Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-06

on at the seat of the war are apt to b.
partial. IL not absolutely and Intentionally
misleading.
China Cnprepared.
A Shanghai correspondent OF the New
York Herald. writing under date of June
~. says: China has now over ten thousand
picked troops in Corea and nearly her en-
tire fleet anchored four or FIVE miles on
from the Japanese men-of-war But be-
yond the men. there is nothing prepared
Commissarlats. transport, medical service
etc, are all wanting in the Chinese organi-
zation. while in all these departments the
Japanese are excellently provided. even 10
cooking stoves. with which every four men
OF the japanese army are provided. and they
even brought their own firewcod with them
tied up in regulation bundles. from Japan
The latter country. although China got
slight start Of her in landing troops in
Corea. is In far better state to commence
immediate operations. and her soldiers ON
GERS and men have q DASH an elan, totally
wanting In the army from the mammoth
empire. though there is an inexhauStible
supply or excellent raw material in China.
In the army which the Viceroy II Hung
Chang has sent to Corea no less than e,ev-
en- diherent patterns OF rifles and guns are
in use. each requiring Its own ammunition,
and the confusion likely TO arise from such
a state of things IL is not very difficult to
foresee. In the same manner experts in
naval matters declare that there IS such
hopeless confusion In the internal arrange
ments OF the Chinese men-of-war, and 80
many things of vital Importance are found
10 De missing Or never provided Just al the
crucial moment, :hlt, despite their weight
ana vast cost, the Chinese warships would
stand no show against the japanese.
This fact probably explains the intense
reluctance OF the vicerOy and Pekin to take
up the unmistakable challenge which Japan
has thrown down 20 China, but unless the
Niceroy fights ne is believel TO be In
great danger OF losing mis- prestige ana in
nuence with his own I,eeple and Of fallIla
a victim 10 his enemies IN the man 1arinate
-'ho are many. He has expended such enor-
nous sums and called SO heavily uDon the
imperial treasury for the equipment Of his
neet ana army that be can scarcely say that
ne is not prepared to hght the japanese. for
whom the Chin csa entertain tho prcfound-
est contempt. This factor is undoubtc,ily
calculated to rush China's rulers into war
while there is also little doubt that the jap
anese, much as they dislike their celestial
cousins, have traditional IL now aecrIel
respect for the more solid II LEES snowy
qualities of the Chinese character a pint
in which even their best friends agree the
japanese are rather lacking
Outside Of official circles among the urer-
chants, traders and common people in
china, there is a deep ana vehement con-
Elctlon that China cannot put of war with
Japan-that she must settle cnce and for
all the question of supremacy with her
sturdy and cOmbatiye little insular neigh
bcr. Japan. II must be remembered is NOT
half the size and contains less than the
population Of enc Chinese province Sc
Chuen. Nor are the resources Of wealth.
apart from the industry and ingenuity OF
the people, to be compared with China's
There are, however. those who believe that
we shan see repeated in the orient the story
OF the Greeks and the Persian hosts
IL is stated in well informed quarters that
tle strongest reason against China's fight
ing is that her feet has no coal beyond
what Is at present in the ships. and which
would only give a we ek's steam at the out
side The japanese are plentifuly supplied
and are only few hours from their ex-
tensive coal fields in kiushu. All the stocks
OF soal in the nelghbOrhood have been
bought NJ by the japanese British and
Russian fleets, and China's supply Is to-,
Tar on 70 be of any use in a sudden emer-
gency- The supply Of powder ana ammuni-
ton on board the Chinese feet is totally in
adequate to the occasion and would not last
week, nor are there any reserves less than
four or five days steam of 1t is said that
he Chinese officials are pleading that as
this is a sDecial year Of grace being the
Empress DowaEer's siNtieth birthyear there
must be no fighting ard they will forgive
the japanese.