The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-08
THE JAPANESE ADVANCE.
VIVA aud Makden. Toward which the
Armv Are Marching.

Armv Are Marching.
New YORK sum
The Japanese army, fresh from their
victory NJ fngyang, are now advancing
along the road 10 the Iala river, and there
IS little doubt that they will soon enter
Win, the big Korean town Just across the
y alu river from the. Chinese territory.
This city is ssid TO be the handsomest and
cieanest in either Korea or China This
means great deal. because most of the
places in those two lands, and especially
IN the Celestial empire, are monuments of
filth and disease. Win is q walled city of
the first class.
Ii occupies site whose natural advan-
tages cannot be surpassed. The Yalu
river at this point is very wide and deep;
the banks are moderately high and slope
upward with gradual ascent until they
meet the hill on which stands the city. This
hill Is about mile wide and more than a
mile and one-half long. On its summit Is
the city. IL is surrounded by long, high
aud strong wall of cut granite, which ages
OF exposure have blsached to a dead white
AT Intervals are watch towers with vim
dows, from which the sentry can spy out
IN every direction. In is high. aud pierced
with openings TO allow the archers to
shoot down upon invading armies Before
the invention of artillery the place was
considered almost impregnable. The
walls are so high that but little can be
seen OF the city within. Here and there
are giimpses of red roofs and porcelain
copings, the top of Buddhist temples, aud
the upper stories of official buildings.
Trees and towers are half concealed by
treetops and running vines TO tbs
northeast, west and southwest the city
looks upon . fertile rolling plain divided
into farms and fields. water courses and
woodlands.
The city has been besieged, sacked and
conquered at least twenty times. IL is
now on the very verge of Korea Centuries
ago II Was the outpost of the old kingdom
of Liau-tong. and long before that. In the
third century OF the Christian era IL was
the capital OF one OF the so-called Sushnn
kingdoms. Whoever controls Wi.,n con-
troas the mountain passes and roads be-
hind IL. No better place could have been
selected for headquarters. IL is the
distributing center and the chief market
OF this part Of Korea and Northeastern
China Its warehouses contain large
amounts OF rice, grain, and other foods,
and It's wells and streams supply an mex
haustible amount OF good waIer.
From this point as basis the advance
Of the japanese will in all probability be an
easy matter mp to the very gates OF Muk-
Sinking. There are large numbers of
Chinese troops both at that place and on
the imperial highway between Il aud Fing-
hwanEching. The Chinese authorities de-
clare them to be 70oo0 strong. but il II
doubtful III the real number exceeds Al. .OOl
Even this force will be a very small OBJ
stacie to the invader. Unlike the Chinese
army st Pingyang, which contained a
large proportion of well-drilled ana disci-
pinned troops. this force consists of raw
levies from Sinking. klrin and Liautong.
They are armed in the most primitive
fashion, and are without modern arms.
com missar.at or army surgeons. II they
should ever go into battle. which is highly
improbable. they viii be swept away by
their adversaries
Mukden, toward which the Japanese are
reported TO be advancing, is a very impor-
iant city IN Sinking. IL is on the road 10
Peking and also ON the rood TO Newcnwaag.
This latter place may be the real object of
the Japanese advance. IL has an immense
commerce with every port on the China
coast from Iientsiii down 20 Canton, and
while its exports are very cheap. being
beans, bean cake and bean oil, they are
three of the great necessaries OF Chinese
daily life. Their transportation from New
ch~ang involves the service of hundreds OF
steamers. sailing vessels and junks. Auy
10 its trade would be a thun-
derDois TO the Chinese coast. and would
produce more CONSERVATION than the can
ruFe of Pekfng itself