Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-31
CHINA'S WAR DECLARATION
To Be Held Back Until War Supplies
~ - Are Obtained.
Comments of the English and Other
bttratien i'm Diplomatic Circles.

/
l. dispatch from Shanghai states that it
is understood that China will not formally
<aeclareiwa until the vessels and ammuni-
ton which, she has ordered abroad shall
have been got safely into Chinese ports.
| The transports Nee Foo and Toonan,
which the Chinese feared had been captur-
| ed, have arrived at Chez Foo. Sixty tor
| pedoas were sent up the Kian-Gyin channel
of the Yang-Tse-Kiang.
| The forty-one survivors of the Kow Shing
disaster, who were picked up and landed
at Chez Foo by the French gunboat Lion,
| tell a story differing in a few details from
| previous hEounts of the Kow Shing's end.
The commander-in-chief of the Chinese
forces In corea has been killed in an en-
| gagement. =.
I one Of the Chinese transports flying the
British fla q, has been sunk by a Japanese
man-of-War.
Chinese warships are protecting transport
vessels and have succeeded in getting them
all safely to their destinations, except
| the Kow Shung. The Chinese fleet has
been ,ortiered to remain on the coast to
protect important Chinese movements which
are being developed.
L, ., e. Uprising in China.
News from Shanghai, received in San
clearly why the old viceroy,L.i Hung Chang,
| is sending such poorly drilled and equipped
| soldiers to Corea. 1t seems that the viceroy
is greatly alarmed over the formidable re-
| volt of mounted bands of Manchus i'm XII
rim. The reports of this uprising have been
meager, but it is known from private let
t.ers to Shan ghai that ii includes many SOL
| diers, as well as all the prominent men in
| the district. The vicercy knows that :,p,
years ago, when the Ming Emp troops
were exhausted by a lcng war in corea
with Japan, the AIanchus swept down On
| Pekin, captured the city and overthrow the
| Ming dynasty. History might be repeated
~ete Niceroy Ii to send his own troops 10
Corea, for the Kirin rebels could reach Pc
kin very speedily. They would also have
many recruits from all parts of the empire.
and particularly from Human. where the
viceroy's friendlpess to foreigners is bit
| terly resented.
|, Niceroy Ii would rather evacuate Corea
and permit its occupation by Japan than
ran the risk of "a great rebellion, which
would endanger the Manchu dynasty and
his Uwn power. The Niceroy's private army
numbers 10000 well-drilled men, but how
effective these troops are has never been
established. as they have been used only
| in suppressfng small revolts. They are all
armed with the best rifles.
The Transport Owners Want Damages
lis stated n London that the owners of
the transport Kow Shung have demanded
| frcm Japan, through the English foreign
| OFF &C. damages for the sinking Of that YES
| sell A dispatch from Shanghai to a news
agency reports thai before the firing upon
the Kow Shrng the japanese commander
offered to take off the captain and crew,
| but the captain refused TO accept the offer.
The next day Japal csc cruiser encounter
| ed a Chinese ironclad in the Prince Jerome
! gull. near Yachan. The Chinese claim that
1 their vessel was victorious, and that the
| Japanese cruiser was taken off by her con-
| sort in crippled condition.
| II is the opinion in diplomatic circles in
| this city that the Japanese made j grave
/ error in sinking the transport Kow Shung.
/ one likely TO cost heavily III money besides
/ the humiliat ion OF an apology. The kow
Shung was of line of coasting steamers
| belonging to Hugh Nathieson & Company,
! trading between Chinese ports, and under
| the british flag when sunk. Although she
| carried Chi csc troops to Corea, il is said
! here she did. not. in so doing, violate the
I law of neutrality. for there has been no
declare ton of war or open acknowledgment
| by either China Japan that state OF
war prevails The vessel, therefore, was en-
gagged in legitimate traffic. and the Japa-
nese are likely TO pay dearly for sinking
her ard destroying the lives of the ships
company.
The british Lion Begins to Roar.
The comments OF several of the London
newspapers are as follows:
The Daily Graphic says, in a leader on
the Chinese Japanese conflict:
"Inasmuch as war has not been declared,
it is impossible to doubt that the sinking
of the Kow Shing is an outrage for which
the promptest and fullest PREPARATION must
be exacted by the Earl Of Kimberley.
China was acting entirely within her rights
and the owners of the kow Shing were
equally justified in carrying troops. The
Japanese seem to have acted with perfectly
fendish brutality. the British flag has
/ been ins;ilted and British blood split. Japan
will have to forsake her Corean venture I'M
til she has given full satisfaction for this
gratuitCus outrage.
The Morning Pest says: I'VE must con-
! tent ourselves for the present with Sir Ed
ward Grcy's qualified statement, until the
conflicting, evidence be cleared by unim-
peachabie details. The existing eNplani ton
or the Now Shing affair is of the fimsiest
character, and does not supply any justiii-
| cation of Japanese action. If tits true that
the British flag was deliberately fired on be-
| fore war Mas declared, awkward oomplica-
ticns may easily arise
The Daily News says: The British flag
story rests on Chinese authority. IL 1t
| proves true ii may have exceedingly awk-
! ward consequences for Japan. Doubtless
China has received a very serious blow.
The Japanese seem inclined to- regard a
declaration of war pure Formally on
+ par with the suzeranty of Corea."
The Daily Chronicle says: IF the tele-
| g1aphed account of the sinking Of the kow
Shing be true, more abominable and cold
Flooded butchery never was perpetratei.
The proper place for the Japanese officers
arm. We must decline to believe this. ac-
count untif ii is officially confirmed
After referring 10 the owners demand
for compensation, the writer says: Eng
+ hand will have another demand to make
for her slaughtered countrymen. Japan's
victory. il. correctly reported, is likely to
cost her very dear. There will be 10 ground
for surprise if she hears tomorrow Of de-
cisive British even European interven-
| ton" 49,
French and German Comments.
The Paris newspapers affect an attitude
Of Neutrality and iEnpartiality toward events
in Corea, but strong general tendency in
favor of Japan is noticeable.
The German press regards with suspicion
Russia's attitude toward the Japanese-Chi-
nese conflict. although the comments of the
Russian newspapers indicate that the st.
Petersburg government is far from plea sed
WIKI Japan's energetic action. The Nos-
sische Zeitung says: The germs oe further
conflicts are alrsacy in the air. If the efforts
to restrict the war to collisions such have
already occurred fail Russia probably will
interfere. This almost certainly will force
England to act" The writer concludes that
the European powers soon will have 10 in
l