Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1894 — ORIENTAL WAR [ARTICLE]

ORIENTAL WAR

Actual Hostilities Between Corea and Japan, Japanese Cruiser Said to Have Sunk a Chinese Transport. A cable from Shanghai, July 21, says: A dispatch from Nagasaki, on the southwest side of the island of Kioo-Sijo, Japan, says that a detachment of Corean troops, at the instigation of the Chinese residents, attacked the Japanese garrison and was defeated. A later telegram says that a Japanese cruiser and a Chinese transport have been engaged, and that the schooner sunk the transport. Nothing is known here of the alleged private dispatch stating that the Japanese have bombarded Corean ports. The British counsel has received a telegram from the British charge d’affairs at Tokio, stating that the Japanese have undertaken to regard Shanghai as outside of the sphere of operations. The price of coal has risen 40 per cent on account of the large demand made upon these supplies -for use upon board the war ships and transports. A Yokohama cable, July 24, says: Coreans and Chinese engaged in a battle on the 12th inst. with Tungsis rebels, and a large number were killed. It is reported that the Corean King has been kidnapped by the Japanese. The Chinese counsel at Nagasaki has ordered all Chinese to leave their homes. Eight Japanese and three Chinese mcn-cf-war and twenty thousand troops are at Jenzen. Trouble is imminent at that place. Cholera is increasing at a fearful rate. Official dispatches received at the Japanese legation at Washington confirm the press reports. A cable from London July 27 s says: Lloyd’s agent at Shanghai confirms the announcement that war has been declared between China and Japan. England is in sympathy with China.- Hostilities have occurred but details have not been received. The immediate cause of the declaration of war is said to be the fact that as exclusively announced by the Associated Press on July 24, the Japanese attacked the Chinese transports, conveying troops to Korea. In this engagement at least one Chinese transport was sunk by a Japanese cruiser. But it would now seem that the fighting between the Chi nese and Japanese war ships was much more serious than at first announced, as is rumored in Anglo-Chinese circles hero that the Chinese have already suffered very heavy loss, and it is believed that a number of Chinese ships have been sunk by the Japanese cruisers.