The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-28
JAPAN FoREsTALLs CHINA.
Makes Public the Correspondence
Leading Up to the War.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2O.-The jap
aneSe government has anticipated the re-
cent offers of China to the foreign pow
ers to furnish the complete official corre-
spondence leading up to the present war.
and has itself made public this CORE
spondence. It Is published in full as a
part Of the recent proceedings of the Jap
anese diet which have been received by
the japanese legation here. The gist Of
the controversy has already been made
known to the public, but the official let
tiers between China and Japan give the
first account Of the sharp diplomatic
fencing between the countries up TO a
few days before the war. The letters
run from June to July IA and are
numbered from one to nine.
No. 1 is from Wang, Chinese minister
to Japan. 1t informs Japan that tele-
gram has just been received from Ii
Hung Chang, stating that the Corean gov
eminent has requested China 10 send
troops TO suppress a rebellion Of Tong
Haks. Viceroy Ii, it says, considers the
rebellion serious, and therefore complies
with the request for troops to protect
our tributary state" first notifying ia
pan, IN accordance with a treaty prOvi-
sion that each shall inform the other be-
fore entering Corea.
No. is from AIutsu, minister Of for
eign affairs of Japan. 1t very pointedly
states: In reply, 1 beg to declare that
although the words tributary state ap-
pear in your note, the japanese govern
ment has never recognized Corea as a
tributary state Of China"
No. 3 IS a notice from the japanese gov
eminent that it intends sending troops TO
COrea 10 suppress the rebellion.
In No. China shows her teeth" for
the first time. 1t is a letter from the
Tsung-Li-Yamen, the Chinese cabinet, to
ter expresses surprise that Japan should
send troops to Corea when II has not
been so requested by Corea.
1t adds the following significant Ian
guage: The sole object Of your country
In sending troops is evidently to protect
the legation, consulates and commercial
people in COrea, and consequently it may
not be necessary on the part Of your
country to dispatch a great number of
troops, and besides, as no application
therefore has been made by Corea it is
requested that no troops shall proceed
TO the interior of COrea 50 that they may
not cause alarm 10 her people And,
moreover, since IL Is feared that in the
event the soldiers Of the two nations
should meet on the way. cases of unex-
pected accidents might occur, owing to
the difference Of language and military
etiquet, We beg TO request in addition
that you viii be good enough to tele-
graph the purpOrt Of this communication
to the government of Japan"
No. is Japan's answer to the Tsung-
Li-Yamen, in which Japan also shows her
teeth. IL says: "As to the number Of
our troops TO be sent to Corea, the Jap
anese government is compelled to exer-
cisa its own judgment. Although no re-
strctiOn is placed upon the movement
Of the japanese troops in Corea, they will
M "a Nxh fbafr l. N
deemed necessary. The japanese troops
are under strict discipline and the Jap
ancse government Is confident that they
viii not precipitate a collision with the
Chinese forces 1t Is 10 be hoped thlt
China has adopted similar precautions"
No. is an offer Of the japanese gov
ernment 10 join China in a joint read
justment If COrea on modern lines.
No. Z is China's rejection of the offer,
in which sins. saws: The idea NAV be ex-
cellent. but tIs measure Of Improvement
must be left to Corea herself"
No. Is from Japan u China, stating
that Japan can NJ longer disregard the
law Of self-preseTvati1n which impels her
TO reform the deplorable conditions Of
Corea at the root Of her frequent rebel
lions.
No. 9 is also from Japan to China. stat
ing that as China has declined to join in
the administrative reform of Corea, the
only conclusion deductable is that the
Chinese government lis disposed TO pre-
cipitate complications"
This closes the correspondence, the last
letter being dated eleven days before
Japan sank the Chinese transport KOw-
Shing, carrying the Chinese troops to
COrea. Japan's declaration Of war fol-
lowed six days later.
The Japanese legation has received word
that me French government expresses
itself satisfied that the japanese authorl-
ties acted properly in boarding the French
steamer Sidney and arresting Mr. Moore
formerly of the Chinese legation here, and
an American named Wilde. charged with
plotting 10 destroy the Japanese navy.