The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-07-23
A TERRIBLE WAR


De.vwsn Japan Aud China Almost As.
Gured-Tt sfay Cost EfiiIIons Of Lives
Aud Change The Map Of Asia-JApHn
y me Best Equipped For The Struggle.
SHANGHAI, July 2a-war between
chInaand Japan now sppcasslnevtsable,
aud the report hep Is that II has al
ready been declared. The American
aud other forelgnsu In Shanghai arc
greatly agitsed over tho crisis. A con.
fict between China and Japan, fought
to \ flnish, is something irighttul TO con-
template. Il would mean the slaughter
Of perhaps millions Of ortentals, and
probably great changes IN tho political
geography OF Eastern Asia.
= China certainly Ia preparing Tor var.
Tho northern passage oil tho Yang 1so
KIang, tho great river Of China, is be-
ing bloekaded. Incoming vessels arc
thus compelled 70 pass nearer the
Woosung forts. Geographic commun:'
cations with Picking has been stop
ped by the floods. Japan has char
tored all the Mitsui Bussan companY'a
ships In addition TO the sixteen
previously chartered from the Wusen
Knlsha Company. Japan has prohibit.
cd the departure OF tho YuSon steamers.
A dispatch received from Yokohama
says that the Korean government has
consented to tho reforms proposed by
Japan. United States and British
marines have been landed ut Seoul, tho
capital of Korea, 70 protect tho United
States and British legations, respectively.
The causes OF the present trouble may
DO thus enumerated: First OF all
comes q permanent ill-feo!ing between
Chinese and Japanese, who have o
rooted dislike Tor one another. Second,
their mutual jealousy aa the two great
iar-eastern powers. Third, there are
Japan'a vastly prupouderant interests
population, shipping trade-iu Korea
againat Chinn's ancient suzorainty aud
her modern political control Of Korean
affairs. Fourth, tho rebellion In Korca,
threatening all toreignors. including
Japanese, Glands for something, but not
so much as has been made on. for
Korean rebellions arc not very
serious AFFAIR." Fifth, Japan 10 oxas-
pcrated BY tho decoying Of the pro-
Japanese Korean robol. Klm.OS.Kyuu.
f,om his refuge in Toxic. and hts brutal
murder In Shanghai, winked at by the
Chinese government Sixth, Japan is
afraid, not without reason, that China
;s about to eettle her differences with
Russia by allowing tho latter to occupy
a port on the east coast OF Korea
Finally, both countries believe them
snlves 10 pnsspss poweritl forces OF tho
European kind. and arc not sorry 10
have an opportunity OF showing wha.
they eau do With them. This is much
truer OF Japan than Of China.
Tho Chinese navy constets Of 30 YES.
sells, but many OF these arc small and
obsolete in typo.
Tho Japanese navy consists Of thirty
two vessels Of all kinds, including five
armored ships.
But this balance OF RESOURCES docs
not extend TO the army, in which
China has an enormous advantage in
numerical strength. In times Of peace.
China's army numbers 800, 000to Japan's
5000, but on war footing the Chinese
strength 10 100000 mon, while tho
Japanese torcos, Nunder like conditions.
number only 100000 troops, with 2O,5O0
mounted police.
In a fight between tho Japanese aud
tho Chinesn tho former, European ex-
perts hold, will surely win, as the
Japanese nrny Is equipped according
to the most modern idons. while tho
equipment OF the Chinese Ia good deal
OF q mystery.