The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-23
ON TO WEI-HAI- I'll.
Japanese Armies Preparing
to Advance.
GLOOMY TER THE CHINESE
As the Wogun Draw Closer TO the
Sacred City.
STILL THE CELESTIiLS ARE Willy.
They Will Fool Even Their Friends if
They Can in the Negotiations
for Peace.

SHANGHAI, Dec. Z4.-lne Japanese JTOopS
in the Liao-Tung Peninsula are actively
preparing for an important expedition,
and it is assumed on all sides that Wel-ha1-
wei will be the object of attack. The mill
tary force gathered for this purpose is OF
about the same strength as that which
conquered Talien and Port Arthur. 1t
consists of the First Division under Lieu
tenant-General Yamaji, and half of the
Second Division known as the Sendal
Division. Reports from Wei-hai-wel state
that not less than 5000 Chinese are posted
in or near the Notifications. Two foreign
ers, an Englishman and German, whose
names are not published, are said to be
experimenting the defensive operations.
The feet in the harbor has been increased
and it is believed that thirteen ships of
war and fifteen torpedo-boats are anchored
there. At least half of the vessels are of
small size.
Lieutenant General Nozu has left Kiu-
lin and is on his way to take personal COM
mand of the Japanese forces at and near
Hai-cheng. On January 4 he had reached
Sui-yen, from which place he telegraphed
that the Chinese general, Sung, had reor-
ganized his defeated army and was eau
tiously returning in the direction of Hal
cheng. Rumors of movements by Lieu
tenant-General Katsura are in circulation
but there is every reason for believing that
he remains in Hai-cheng, awaiting Nozu's
arrival.
Won Hanneken' S scheme for recognizing
the Chinese army, and providing at short
notice trustworthy force for the defense
of Dol ho. do hryO 1f
the Tsung- Ii Yamen. The reason publicly
given for abandoning it is the alleged de-
pletion of the treasury. Apart from this it
is known that great discomfort was excited
in high military quarters by the proposal
to confer the chief command upon for
eigner, and that threats of mutiny were
growing so loud and frequent as to throw
the court into CONSERVATION. Hence the
overthrow of the project.
Contradictory DEGREES from the Chinese
Emperor follow one another in swift sue
cession. On December % the order con-
demning the generals who lost Port Arthur
to the severest punishment was rescinded,
and the reprieved officers were simply de-
prived of rank and titles and sent to serve
under Sung Ching, the new leader of the
army, near Newchwang. By way of in
spring them with the true martial spirit,
Sung is commanded to behead them at
once, without further reference to the
throne, in case they are $50 lost to the
feeling of shame as to exhibit cowardice in
the future" The sentence against Adj
miral Ting is likewise suspended by a
special edict. The imperial wrath is little
to be dreaded IN these days of uncertainty
and vacillation.
Foreign newspapers of Shanghai contain
TRANSACTIONS of an alleged imperial rescript,
so extraordinary in character that it's au-
thenticity is scarcely credited, although it
appears to have been given to the public
through the regular channels. Its tone
and purport may be judged from the fol-
lowing extract
''The japanese have gained victory after
victory and despoiled our territory until
our august ancestors in their sacred graves
are disturbed. This is because we who rule
the empire are unworthy and deficient in
virtue and have intrusted the defense of the
state to unfit servants. If, however, it is
our destiny to suffer the worst evils, and to
witness the detilement and destruction of
the revered affairs, there remains nothing
but for us to perish with them. When that
time comes may you (Weng, Li-Tsa and
Wen-shih) reverently lead the Empress
dowager to safety in the west and provide
for worthy succession to the throne which
we shall no longer fill. Then may the sacred
shrines of our ancestors be purified and the
disgrace of the nation be wiped out"
1t is rumored that this edict was pri-
vately circulated in the palace at the be-
ginning of December last, and has become
known to the outerworld through treachery.
But the genuineness of so remarkable a
document needs further attestation.