Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-02-19
uNReApy. AS USUAL.

Nns"cse Ampotency Again EIhIbtte0 ~
Wei-Hsi-Wei-No Preparations Agsinss
Attack--Unnecessary Precautions Taken
BY the Japanese I'm Landing the Third
Army-Resistcd by -Four Guns and Three
Hundred Scared Soldiers.
VIcromA, B. c., Feb 14.-The steamer
Empress of China arrived yesterday
and brought the following Yokohama
advices of February 1:
A good deal of anxiety was felt in
regard to the landing Of the third
Japanese expeditionary force, now in
possession of Wei-IIai-Wei. In the
case of Port Arthur the great risks
generally attendant upon planting an
advantageous force ON an cncmy's
territory were lessened by lati-
tude OF choice as to place. The
troops were carried to q point
more than 100 miles from their
final objective, and it was known be-
forehand that no opposition had been
organized by the Chinese; but the third
expeditionary force had to land some
where on the shores of a province
where large numbers of troops were
said to be massed. where ample pre-
cautions against surprises were believed
to have been taken. and where the
typographical position necessitated
the choice OF a place within at least
forty or fifty miles of the place to be
attacked, hence there was every reason
to anticipate vigorous resistance. In
view of these circumstances the JAP
anese adopted a simple device. They
sent three powerful cruisers to bonn
bard the important fortified coast
town Tung Chow. forty miles west
ward OF Che-Foo and more than 100
miles distant from the landing place
really in view. The cruisers performed
the task in a most thorough manner
on the 18th and 10Th of January, with
the result that news of the Japanese
landing at Tung Chow was widely cir
culated by telegraph.
In effect the ruse was quite unneces-
sary, the Chinese, as usual, were to-
tally unprepared. For more than three
weeks they had known that Jap
anese expedition was about to visit
Shan Tung, and they had known also
with as much certainty as can attend
such knowledge, that the place of de-
barkation would be Young Chen bay,
twenty-seven miles east of Wei-Hai-
Wei, yet the sum total of their prepa-
ration at the threatened point was an
earthwork mounting four guns and
manned by 800 soldiers.
Just before dawn on the Goth the
japanese flying squadron steamed into
Young Chen bay. Snow, falling
thickly, obscured the view from sea
and shore alike. The little band Of
Chinese artillery, emboldened by
ignorance of the enemy's strength,
opened fire. They made more pits,
and the veil of snow lifting for an in
slant, full perception of their peril
came to them simultaneously with
sharpnel shell that killed four of their
number. They fled at once and the
business of landing the expeditionary
army began and was continued with
out show of hindrance.
The transports arrived in three
patches on consecutive days, carrying
total combative force of about $4,000
of all arms. Every Chinaman in the
vicinity of the landing place ran away
when the facts of the situation dawned
upon them, but very soon the panic
stricken inhabitants, learning that
non-combatants had nothing to fear,
returned to their domiciles, and, with
the thorough practicality that distin-
guishes the people of the middle king
dom, set about earning the invaders
money by means not altogether patri-
otic.
Exceptional Importance is lent to
the fate of Wei-Hai-Wei by the fact
that China's best ships are lying in the
harbor there. 1t would seem scarcely
probable that SO many eggs should be
in one basket. but such is the case.
Since the fall of Port Arthur the
Japanese squadrons have been de-
voting unremitting attention to
Wei-Hai-Wei. If the fall OF
Wei-Hai-Wei involves the loss of the
Pei Yang squadron, China will be irre-
trievably crippled. The squadron. in
deed, hitherto has played the part of
the cat tail in oriental proverbs, bnt it
is none the less q potential factor Of
defense, and it's loss would probably
startle the Chinese nation into just
apprehension of the crisis.
With reference to the reports charg-
ing the japanese navy with atrocities
at the taking of Port Arthur, Admiral
Count Kawamura denies the reports in
toto in characterizing them as pure
fabrications. He AYERS that not sim
gle junk was even sunk by the, and
that the only Chinese vessel pursued
by them was run ashore and abandoned