The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-24
DECEITFUL CHINAMEN.
How They Delude the Emperor
with Tales Of Victory.
A TERRIBLE FAMINE IMMINENT.
Not Enough nioo on Hand to Feed tho
People for Six Weeks-Forced surren-
der by tho United States Consul of Two
Alleged Japanese Spies. -.....

People for Six weeks-Forced surrsn-
der by tho United States Consul of Two
Alleged Japanese Spies -... ~.
VICTORIA, B. c., Sept e4-The follow
ing has been received here by the steamer
Victoria from the several correspondents
of the Associated Press:
YOKOHAMA, Sept. 6.-The governor of
Canton has issued decree forbdding all
people under his authority to purchase or
use goods of Japanese manufacture.
An insurrection has broken out at
Chang Shan, in the Shang Tung province,
sufficiently formidable to beat back the
detachment of troops sent to quell the
disturbance. There is no evidence that
the outbreak has any political signii-
cance, though hints to that effect appear
in the Chinese newspapers. The general
distress in the neighborhood aud the ap-
pearance of famine is sufficient for pop
ular disorders in more than one locality.
Fears are expressed in the north OF
China that the supply of rice will be insult
ficicnt, not only for the people at large
but even for the demands of the army and
navy. The grand canal route from this
south rice growing districts is blocked
above Chin kiang, and doubts have arisen
as to the practicability of importing grain
by sen. By singular error Of judgment
the pekin government has included rice
in lists of contraband articles, circum-
stances which would be turned heavily to
the disadvantage of European ships had
they not since received an order that the
grain shipped in neutral vessels must not
be considered contraband. ..-.
Then under this ruling the difficulty of
securing ships for the service is great, and
the conveyance offered to the Chinese
troops in Corea across the Gulf of Pechili
is completely cut Off by the japanese
cruisers. Thus far, however, the Chinese
forces have subssted mainly upon the
products of the regions they occupy. In
the middle OF August it was admitted by
officials in Pekin that northern granaries
contained only food enough to meet tho
ordinary requirements of six weeks.
The case of two alleged japanese spies
who have been given up by the United
States consul general at Shanghai to al
most certain death at the hands of the
Chinese attracts much attention and
causes no little i'll feeling among Amer-
cans and Europeans in China. These two
young men had for some time been pur-
suing their studies in Shanghai, and like
the majority of the japanese residents,
were in the habit of wearing Chinese
dress. With the idea of serving their
country in some indefinite way they un-
dertuOk, Mt the outbreak of war, to col
lect information which they thought
would be valuable to their government.
What they gave to the government has
not as yet transpired, hut it is charged
they made drawings of drfenses, in con-
sequence of which they were arrested by
native officers in the French quarter Of
the settlement. Upon the japanese con-
sulate closing, it was rumored all jap
auese remaining In the country should
look to the local representatives of the
United States for such aid and advice us
could be unoflicially vouchsafed. Explain
ations were given that absolute protection
could not be extended, but that some.
thing might be done to rescue the young
men from their perilous position.
They were handed over from the French
consul to the American consul general, in
spite of the protests and demands of the
Chinese government, which insisted upon
their surrender. Mr.. birmingham, consul
general soon discovered that the sus-
pected men had 10 connection with the
Japanese authorities, and that they acted
wholly upon their responsibilities. IL is
Understood that after due investigation
hc was disposed to ship them to Japan,
but on reporting the incident to WASH
ington he received peremptory instruc-
tions to deliver them to Chinese custody.
The ordinary procedure with accused
foreigners who have no consular repre-
sentative is to bring them before mixed
court under the court OF chief magis-
trate and foreign safety, but no one be-
lieves the prescribed course will be fol
lowed in the present case, unless strong
demonstration is made by several consuls
and supported by ministers at Pekin
against the removal of the prisoners from
the settlement,
Tho Chinese imperial family has been
persuaded that the route of the army was
one brilliant victory, and Nichi, who fig
ured in the preliminary fight ut Song
Nwan, has received "A present of 10000
taels direct from the sovereign, and GEN
eral Yeh, who was In command and who
has been placed in full control of the
troops in Corea, with promotion to the
rank of field marshal, has been honored
by special Decree in which the emperor
eulogizes in these words:
"When General 4eh vanquished the foe
at Asan the empress manifested her favor
by bestowing upon him 5000 tales Now
he memorializes that he left Asan with
10000 men, fighting his way through the
Japanese army, of which he slaughtered
1000, losing only 800 of his own followers.
We hereby proclaim Ychs bravery and
the valor of those who served under him.
Let him send us list of all his officers,
that we may forthwith promote them,
and also list of the killed. that we may
confer bounties on their families.
Supplemental to the above an edict has
been published, dated Aug. 26, consequent
upon the latest dispatches received by the
emperor from General Yeh. That officer
has at last found it expedient to inspect
his army and inform his sovereign that
after the battle at Asan, which he still
claims as victory, he was surrounded by
such overwhelming numbers of japanese
after fighting desperately for six hours
and inilicting frightful slaughter upon the
enemy that he was compelled to retreat
and carry the remains of his army to u
new rendezvous at Ping Yanghuea.
He humbly begs that he be severely CEN
sured for his failure to destroy the Jap
anese forces, but the emperor proclaims
that since he was able to escape, though
hemmed in on all sides by an enemy sew
eral times larger than his own, and to in
hict a heavier loss than he himself suf-
fered, therefore his merit is sufficient to
soii ~ 'i7"t' ~ "ii9 iH"pIti'S 'i' hle Palv,
and his request for censure is gracefully
refused"
But the announcement also comes from
Pekin that General Yeh had been relieved
from the command in Curea recently con-
ferred, and is replaced by an officer Of
superior rank.
The Weather.
Fair; cooler; winds becoming northwest
IT,