February 6, 1895.]
Colonel Tojo, reporting from Yangcheng on the evening of the 22nd, says that the sound of big guns was board in the direction of Weihal. wei from noon on the 21st, and that during the night of that day the electric search light was reflected on the sky and more firing was heard. It looks as if the Peiyang squadron had made | an attempt to escape and been intercepted. THE STATE OF AFFAIRS AT PEKING. A correspondent of the Chin Gazette writes
Everything is as quiet as possible here; the Chinese go about their daily avocations just as 13 and imagine in their gross ignorance that this is the Middle Kingdom, round which the universe revolves. I fancy the officials are not quite comfortable; they appear disturbed; and from what I can hear and see are heartily sick of the war and everything connected with it. One thing is certain it has stirred up officialdom to its depths.
Pride and hatred are said to be strong in the
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main then for them only one line of retreat and means of communie ition with China, namely, the high road from Moukden to Pekin via Shan- baikwan. But we have seen that the Japanese, by moving 75 miles along the coast, can emerge upon that road at Shisaushan, whereas the Chi- nese must march 135 miles to reach the same place. Of course Suug's army, variously es timated at from fifteen to fifty thousand, has to be dealt with before Newchwang falls into Japanese possession. But nearly all the men now under Sung's banner are beaten soldi :rs. They have encountered the Japanese dither at Tomucheng. or at Kang wasai, or at Ha cheug, or at Kaiping, or Chinchow, or at Port Arthur, and already there is talk of their melting away without awaiting another conflict. In short from whatever point we view it, the position of the Chinese armies in Shinking is very critical. If the Japanese take Yingkow and advance thence along the coast until they strike the Moukden-Shanhaikwan road the Lanyang-Moukden army except to disperse and get out of the field as speedily and secretly as possible. Inclement weather may slightly alter the complexion of affairs but apart from that contingency the Chinese are in what may be called a very tight place.--Japan Mail.
at
people, and nothing but force and compunction / ping, thirty to forty thousand being to the north at Shisanshan, we do not, see what remains for
will make them give in. They are not quite down on their knees yet, and affairs may taka some unexpected turn before long. Chiña proper is only now being affected by this war and up to this time the government has not concerned itself much, but now that they fear an occupation of the capital they are worried, and fired if th business. They are much better able to resist an invasion from the Japanese than formerly, as, roughly speaking, 400,000 men are camping in and near Peking; this number will at any rate take som killing, even if they do not do much towards fighting their foos. No doubt when spring comes we shall see so na developments. It is believed here that if Japan was willing to come to terms which suited the Chinese they would be glad to settle, but if Japan pats con ditious which China considers oppressive, Chir may be inclined to say com on and do your worst." Then what night follow, remains to be seen.
(
NO SHRAPNEL OR CASE SHOT AT WEIHHAIWEI.
dozen or
The Chinese, we are credibly informed, have not a single round of shrapnel or case shot with which to repel au infautry attack, though they are well supplied with other varieties of ammuni- tion. Most of the foreigners have loft and gone to more secure quarters in Chefoo, only half
so remaining on board the ships. Amongst those who are standing to their guns through thick and thin are Admiral " Mc. Clure; Mr. Mellows. au ex-Shanghai policeman and an old gunner's mate in the English navy, who now occupies a place ou the quarterdeck of the Tingyuen; Mr. Woods, who was in the battle of the Yalu, and one or two others.
Si
OVERTURES FROM A WOULD BE ALLY.
Haicheng, vit Japan, 26th January On the 9th instant a hinese (Tartar?) Gen- eral named Sun Naris Nakang, from the borders of Kirin or Shinghing, presented himself at the head-quarters of the 5th Army Division and vehemently denounced the ravages of the Chinese, whom he accused of being plunderers of the worst decription. He then offered his services to assist the Japanese in attacking Monkden, and said he had an organised force of 60.000 men who were ready to join the Japanese and thus avenge the cruelties of the Chinese. His offer appeared to be perfectly bonafide and there was no reason to treat it with suspicion. The Japanese treated him kindly, furnished him with money for travelling expenses, but de. clined his proferred aid. They instructed him, however, to report to them on the condition of the enemy. Besides this many petitions from the natives near Liaoyang have been received at the Administrative Bureau at Haicheng asking the Japanese to come speedily and occupy the district. Nothing could show plainer the attitude of the natives towards the iuvaders and the execration in which the Chinese authorities are held-China Gazette.
