The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-11-09
|ORIENTAL WAR NEWS
The Last Steamer Brings Many
Interesting Facts.
TWO JAPANESE STUDENTS.
Plan Of the Campaign Against Port
Arthur Japanese Winter
Campaign Plans.
TWO JAPANESE STUDENTS.
The Oregonian.


|. San Francisco, Nov. 1.-THE steamer
Belgic brought news from the Orlent
under date of Toxic, October 20, a.
follows:
| The Corean peninsula now has beer
cleared Of Chinese troops from end tc
end. Corea was one of the last YES
tiges Of the middle Kingdoms medieval
majesty; one Of the last OF the little
border states that acted as buffers
between the big empire ard the "outer
barbarians;" Independent toward all
the alien world, dependent toward the
Celestial empire alone. That was the
anomalous status OF these buffers. One
after another they have been shaken
free by the impact of Western aggres-
sion. Burmah, Slam, Tonquin, AMMAN,
the Pamir region-all have fallen away,
leaving the flanks of the middle king,
dom exposed to the kicks Of the pro,
fame Occident. Corea alone remained.
To her relations with Corea, China
could not choose but import some ele.
ment Of reality, for beyond the Dor
ders Of the peninsula Russia stood al
ways ready to advance Therefore,
the Peking statesmen openly called CO.
rea a dependency. and Europe believed
that they had both the will and the
ability to protect 1t. But two battles
have sufficed to drive the last Of the
bannermen across the Yalu river and
to place a Japanese army on the very
borders Of Manchuria. Japan. by a
very striking object lesson, has dem,
onstrated the justice of her conten,
tIon that, so far as concerned Chinese
tutelage, Corea's security against for
eign invasion was myth.
Ujinais a port distant five miles from
town on the inland sea
where the emperor Of Japan. as COM
mander-in-chief OF the military and
naval forces, has established his head. |
quarters. Hiroshima was chosen for
the purpose because II is the most |
southerly point to which the main |
trunk railway Of Japan has been push
ed. Troops and stores from every part
Of the empire reach 1t by rail. The
harbor Of Ujina is capable Of accommo.
iating so or 60 large steamers, and he.
tween Ujina and Hiroshima military
railway has been built October IL.
he last steamer of the great flotilla
II Japanese transports steamed cut of
Jjina. They carried a corps d'armee
lggregating $4,000 combatants with all
heir equipment, ambulance, military
rain, artillery, etc. The flOtilla, head
ng to the northwest, steered for the
ntrance Of the Pe-Chi.Li gulf to at
ack simultaneously Port Arthur and
Port Arthur and Wei
Iai-Wei are China's only fortified har-
ors in the northern part OF her en- z
ire. Their works Of defense were
tanned by German engineers. and they ;
njoyed the reputation OF being i'm
regnable. Port Arthur has docks ca
'abie Of receiving great iron-cIady Il
nd It is an important naval depot. c
he Japanese will attack both places t
rom the land side, and 1t may be pre-. &
icted that they will take them. In +
hat case the Gulf Of Pe-chi-Li and c
nerefore the maritime approaches to Il
ehng, will be completely commanded g
y Japan. n
Another contingency, too, is involved. Il
he Chinese fleet will have to fight II
uring the early stages Of the wal o:
le ships Of the Northern squadron Al
y secure behind the big guns Of Port i
rtcur and Wei-Hai-Wei. Once they in
ere caught at sea. September II,
hen returning from the Yalu river,
hither they had conveyed fiotilla "a
transports. they encountered Jap. 5t
lese squadron and lost five OF their o
imber. The remainder escaped tc IN
ort Arthur, and there underwent re. ,,
Iirs. Now they must emerge once h
ore to do battle. and such Of Their ,r
are not sunk or captured will have h
choose between flying south and "a
the duty Of defending the :
A. = -.