Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-20
Talk at the Legation Here Of the
Naval Battle.
NO DEFINITE ADVICES As TO THE FIGHT
The Officials Feel Gratified Over
the Progress Made.
A PROMISING PROSPECT


gratifiCd to learn from this source that the
Japanese fleet sustained no damage. They
point out that Toxic is but $50 miles from
Hiroshima. where the emperor and the
headquarters of the army and navy are To-
Gated. There is telegraphic connection, so
that Toxic would have the first informa-
ton from japanese sources from the impe-
rial headquarters at Hiroshima.
Legation officials do not believe the Shang-
hal report naming two vessels alleged to
have been sunk Lieut.. Miyoaka. the Japa-
nese naval attache here, says there are no
such ships in the Japanese navy the
Abushima. which the Shanghai account says
was sunk. There are many ships with the
sLffix 'Shima, meaning island, but none
have the prefix 'abu, or anything like IL.
1t is believed at the legation, however, that
the cruiser Saiko, claimed to have been
sunk, is the Sikyo. The latter used to be a
fast merchantmen between Shanghai and
Yok ohama, and was recently transformed
into a fleet cruiser.
Lieut.. Miyoaka says the Yossina, stated
In the Shanghai report to have been sunk,
Is undoubtedly meant to be the Yoshino,
the pride of the Japanese navy. 1t would
be startling news, indeed, he says, il this
ship had gone down, but he scouts the idea
She Is the newest and fastest cruiser in the
Japanese navy. with the remarkable speed
or twenty-three knots an hour.
Chinese Minister Has Nothing to Say.
Another significant fact commented on at
the Japanese legation is that foreign Off
GERS appear to have been in command of
The Chinese ships, which in the judgment
of the Japanese authorities here shows
that the Chinese are yet deficient in native
commanders ard are depending on for
eigners to manipulate. their ships. which
Is IN marked cor trast with the native COM
mand OF all japanese warships.
The Chinese minister declines to discuss
the recent battles or any of those of the
war. In response to an inquiry today. he
sent word that no advices had been re-
ceived and that he was very busy He is
building a large ball room In rear of the
legation, with the prospect of extensive
social festivities in the near future There
Is apparently no disposition to share in the
panic at Peiin ever the Chinese reverses on
Land and sea.
No News mt the Legation.
Up to 2:3o pm. no news had been received
at the legation of Japan concerning the
naval battle in the Yalu river Minister
kurino and Mr.. Stevens have been on the
alert all day for some official confirmation
Of this important engagement. The fight is
of the greatest consequence, as, IL the re-
ports be all correct, II was the pivot on
which the Japan-Chna war hinged
If the results of the fight are as reported
the strongest and greatest vessels of the
North China squadron have been DESTROYED
and the remainder of the fleet forced to seek
refuge at Wai-hai-wai, a fortified seaport
opposite Fort arthur.
The finest craft of the Chinese empire were
In the North squadron, those in the South
squadron being principally old-type Ships
with a few small modern ones here and
there. Some time back the best vessels of
the South squadron were sent to reinforce
the fleet at the north.
The japanese look with especial pleasure
on the reported destruction of the Chinese
nne OF battle ship Chen Yuen: They would
readily have given two of their ships to
kave accomplished this result. Every ring
Of the electric bell at the legation was an
swered hastily today, because cable infor-
nation from headquarters was expected
momentarily. None came. At / O'Clock a
messenger mounted the steps in a hurry
and pressed the electric button out of Joint
The bell boy answered with a jump and a
cable message In cipher was rushed up to
the landing of the second floor, where Min
lister kurino and the American secretary.
MIR. Stevens, were in waiting 1t was quick
ly put into the hands of the cipher transla-
tors.
The little household hovered around the
cablegram, believing that it referred to the
Yalu fight. This was not so
What the Cable Contained.
1t contained information Of losses sus-
tained in the Ping-Yang battle Of a few
days ago. Though 1t was not exactly the
rews which the legation people wanted, 1t
was pleasant enough reading. 1t was from
Gen. Nodzu, commander-in-chief of the
forces OF Japan in Corea in the field came
VIA ST. Petersburg, and was as follows:
- Ihe loss of Japan in the battle of Ping
Yang, so far as ascertained was eleven
Officers killed, 154 men killed thirty officers
wounded, 52l men wounded. besides forty
officers whose fate is unknown. Chinese
lest over 1000 killed, and the number of
wounded is not yet known. but is believed
to have been very large. A number of the
Chinese wounded are in our field hospital"
One of the remarkable things about this
dispatch is the heavy loss of officers report
ed in proportion to the loss of privates.
This indicates either one of two things
that the officers led their men and behaved
fearlessy in the front and hottest of the
fight or Chinese sharpshooters did their
duty well.
1t was reported in London that the treas
ure captured by the japanese at Ping-Yang
amounted to 100000. This has not been
confirmed SO far as the Washington lega.
ton is concerned, but 1T is hoped by the
Japanese colony here that it is true. The
capture of so much spoils would at this
tuncture be severe shock to the Chinese
and a great source of strength to Japan. 1t
is stated, though, that Japan has plenty of
war sinew and is not troubled about nego-
tiating foreign loans, and 1t is not at all
dependent on captured booty.
Reports Not Ovcrdrawn.
The legation folks are receiving news in
indirect and unofficial ways which induces
them to think that the printed reports of
the fight yesterday were not overdrlwn.
ing under the fire of the Japanese guns and
one by burning. The names of our of
these are given as the King Yuen, Chih-
Yuen, Yang-Wei and Choa-Yung.
Two of the finest ships of Japan were in
the fight, the Yoshino and the Nanawah
These are modern cruisers. and were not
thought to be a match for the heavily belt
armored Chinese batte:hip Chea-Yuen. If
these ships are really lost, it will be i'm
possible for China to transport any more
troops to Corea without b., ing ships
abroad, and here the neutrality laws bar
her way. AS she cannot transport troops
to Corea, and as the forces at Ping-Yan
and Yalu were either captured destroy
ed, the campaign in Corea must be very
I early closed. ''On to Pekin'' is the cry in
Japan, and were the season not so well
advanced it is thought probable that the
army Of the mikado would winter in the
dragons capital.
The Emperor of Japan has we'd his Off
,cial re sidence from Toxic to Heroshmo, in
the southern part of Japan, SO to be as
near as possible to the scene of operations
without leaving his realm, which, II is un-
derstOOd is forbidden by the constitution