands and Manchuria from Yingkow, on the Leao river to Anping, on the Yalu including the Leatong peninsula. Jib other part of China is to be oc cupied by Japan even as a temporary guarantee that China shall abide by the provisians of the peace treaty, except possibly Weihaiwei. The important commercial concessions made by China are to bo shared by all nations. Other countries have striven for many years to induce China to abolish the iikin impost, but in vain. The term is composed of the Chinese word “li,” the thousandth part of a tael, and “kin,” meaning money. The tax is imposed in addition to customs duties upon goods transported from one point in China to another, and the rates varies at the different barriers or boundaries throughout the country. Foreign owned goods might be exempted from this and other local exactions by means of transit passes issued by the customs authorities on payment of two and one-half per cent, of the value of the goods. Originally the liken was a tax of one cash (a copper coin varying in value from one-tenth to onefourteenth of an American cent.) per tael on the value of all sales, and was imposed by the people of China upon themselves to make up the deficiency in the land tax during the Taiping rebellion. The money thus raised \va3 to be set apart for military measures only and intended to be merely a tempor’ ary measure. But it is still levied and has been recognized in treaties by foreign nations trading with China.

MARSHAL YAMAGATA ADMIRAL ITO, MARSHAL OYAMA.

LI HUNG CHANG.