The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28
THEIR REASONS KNOWN.
China Need Not Now Fear Deg
radiation or Unjust
Burdens.
INVASION YET GOES ON.
Details of the Capture of New
ChWang and Ting Chwang
Tai.

VICTORIA, B. c., March Ply okohama
advices to March II by the steamship Ia
coma are: The reason why Japan is for the
first time hopeful with regard to China's
overtures for peace can now be explained.
By means of indirect correspondence
through the legations of the United States
in Toxic and Picking it was discovered that
the reluctance of the Chinese Emperor to
confer full power on an ambassador was
caused by his dread that the Japanese con-
ditions of peace would be overwhelmingly
oppressive, and that it would therefore be
unsafe to authorize any delegate to discuss
them on his own responsibility. With a
genuine desire to facilitate progress the
Japanese Government decided shortly after
the departure of the unacceptable messen-
gers-Chang and Shao-to waive a point
which they had previously maintained
with tirmness and to relieve their adver-
sary of the worst of his apprehensions by
communicating an outline of the terms to
be exacted. This was done also through
the medium of the American legations,
with the result that Ii Hung Chang was
Immediately designated to act as Embas-
sador, and the strongest assurances were
given to Mr.. DENLY that on this occasion
the credentials should be satisfactory in
every particular.
It is not understood that Japan's pur-
poses have been disclosed infinitely.
Enough has been impaired to show that
China need not fear absolute degradation
or the imposition of intolerable burdens,
and the details will remain open to dis
cuSsion.
Reports from the scene of military act
ivity in Manchuria are still confused and
contradictory, but it is now ascertained
that the capture of old New Chwang was
effected by the army corps of Lieutenant
General Nodzu, consisting of the Third
and Fifth divisions. The former of these
on leaving Hal Cheng marched northward
toward Lao Yang for about twenty miles
and then turned back by another road
leading to New Chwang. Outside the walls
of the city this body was joined by the
Fifth division, and the place was carried
either on the 4th or 9Th of March.
On March Z, Northumberland Yamaii
marched into Yin Kow (called New
Chwang by its foreign residents) with the
First Division and took possession with
scarcely a show of opposition. Guards
were posted around the alien quarters and
arrangements made for the complete pro-
lection of Americans and Europeans, to
the warmly expressed satisfaction of the
Consular officials. Two days later a brigade
of the Third Division joined the first in an
assault upon Ting Chwang Tai, heavily
fortified fort on the western bank of the
Lao River, to which all the defeated
Chinese troops had betaken themselves.
The stream was frozen so that no difficulty
in crossing was experienced, and after
battle lasting from in the morning till
0:30 o'clock, the defenders were driven
ont in disorder, leaving 1000 dead behind
them. The japanese losses were ninety
eight killed and wounded. Immense stores
of war material were seized.
Northumberland odzu has been pro-
NOTED to the rank of general, or, as it is
called by many, field marshal.