58
THE JAPANESE PLAN OF
CAMPAIGŃ.
bave very rightly been preserve 1 an such inscrutable darkness that during the vartbere have been many surprises, and many would. be prophets have provel most signally mere blind lealers of the blind. We have been rather loth, unler the circumstances, to take up the rôle of prophet, and our pre lictions have usually bion of a quidifiel nature. We have, however, always held the opinion that before proceeding to Peking the Japi, nèse w m'd take Wai-hai-wei and thus com- plete their control of the sea, pifictically won at the buttle of Huiyang, or the Yaloo River. Tful to secure their ray wollt in any casa be in omission which, julzing by
the cautions ties hitherto comulova l taking nothing for granted antin war finder- rating th› ene ny-the Japanes ara all likely to bị guilty bf. Chere is, too, a general ciae 1315 of opiniarioa ti › subjet in the Pesss and among this who have watched the day fop nem, of events, that the Third Army Corps, which is just leaving or has embark at Hiroshima, for Cama, will
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
absorbed
[January 23, 1895.
The litter are at
land on the coast of Shantung and htrack_most_sure to give fight. In all probability | an interesting point in the present campaigh,
the only remaining Chinese naval stronghold before jaiding the Seal Aray for th march on Pking. Whether or Bent the anticipation of one of our Yoko važna, con- temporaries, that the sailors of the Petyang Squadro 1, being in port, will
fram. escape
judicial to foreign commercial interests. | to yield sustenance if not plenty for the Newchwarg city is a rather large but strag-teeming population. Tungchow-fu is some gling place with a somewhat rowdy popula. thirty miles west of Chefoo, and the attack The plans and movem nts of the Japanese / tion. It has some trade, but the new port has upon it may have been made with Foun of two objects. Either it 18 designed most of this, and commercially now
a feint to mask the real intention overshadows the inland city. Kinchow-fu as is the departmental town of one of the two of the Japanese, who will make a sudden divisions of f the province of Shingking and descent at another point to get to the rear about forty-five miles from Newchwang city of Wei-hai-wei; or it is intendel to land at It is situated on a fertile and well-wooded Tungchow-fu and establish a base there for plain and is the centre of a considerable Lcal | an attack by land, first on Chefoo and subse- brade. It is a walled city nearly square in quently on Wei-hai-wei. In either case it form, sach side of the square about half a
is pretty obvious that the remaining naval mile in length. The walls are in fair repair, station of the Chinese is not to be allowed but we are not aware whether they are pro- to escape investment. Possibly the attack have been an in- vided with guns of an effective description. Tungchow-fu may In the centre of the city is a lofty tower, per-vitation by Admiral Iro to the Peiyang forated with four gateways which mark the Squadron under the valiant TING and his junction of the four main streets There advisers to come forth and do buttle. The will probably be no real defence of this place Japanese Fleet would be nothing loth, if the attempted and when Kinchow is captured Chinese Navy are not a fraid of another trial the way will be open to Shanhai-kwan, of strength. It is to be feared, however which is situated at the end of the Great that the inhabitants of Tungchow will Wall. At that point a stand will no doubt | not find salvation by the guns of the be attempted, as Shanbai-kwan is an arsenal | Peiyang Squadron, and possesses fortifications of a kind. Herr present in safe anchorage at Wei-hai-wei VON HANNEKEN has, we believe, pronounced and evidently prefer to be caught there like it i capable of a prolonged defence, but a large rats in a trap to an engagement in the open. The bombardment of Tungchow marks army has be collected there, and will be al-
It is the first act in the prosecution of the war in China Prover, Up to the 19th inst. the hostilities had been confined to Korea and Manchuria; they are now to be con- ducted also on the sacred soil of the Eig-q teen Provinces. This will bring the war with all its significance into full view of the Chinese people. So long as the fighting. went on in Manchuria alone it would not materially affect the Chinese, who view with more or less indifference any reverses or misfortunes that overtake the outlying | portions of the Celestral Empire. When Wei-bar-wer, and bye and bye Chefoo, Peking, have fallen into the hands of the Japanese, the Chinese will begin to see the true significance of the Japanese victories, and will he more alive to the necessity of agreeing quickly with the adversary. The new step taken by Japan is also very important as showing the deter- mination of the Japanese Government to še- cure the absolute and unquestioned control of the sea. This cannot be done so long as Wei-hai-wei exists as a Chinese naval port and rendezvous, wherein the defeated but still powerful Peiyang Squadron refuge until an opportunity offers for it to issue forth and strike a blow either at Japan- ese transports or detached cruisers. The plans of the Japanese have not of course yet been revealed, and we may be mistaken in these conclusions, but everything points to their probability. Meantime the unfolding of the plan of campaign of the Third Army Corps will be watched with the greatest in- terest and closest attention. It will also be interesting to note how, in this extremity, Admiral TING will act. It goes without say ing that no European naval commander would stand idle when the last naval strong- hold of his country was threatened by the.
