Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-30

at Toxic, but sim China took no action in
the matter.
AT this point the Corean government
asked the co-opera ton OF foreign diplomatic
representatives at Seoul Ia securing lhe
Withdrawal Of japanese and Chinese troous.
In answer 10 the request in relation 20 The
removal OF her soldiers the japanese gov
eminent said that i. had no idea Of terri
loflal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in Corea, but that
certain governmental reforms were absB-
lutely necessary in the hermit kingdom be-
Iore her interests could be properly pro-
tected, adding that the troops must rernafu
until definite assurances had been given thar
the reforms desired would he inauguratel
From that time on, so far as this legation
has been informed. no further nccotiafions
have been conducted.
Japan's Attitude.
Now, the situation is simply this: The
japanese government firmly intends 20 ne.
spect the Independence OF Corea. twill MOI
permit China, by any OF the methods Of d.
plomacy in which she is so peculiarly an
adept to induce her to move from the DO.
sition she has taken i'm this matter She
has no intention OF permanently occupying
Corean territory or of controlling Coreau
anairs other than is consistently demanded
Tor her own safety. II China cannot agree
10 participate with her in some movement
looking to an Improvement of affairs III
torea she cannot but think that China II
disposed TO precipitate complications, and
that being the case she has no further re-
spohslbihty for anything that may happen,
Japan VIII agree to any fair COMPROMISED,
put she Is not TO be forced by China's re-
fusal TO meet her at least part way.
The surrounding of the palace OF the
Sorean KING by japanese troops is wholly
Ior the purpose OF preventing China from
sprung away the official head of Corean afl
iahs- III can be safely said that he will not
be sent to japan. Corea is a weak and disI
tracted country-a country in which tha
ofnclal class have ground the people doNFS
u W there is no life or spirit left in them.
II there Is war between China and JaDan
Corea can do nothing but await the result
OF The struggle. If the Corean government
were left perfectly untrameled. without
Chinese coercion. some order laiyht haVe
come out Of the chaos that now prevails i'm
that country.
War Prospects.
Japan has unquestionably better disct-
plined force than China and a military ARM
ament immensely superior &c that Possessed
by the Chinese. China, on the ether hand
has great wealth and an Immense nop,.le-
ton Of men TO draw upon, and il war sho,.ld
break out between the two coun tries those
Europeans and Americans most familiar
with the resources Of both countries have
stated that the japanese wcu!i have the al.
vantage The comma n ler-in-chief of the
arIny, next 70 the emperor, is Arisu Gawa
NO Miya, his uncle. The chief of STAFF js
Gen: famagasa- Under him arc 2 number
of officers who have leen edaca,ed in france
and Germany.
Japan will firmly adhere 4. what s;,a cy,,,.
siders her just rights IA this matter Sha
would always be willing &C con sant A., 4
reasonable adjustment of the difficulty nv
aroitfauon. 5he has shown every .lesire 10
cohclhate CHINA, al it must be China row
VINO must make the ii-st move toward br ne.
ing ABOUT an eq1l.aole settlement. Jaoan'a
position is unalterable"
Battle ships and Cruisers.
Naval officers in this city were much I'm.
terested In the official report from Yoke.
mama OF the engagement between the Chit
nese and Japanese fleets. and the result
confirmed their estimate Of the superiorit,
OF the japanese sailors According 10 the
dispatch the Chinese feet was much
stronger than the japanese feet in that II
included large battle ship. which. Accord
ing to naval standards. should have been
able. single HANDED, to vanquish the thres
japanese cruisers. !.
The Tsao Khan. said to have been can.
tured by the japanese is a torpedo cruiser}
OF l,SJO tons or about 400 tons smaiieh
than our Yorktown. She was built in Eng,.
land in 1881, is a l7-knot vessel ana ID
armed with two s-inch Armstrong ana four
S-inch rifles. The Chen luen, which -es-
capped from the Japanese feet, is a maenffi.
cent and formidable battle ship OF 1880 tons
and carrying a 4-inch krupp and two 8
Inch rifles. She is rated at Ia l-2 knots.
and is very similar in appearance 10 the
Maine, which she exceeds in tonnage. II
handled with even ordinary skill and cour-
age naval officials here say she should have
N ade short work Of the three japanese
cruisers instead of running away. The
Chinese torpedo cruiser Huan Tai, which
also ran away. is about the size of the can.
tursd vessel but carried two finch krupp
end five 5-inch guns.
The japanese vessels were all protected
cruisers. and the fact that these vessels
were able to run of a large battle ship gives
food for thought to naval men and is cali
culated to disturb the theoretical estimate
OF the relative power of these vessels. The
Akitsushima is triumph OF Japanese ma
val architecture. for they built her them
selves two years ago. She is OF 40D tons
burden, OF ~ knots speed and is armed
with four C-inch and six 5-inch rifles. The
Takachiho Is a duplicate OF our Charleston,
a protected cruiser of 500 tons and IS
knots. but carries two lo-iuch guns. and the
Hi Vel is a composite cruiser OF 2.2Jo tons.
built in England. with an armor belt on ex-
posed places. steamins Ia knots, and is
armed with nine 6-inch suns