The Jiji says that General Tsaug has set out with 2,000 men for the purpose of disputing the advance of the Japauese from Yungcheng, but from what place he has marched we are not told.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. parallel of north latitude 35 miles before entering Moukden. The place at which the road begias to curve is Shisanshan. There, also, it bifurcates, the northern or main branch proceeding, as we bave said, toward Moukden. the eastery leading along the northern coast of the Liaotung Gulf, to Kaiping via Yingkow (modern New chwang), and thence to Suiyen and Chiu- lion. In other words, Chiulien and Shisanshan lie at the eastern and western extremities | respectively of the chord of an are at the highest point of which is Moukden, while the road from Moukdən vid Laoyang to Haicheng and Kaiping bisects the arc and meets the chord at right angles. At first the Japanese forces, after crossing the Yalu river, advanced into Manchuria along the eastern periphery of the are, but so soon as they struck westward to ward Haicheng, they placed themselves on the chord. The Chinese troops, on the other hand, were distributed chiefly along the sector from Monkden to Laoyang, Haicheng, and Kai- of Haicheng, and twenty to twenty-five thous and to the south of that place. Hence, when the Japanese obtained possession of Haicheng, they cut the Chinese line of defence in two Moreover, at Haicheng they were within 75 miles of Shisanshan, whereas the Chiness at Moukden were 135 miles from the same place. In other words, the Japanese, by advancing 75 miles farther west along the chord of theare, could easily intercept the China-ward retreat of all the Mouk den and Laoyang forces. That has been the stra-
The telegraph has evidently been interrupted, tegy of the Japanese generals throughout the
as we surmised yesterday (24th January), for we war. They have always succeded in taking a posi were not placed until yesterday in receipt of a tion such that while having direct access to the
message from Lieut-General Nodzu, dated enemy's front, they also threatened his line 10.20 p.m. on the 18tb. The General says of retreat. Previously, however, the man- that in the attack on Haicheng on the 17th œavre had been carried out on a small scale the enemy's left wing numbered about 8.000 in connection with the attack of some particular | under the command of General Chang, and his fortress or entrenchment, but in Shinking the right wing about 6,000 under the command of plan, was extended so as to embrace the whole
General I. Only 21 dead bodies were found field of immediate action. It is true that to
upon the field, but the people of the vicinity obtain the position at Haicheng the Japanese allege that more than a hundred were killed or accepted large strategical risks, Lient.-General wounded in addition. The Chinese, after balt- Katsura's march from Suiyen to that place ex-ing for the night at a distance of some miles, re- posed him to a concerted attack from north treated on the following morning in a northerly and south that might have proved very direction. troublesome. But Fi-11-Marshal Yamagata, due, based his calculations. on the qualities to whom the programme is understood to be hitherto shown by the enemy. With Chinese for adversaries he doubtless felt safe in disp us ing with precantions essential in the face of a though they failed to prevent the cutting of their more enterprising foo. The Chinese, however, line, evidently understood the significance of the operation after it had been consummated; for two days after Katsura's capture of Haicheng, General Sung mored up from Kaiping with 10.000 men to try and recover the place, and intelligence has now been received that on the 17th instant a similar attempt was made by the Chinese forces on the north. Such details of the fight as bave reached Tokyo are given elsewhere in our columns. As usual the Chinese were defeated, and as usual their fighting proved in- comprehensibly innocuous to their enemies. At least ten thousand men moved against a position from three directions, struggled to recover it from a little after daylight until nightfall, and ultimately retired, having inflicted on their foes a loss of only one man killed and forty wounded. It is the most farcical fighting on record. What on earth the Chinese do with their arms of precision, how they point them and how they discharge them, we can form no concep- tion. Apparently, in the battle ou the 17th, they never ventured usarer to the Japanese outposts than from fifteen to sixteen hundred metres. Rif fire at such a range is virtually useless. Even artillery fire cannot effect much. If the Chinese expected to recover Haicheng by standing off from it and discharging fatile ballets in its direction, they must have a childish
THI OPERATIONS IN MANCHURIA. We have endeavoured to keep our readers in touch with the operations of the contending forces in Manchuria, and another brief explana- tion at this stage will probably be useful. The high road from Shanhaikwan to Mouk len, after travelling in a north-easterly direction along the western coast of the Gulf of Pechili, assumes, sosnerally speaking, a curved form, the highest point of the curve touching the forty-second
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It would soom that their defeat on the 17th to recover Haicheng, for according to a telegram did not deter the Chinese from further attempts
from the Chief Medical Officer of the Third Division, sout from Haicheng at 7.20 p m. on the 22nd, another force of about 10,000 men aḍ-
by the Laoyang road and commenced an attack. vauced against Haicheng from the north-west By 2 p.m. they were driven back, leaving over 100 dead upon the field. The Japanesɔ casualties were 28 wounded and none killed.
In the neighbarbod of Kaiping also, the Chiuose are disposed to assume the offensive in a half-hearted kind of way. The Chief of the First Division staff, telegraphing at 8.33 p.m. on the 24th, says that at p.m. on that day about 10,000 of the enemy advanced from the direction of Takwei-shan, apparently to attack Kaiping, but after a brief canonade they re treated in two columns at 4.50 p.m. in a north- westerly and northerly direction. -Japan Mail,
SPECIAL TELEGRAMS TO THE SHANGHAI MERCURY."Į
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YOKOHAMA, 26th Jan. A telegram has been received from Kaeping. dated the afternoon of the 24th instant, from General Nogi, which states that a Chinese force of about 10,000 men, coming from the direction of Taibeigen, advanced against the Japanese outermost line of defence. Artillery only came into play on both sides, and after a while the Chinese were routed and completely demoralized by the Japauese shrapnel, retreating in two bodies, one going to the northward and another to the north-west.
YOKOHAMA, 26th January. A telegram, dated Haichang on the night of conception of warfare.. At all
the 22nd instaat, from General Nodzu, reports events they wore boaton back, and con- that he was expecting to be re-attacked by the sidering the very perfunctory character of their Chinese forces from Liaoyang; consequently the attempt there is little reason to expect that it the Third Division was arranged for the defedco will be renewed. The importance of the affair and their plan to draw the enemy within six is that it radically affects the position of the hundred metres was successful, when the Fifth Chiness in Shinking. The troops assembled to Iufantry Brigade and three batteries of artil the north of Haicheng, with Laoyang for head lery suddenly attacked and opened fire on the quarters and the defence of Moukden for final right flank of the Chinese forces, and being object, have now to consider the possibility of get- thus taken by complete surprise they fled in ting back to China. Their base of supply has all directions in great confusion. The other hitherto been Nowohwang (Yingkow), which must infantry flank of the Japanese attacked the soon fall into Japanese hands. There will re-retreating Chinese, which very much increased
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