New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-30
CAMPAIGN PLANS IN TONQUIN
SITUATION OF THE TWO ARMIES.

ACoIISTTION OF HAINAN BY THE FRENCH fh''i'''D
TIE LOSS AT sONTAY.
JoNnoN Dec 29-The agitation in French news
papers in favor of Frances demanding OF Ohina a"
indemnity for the covert war waged by tne n',oi
in TonGuin against France is due to the uiIcCv IL
sniration of NJ. Jules Ferry the French PRIME Mill
ister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The frcncn
Covarnuent has received information from feKlh
that tbe Imperial Grand Council is in faycr OF
continuation of resistanceto the demands OF rance
without n formal declaration Of hostihtles' NJ
Ferry's idea Of demanding OF emma an
indemnity is intended to prevent thaI Coun
try from continuing to send rcilioro'-
mcnts to Tonquin If Chlnese uoop'
defend Hong-Hoa and Bac-Ninh, French lorce
from, the souadron under command Of Admiral
Lcspes will land Oh the Island of llainan NJ
himself is in favor of tho permanent acquisition Oy
France Hanan as step necessary enable France
to control the Tonquin river system, and he would
make Hainau the chief French maritime station IN
the East.
lie TEMPS and La RepubHque Frdncdlse also advo-
cate the seizure of the islands of Chusan ana Or
mosa. II is certain that the treaty Powers-kuSSlA
ENGLAND and Germany-wOuld oppose French az
gresions on Chusan and FornoSa. The Marquis
Tscng. the Chinese Ambassador, Is now re-
siding at Folkestone. lie has no III
formation upon the subject of the rnmored de-
mands of the French Government, aud considers the
nrctcpsions set ND for an indemnity as ridiculous
The German Government has Informed France
tbroupb Baron de Cource the French Ambassador
at Berlin that no German officers on either active
service or the reserve are in the service of China
The Cabinet at Berlin has further shown its good
will toward France by warning the Chinese Gov
crnmcnt that tho ron-clad now being constructed
in the Stettin Docks will not be allowed to SAL
from there until it is evident that there Will be no
war between France and China. Orders have also
been issued prohibiting the two Chinese coryettes
inst completed at Kiel from leaving. The
French squadron In Chinese waters has been re-
inforccd bv the Gallissoniere the flagship OF Adj
miral Lcspcs and the lrOn-Clads IuTenne ana Mont
calm. ,- A..
China. acting under the advice OF the EuTonean
Powers has Withdrawn her troops from Bac-NInh'
HoNG KoSG, Dee. 29.-1he position Of the French
troops in Tonquin has remained unchanged since
the fall of Sontay Liam Fong, the commander OF
the Black Flags, was severely wounded, and his
lieutenant was killed during the defence OF Sontay
1t is understood here that the French will not at
tack BacNinh before the arrival Of rciniorcements
from France. Dr. Hamand, French Commissioner
TO Tonquin and NJ. Tricou have gone 70 Hue.
Adyices from Hai-PhOng Of December ~ report
that the French forces lost in killed and wounded
at the capture of SOntay thirty-siK officers and
nearly 900 me A; also that the loss OF tho BLACK
Flags at the same battle was 5000. The bulk OF
the Black Flag army, after their deieat az Soht-i
retrcatcd 10 Hong-Hoa and Nam-Dinh. The French
found two million dollars in SOntay. Tho report
that the Black Flags have returned TO Nam Dlnh,
as well as to Hong -Hoa. does not seem probable