the vessels to shore and leave them prize to the Japanese is another question. It would be quite in accordancy with Chi- nese ways, but there is the possibility that the men-of-war may put to, મુ and endeav varg to reach the Yangtsze or some- safe havej the south that is, of course, 71: they havo ጊ coal supply and are able to esetpe
2
the
vigilance of the Japanese Fleet, which would certainly be on the qui nive to prevent
such a movement.
We have no faith in
*
the valour of either Admiral TING or of his somewhat unruly officers The Peiyang Squadron has never sought the enemy; it fought at Hai-yang, because it was cornered, and was then so badly beaten that it has
never shown self to the Japanese since Nevertheless TING may determin», for his owncredit's sake, to make a stand at Wei- hai-wei and render the victory a costly one to the Japanese. Our impression is that the place will be more easily captured than was Port Arthur, but the unexpected may happen, and the Chinese Northern Squadron may make a good fight and in some degree repair its credit or fall with decency.
While the Third Army Corps is engaged. in achieving the final lestruction of China's power afloat by depriving her of her last naval fortress and her principal warships, the other armies will employ their energies in completing the occupation of Shingking. According to Reater the Japanese are now advancing towards Kinchow, in which case WO must presume they have oc- cupied the city of Newchwang, but have not gone near the Treaty port, which is about thirty miles from the city and about thirteen miles from the mouth of the river Liao, on which it is situated. The road to Kinchow from Newchwang city describes a bend round the northern side of the head of the Gulf of Liao-tung, and is a considerable distance inland, over a fairly level country. By pursuing this road the Japanese would avoid going near the Treaty port if they did not care to occupy it, which may be the case as the Japanese Govern ment have throughout the war shown the strongest desire to avoid any operations or movement that would or could prove pre,
when the Japanese Scond Army Corps reaches Shanhai-kwan the Third Army Corps, after capturing Wei-hai-wei, will em- bark again for Shanhai-kwan and there effect a jinetion with the other forces which have ma ehel overland. The defence of Shan- hai-kwho may not prove the last stand of the Chinese they will no doubt gather in force before Pekin; and with the rigours of the winter, the difficulties of the road, and the opposition of the Chinese armies it is quite possible that the Japanese troops will not enter the Chinese capital for several months. But the Japanese are clearly in no hurry; they neither have the wish nor the intention of making a sudden and rapid dash across country to Peking. Nor is it probable that they will be able to utilise the railway with out some trouble, for the Chinese will not be likely to allow it to fall into their bands in working order. It is true that the guns in Port Arthur were not spiked, the stores of animunition were left unspoiled, the dock intact, and all the plaut in serviceable condi- tion, but it is hardly to be expected that General SUNG will be equally accommodating with the railway. This is not a forecast, nor is it a prediction: The Japanese may take a somewhat different course, and inay commence operations against other ports or places in China, but the plan indicated above is the one that seems reasonable, feasible, and therefore probable.
THE BOMBARDMENT OF TUNGCHO-FU.
The bombardment of Tungchow-fu by the Japanese on Saturday, the 19th inst., an- nounced in our issue of yesterday, is con- firmation of the report that the Third Army Corps, which so recently embarked at Ujiná, is designed primarily for the capture of Wei- hai-wei. The city of Tungchow-fu lies on the northern shore of the Shantung Promontory. The houses do not occupy half the space en- closed by the walls, and the harbour can only be entered at high water. Since the rise of Chefoo as a Treaty port, the trade of Tangchow, never large and confined to a small commerce with Liaotung and Korea, very has gradually declined and is now limited. The country round is a pleasing succession of hill and dale, well watered with numerous streams, and thickly inhabited by an industrious people. The soil is poor, but by systematic and laborious tillage it is made
|
eremy.
can take
."
THE TUNG WAH HOSPITAL.
The foundation stone of the Tung Wah Hospital was laid in 1870 and the institution was formally opened on the 14th February, 1872. Previous to that time the only in- stitution that existed for the reception of moribund Chinese was the notorious E-tsze, Land had originally been granted for the purpose of erecting a temporary resting place for coffined bodies previous to their removal to their native districts, in con- formity with Chinese customs, but it was found that persons dangerously ill, and