The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-16
JAPAN'S NAVY.
CLAIM THAT CHINA IS NO MATCH
FOR HER ENEMY.
Authentic News in Difficult to Obtain
Wild and Contradictory State
ments Are Continually Being
Mnde-AIIeged That the Chinese
Have Been Once More Put to
Flight.

Victoria, B. c., Aug 15.-The steamer
Tacoma, fifteen days out from Hong
Kong arrived at this port shortly after
noon today. The weather log is brief.
They left Hong Kong July 10, Shanghai
July "a, Kobe July 90. So far as could
be gathered, the popular feeling in Yoko-
hama is at concert pitch. A number of
leading merchants have made contr1bu-
tions of rice and saki and all is hurry,
hustle and fighting talk. Lieutenant
General Takashima expressed himself as
follows to Osaka:
The military equipment of the country
has become perfected by degrees since
the organization of divisions in 1882 At
present the Japanese army need not fear
any country in the world, with the ex-
ception OF three or four powers. In COM
pairing their navy with that Of China.
Japan is inferior in point of tonnage by
some $4,000 TONS but China has vessels
with speed of only twelve knots, while
Japan has vessels of eighteen knots. AS
to skill and arms, China is not match
for Japan. Moreover, she has only thirty
vessels of the China Merchants Steam
ship Navigation company as transports,
which she requires for the transport of
rice for the interior. But Japan has
about sixty steamers of over 1000 tons
for that purpose, if the recently pur-
chased vessels be added. AS it is the
first occasion on which steel armored
eign powers will regard with attention
the issue of the naval engagements.
Thus the present occasion is worthy of
| our full exertion and it will be a good OPP
portunity to show the world our military
strength.
Since the naval fight off Fusan, the
running of Japanese steamers between
JInsen and Fusan has been suspended.
| General travel on the smaller Oriental
! lines is very much broken. and news
of an authentic nature is difficult to OBJ
| tain.
In Yokohs ma it is believed that China s
| plan will be to march troops into Corea
] by way of VIII and the Japanese gov
eminent is SAID to be taking steps ac-
cordingly.
The report that the Chinese minister
was to start for home on the 18th OF
! July is denied. He is said to have re-
| ceived instructions not to leave until the
! withdrawal of the Japanese charge d'af-
| flares at Picking.
From Hong Konk reports on the Corear
| difficulty. are still less satisfactory: the
news being of wild and contradictory
! ing rapidly, though danger Is not appre
hended from the action of the sanitary
hoard in allowing the return of numbers
| of coolies to the colony.
| The total number of deaths from the
plague in Hong Kong since the outbreal
on the 9th of May is reported st 2.372 W
to date. Strong efforts are being made
to keep out coolies from Canton and tn,
cholera districts of the mainland.
The Funkien authorities lave ordered
some Lock Ching battalions TO proceed tC
Foo Chow and ""braves' are being Ell
| listed to strengthen the forces at Fun
( ken.
Garrisons. of the. MinE-gqn forts ar
daily practicing with their big guns. ant
are prepared to give Il good account o
themselves should the japanese warshiD
make any attempt on the arsenal a
Pagoda anchorage. The Hoch reports
that intelligence is said to have been re
ceived at Toxic to the effect that tn
Chinese man of war Kootou, which fee
eastward to the COrean coast after tn
engagement on the 25th, reached Gasan
where her crew abandoned her and land
ed; that the japanese man-ofwar fol
lowed and captured her.
| The queen of Corea is reported II. Sh
is under medical treatment for malaria
fever.
At Rysan, while the Japanese soldier
were proceeding towards Suigen Flu. lay
ing the line of defense, over 300 Chimes
soldiers assembled and entered the lines
whereby a collision occurred betweel
them The Chinese troops opened fire
which was responded to by the Japanes
soldiers Field guns put the Chinese t
flight and they sustained a loss of is
killed and 40 wounded.