Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-08
WITH THE TROOPS IN COREA.
How tie japanese Hide the Horrors
of War.

James Creelman, the correspondent of thu
New York World with the japanese troops
in Corea, writes as follows under date Of
October IL, from on board the prison trans
port HoZen, in the Tatong river:
Japan is gathering strength for the inva-
sion of China. Troops are being hurried on
TO Chemulpo and massed. The arsenals are
working night and day. The navy bristles
with excitement, and the great fleet lying
at the mouth of the Tatong river is sur
rounded with coal transports.
An army of 10000 men has swept the
Chinese forces out of Corea into Manchuria,
the bayonets of Gen. Nozu's vanguard al
ready glitter on the shores of the Yalu
river, within sight of Chinese territory, and
the neutral strip that for centuries divided
China from Corea is once more abandoned
to the vulture and the tiger. All sorts of
wild rumors are flying about, but l hava
just returned from the advancing japanese
army and know that not a Chinese soldier
is to be found within the boundaries of
Corea. There has been no fighting since
Pingyang was taken, and the Chinese do
not intend to fght-at least not now.
A hundred and twenty haggard prisoners
are huddled under the deck ON which 1 am
writing, and not an hour ago several Of
them sent word to Quartermaster General
1enya that they would rather be killed
than go to Japan.
/ have been over the battlefield of Ping
yang second time. The more i see OF 1t
the more am convinced that If the Chinese
could not hold such strong position, they
cannot defend any position. The north
west angle of Pingyang is an almost perfect
stronghold. Frederic Nilliers the English
war correspondent who was at Shipka
Pass, visited the Chinese forts with me, and
said they reminded him Of Fort st. Nicho-
las. One of Ii Hung Changes captured Of
ficers has confessed to Col. Fukushima one
of Gen. Nozu's staff, that the mysterious
high-wall quadrangles found inside OF sew
eral OF the forts were intended to keep the
garrisons from running away at night.
The japanese remove all their sick and
dead at night in order not to discomfort the
troops. Going up the river in junk few
nights ago / passed ten boatloads of Japan
ese wounded in the darkness. All the hor-
rors of war are kept out of sight as much
as possible.
field of Pingyang after the war CORES
pondents were three American missionaries
Graham Lee, ID. A. Moffet and w. d. Hall
Mr.. Lee came through the mountains on
bicycle and his companions walked. They
met crowds of terrified Coreans trooping
along in the track of the army. Mr. Mof-
fet said he remained in Pingyang ten DAYS
after the Chinese army occupied IL and was
finally escorted out of the city by Chi
nese guard.
The Coreans who fed to the fields at the
first sign Of lighting are returning to Ping
yang with wonderful stories of the battle.
ihey hiSlSl Nlldl WHEN the SnlneSe general,
Ba, wounded in the foot he told his
soldiers they were no good and ordered them
to retire. Then, putting on a suit of mail,
he went forth into the valley and slew 200
Japanese with his own hand.
The three missionaries were loaded with
these Corean fairy tales of the fight and
trudged out along the ramparts to the
Worlds war bureau in a battle torn pagoda
on the floor of which 1 was camping with
Mr.. Villiers-a fine, handsome fellow In a
Devastating suit, the only one of the En-
glish special correspondents on the spot
who has really ventured to the front.