The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-16

from T.en-Tsin, China, gives some interest,"
ing comments on the childish way in wi. ich
tie Chinese wage war:
AS for Shan-hai-Kaun itself, it is natural
ly strong position. guarding the high road
frun Fekin to Moukden, and the railway.
The high ground six miles from the town
clnses the seven and half miles between
the mountains and the sea, hut of course
the Chinese Generals refuse to take advan-
fage of this; their old forts, certainly do
protect the Great Wall and the town fron.
the sea. but their new camps, mud forts,
and breastworks ale badly placed in low
ground. Won Hanneken wanted the man
darins to build a new fort in good posi-
ton, but these WORTHLESS decided that 1t
should be built in hollow, so that the
Japanese should not be able to see 1t until
quite close. when they would be all Killed
by the fire from it. All along the railroad
from -hai-Kuan, as far as Lanchow,
there are numerous good positions for de-
laying an advancing enemy, but these, OF
course, are useless to the Chinese troops,
who openly say they intend boiling should
the Japanese attack Shan-ha-Kuan.
NOVEL SCHEMES OF DEFENSE.
Magnificent schemes have been prepared
by the military mandarins. One is to en-
gage two determined men. one of whom
must be a good swimmer and diver. These
heroes, when the Japanese feet shall an
Choir off Shan-hai-kaun. are to go off in
Junk with a torpedo. and, while one man
engages the enemy in conversation, the
diver is to go down, fix the torpedo to the
ships propeller, explode it, and escape by
swimming.
Another scheme isto fill junk with dyn-
n1nite, covering it over with fresh vegeta-
bles. A devoted hero IL to take this along
side the flagship. and blow it and himself
to smithereens. The rewards for these will
be family pension and the ennobling Of
ancestors to three generations.
Yet another scheme is tnat each soldier
shall carry bag of pepper, and at given
signal throw it in the air, and, while The
enemy is blinded and sneezing. the valiant
Chinaman will slaughter the helpless Japs.
1t Is assumed, Of course. THAT the Japanese
Will time their attack SO that the wind may
be right for this, and also that the China
men will stand within pepper range!
Newspapers in China assert that there s.re
$4,000 men at Shan -hai-kaun. made a
careful estimate, confirmed on good author
ity, and there are not more than l2,O00to 49,
O00 men there. The guns in the permanent
forts are manned by infantry. and a camp
or battalion of the latter consisted of 1876
men with rifles, with banners. and EGO
carrying baggage. Assuming all battalions
to be similarly made up, we get about $500
rifles, $500 banners. and $500 soldiers car
rying baggage.
A good many men have gone beyond tie
Great Wall, towards Ki-chou: the Chinese
estimate the number at $4,000. but you can
safely knock off rs per cent Strenuous
efforts are being made to enlist recruits
from the coolies, and many of the railway
men have been taken. The bounty is $50
cash, and I saw 10U of these recruits at
Toneshan Station the other day, and a
more miserable lot of ruffians could not be
imagined
If it was possible TO properly arm these
fellows and give them any kind of training
there is still a total absence OF discipline.
So bad is it that the officers have given up
visiting heir men in some of the camps
near Taku. or asking them to do any duty
at all.
OUTRAGEOULY BRUTAL SOLDIERS.
The soldiers behave with the utmost Ii
cense and brutality to the country people.
in ManchuIia they robbed everybody and
everything, and ravished the women. An
Englishman tod me he saw some, soldiers
rayishing girl Of SIX years cid outside Pc
kin week ago. Here they walk into the
eating houses. take what they want, and
refuse 10 pay.
But occasionally they get the worst of it,.
One of the railway engineers. near Shan
hai-kaun, a few days ago got a letter from
the local General asking him that ''his
coolies might treat his soldiers more tender
iy, for they had beaten them very badly
and here l saw some Hupeh soldiers get a
jolly good licking from the native munich
pal police.
AS for respect TO their officers. 1T does
not exist. The other morning a troop train
was starting for Shang hal Kaun. A first
class carriage had been put Oh for the off,
GERS, but these. coming late, found it oocu-
pied by soldiers, who. on being told to get
out, SIS id % mo: we are quite comfortable
here, and don't intend to move.'' Thus the
officers had to travel in an open coal truck,
with the baggage What can you expect,
however. from the men, when they are paid
most irregularly. and their scanty Iittance
is ''squeeZed'' as much as possible by the
Mandarin who is in charge?
In July last, on board one of the trans
ports. the Mandarin refused to pay his men,
although he had the cash on board. The
soldiers mutinied, and. breaking up some
cartridges, ignited the powder thusobtained
ard blew off the afterhatch. The Mandarin,
searched for by the Captain of the ship, was
found hiding under a truck in .the boys
cabin.
RUMORS OF A LANDING.
Ramors of Japanese landing either
north or south of Taku have been persist
ent for the last fortnight, and the agony of
suspense has induced the Chinese to try to
gather informs ton. This is how it is done.
One of the Directors of the railway ordered
The station master ataLanchow to send two
coolies down to the seashore to look for the
Japanese. Again. Chinese torpedo boat
was sent out from Taku few days ago to
1econnoitre. but only went outside little,
and then the Captain returned in a hurry,
saying he had seen four Japanese torpedo
boats and huge column of smoke off the
bar; this was pure invention. but the in
telligence had the effect of causing the re-
spectacle natives in Taku to leave the