Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-01-21
The CHlNOJAPANESE WAR.
REV. DIR. BLoDoETT TALKS INTEREST
1NGLY OF THE SITUATION.
lie Has Spent Thirty Years In rckin and
Ills Views Arc Entitled to Great
Wcight-Thc "On to
rckin" Cry.

Japan, has solicited an expression OF them
from the Rev. Henry Blodgett. ID. b., of
rekin, who has spent forty years in the
service of the board and thirty years in
Pekin. He is now in this country, Dr.
Blo1gett has responded to the request of
the board as folows
Among the common people of China
very little is known regarding either the
causes of the war or the facts occurring
In It's progress, and the widest and most
absurd rumors are afoat In Japan, on
the contrary, everything is published ana
perhaps some things which do not occur
in their numerous newspapers ana thcir
cities and towns are illuminated at every
victory over the Chinese. In consequence.
partly, of this the most intense entnus-
iasm for the war prevails. even the boys
and the girls in their schools pracuc'ng
military drill.
as we passed through that country. VIII
the Japanese reach Pclin2 They have
fought wen and are very brave. iheg
have gained many victories; they haNc
stll a great work before them ~ carry
january they had not taken Ningatu,
which is the port of New Chang and is
more than 500 miles by land northeast
from peEin. During the winter the army
corps marching from It's present position
toward Pekin must be cut off from COM
N'N''N'
Japan must carry its munitions of war
and supplies for its commissaries. The
weather is cold, the mercury talling as
low as to zero. or even lower than this.
Fierce winds sweep down from the north
and the ground occasionally is covered
by a fail OF snow. Already we hear of
the japanese army suffering from the cold.
1t would not be strange II the Ihinese
soldiers, who are accustomed to this GU
mate, should recover a little courage and
nrnElcsS
of the Japnnese The boast of the Japan
ese was they would reach Pckin IN NO
vember. AS things now stand 1t seems
improbable that they can accomplish thls
during the winter.
What has been written Is on the sup
position the war is to be continued. But
in the meantime negotiations for peace
are going forward What vii! oe the re-
suit of these? We believe they will be
successful.
"rhe treaty powers desire peace and will
use their influence to secure 1t. China is
ready for peace, even on humiliating terms.
Japan considering the honorable position
she has already attained, may consent TO
give up her march on Pekin and grant
terms of peace such as can be accepted.
Yet these terms may be somewhat difficult
to find. They involve the interests of
European powers. as well as those OF Chl-
ma and Japan. The great Siberian railway
will be finished in a few years. VIII Rus
sia be satisfied to have Nladivostock a
port which is closed by ice for four months
each year. as the terminus of this railway
on the seaboard? VIII she not wish for
her transcontinental railway port farther
south which is open all the year; that is
to say, a port of Corea?
But such a port would make Russia a
leading power on the eastern borders of
China and in the Pacific ocean. VIII En-
gland consent to such an arrangement:
VIII France and Germany consent! VIII
China and ,1anan COnSpntp (Oren is sec
ond Constantinople. The only solution of
the difficulty In regard to her seems to be
to give autonomy to the nation. autonomy
guaranteed by all the powers. AS for For
mosa, Great Britain and France would
both oppose the cession of that island to
Japan should such a proposal be made. 1t
is a matter of course that a heavy war in
demnity should be sought by Japan, and to
this claim China will be compelled to agree
'It is not improbable that very close
commercial and political relations will
spring up between China and Japan. AL
ready the productions of the soil and the
manufactures of either nation are found
in the markets of the other. In politics and
religion the changes will be made more
slowly. 1t is devoutly to be hoped that
the liberation of Christianity which now
exists will be perpetuated and extended
What has been the effect of the war
upon missionary work and upon the Chi
nese generally and what is likely to be the
effect after the return of peace? For the
most part missionaries have remained in
their places. In Pelin and elsewhere
throughout the land. missionary work is
carried forward without obstruction.
This far the missionaries of the seven
stations of the American board in North
China have continued at their posts, en-
gagged in their usual labors. When peace
returns 1t is not unlikely the seed sown will
yield a rich harvest.
What will be the effect upon the Chi
nese nation at large? Without doubt rul-
ers and people will be greatly humiliated.
They are so already. TO be defeated in
almost every engagement, TO be driven out
of tributary kingdom, to have their
strongest fortresses captured, their ar
mics driven back, their capital menaced
and all this by a nation which they have
always desplsed far inferior to them
selves, can anything more humiliating be
conceived than this?
With the common people, the laboring
classes, the matter will end there. With
them the getting Of their daily bread is
the one concern and they leave national
interests to the government. The govern
ment, the literary classes and the business
men of China have been taught a grand
object lesson on the futility of their old
methods and the necessity of adopting
the new.
Better lessons could hardly have been
given. In November last the writer, in
passing through the city of Osaka, was
permitted to view the wounded Chinese
in all. They We're quartered in the largest
temple in Osaka. japanese mattresses
were laid upon the floor for them to sleep
upon. They We're furnished with suf-
tcient bedding and abundant food The
best medical and surgical aid was afforded
them, the surgeon in charge having re-
ceived his medical education in Berlin.
| They conversed freely with me. and seemed
cheerful, happy and very thoughtful.
"When we remember that early in the
war a Chinese governor offered 100 taels
for the head of japanese private and
double that amount for the head of an of
fcer, such treatment of Chinese prisoners
by the Japanese Is the more remarkable
Nor is 1t greatly to be wondered at
| If in a single place at Port Arthur the
crueltles of the Chinese provoked retalia-
| tion, The Christian church is mainly con
| cerned with the spread of gospel in these
! .H5 ndtie:s With each new crisis we
Christians should arouse ourselves and
obey the great command"
The Justices Wedding Fee.
Albany Journal A few days since a cou-
| In search of a magistrate who would tie the
nuptia! knot When the ceremony was over
the groom wanted the justice to kiss the
bride, saying: Squire you kiss her first I"
| The squire did as he was requested. The
groom asked how much his bin was. The
| squire, highly elated, said: young man
| seeing IS Il Is You l will call 1t So" "Aii
right" said the Jg;room, you have bad a
I ..NnF