New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-21
LiHLN,S IRIIMHU II NEI

Yesterdays doubts concerning The truth of
Chinese war news are to-day justified TIL" Ell
caccmcni M the mouth of The laluo River. as
We m first sr,rmlsed. was not drawn battle. bur
great victory for Japan. The Chinese dis
paichcS which first cam" 10 hand. wcr" ~ usual
grossly exaggerated In Chna's favor bui even
they ONLY vcniurcd Ia report about equal losses
on both sides Japanese news. which through
ont the war has been singulnrly temperate ana
correct. has now reached us. and i reluctantly
confirmed by admissions from China. Instead
Of losing three or four ships. Japan lost not
one while China lost n least four Of her best
vessels. II IS exceedingly doubtful whether any
Chinese troops were landed on the coast but IL
they were they are In a sorry plight. abandoned
by their fleet. cut off from supplies succor. or
even means OF flight ana menaccd by the al
vancng and triumphant hosts OF Japan The
battle at Phong Yang has enthusiastically been
called China's Sedan. This one. In the Gulf Of
Corra may not untiiingly be known as Iapln's
Trafalgar.
Seventeen Japanese ships. all told. are said to
have been in The conflict. but the names of only
n few are mentioned. The most powerful Of
these is the Mais,Ishma. a Steel warship. built
I'm France In 1890. Of 4211 tons and - guns:
Il good ship. but far inferior in size AMI weight
Of armor to the Chinese giant Chen iucn. which
was badly beaten In The encounter. The
Abushima Is mentioned. by which is probably
meant the Akltsushma. This Is not really Il
baitlcshp but q protected cruiser. and fine
one. built by the Japanese themselves in 1892. of
steel. Of 100 tons and ~ guns. The YoShno
Is an English built cruiser Of l,IJO tons and
- guns dating from 1892. The Seiki il Il small
steel transport ~ $40 tons and guns. built In
Japan In 1879. The MaslIshma Is called a
coast defence vessel and IL one Of three ~ that
class which Japan possesses. These vessels are
unarmorcd. but. according to an English naval
authority. carry nearly the most powerful guns
In the world. protected by lO-lnch armorcd bar
bcttes- guns almost equal 10 Engands famous
1lO-ton guns IL seems probable. however, that
this was the only ship Of that class In the Japan
csc fleet. which was chiefly composed of cruisers
and g,lnboats. We have then. a fleet composed
Of swift cruisers and gunboats. and one I'M
armorcd ship with powerful battery. opposed
to II fleet In which there were at least five fully
and heavily armored battleships Including two
Of 7,43O tons eacl-of twice the size and twice
the weight OF armor Of the strongest ship that
could be brought to oppose them; and the former
won. The lesson OF this result is too obvious
to need further emphasis
Two items from recent news dispatches are
httngly to be recalled. however 10 give addi-
tlODal reason-if any were necdrd-for Chlnas
wretched plight. One from Picking says: ION
'nl sides instances of the most childish igno-
france and incxpcricnce in the very highest
quarters are brought To light. Only yesterday.
for example, Prince Ching sent secretary to
- Danish storekeeper here to obtain informa.
"tion a. to the japanese military and naval