Evening star., 1895-01-21
LATE NEWS BY WIRE
japanese on the Main Land of
China.
MOVING ON THE PORT OF WEI-HAI-WEI
Advices Received by Secretary
Gresham Today.
TIL E SCENE OF ACTION

LONDON. January IA Tien Tsin dis
patch to the Times says that Japanese
force has landed at Yung Chin hay. south
of the Shan Tung promonotory. The forces
were brought in thirty-ive transports.
each towing couple of junks, besides fif-
teen warships. At daylight three of the
warships engaged the shore defenses. 81
lencing them after dozen rounds. There
was no further opposition, and the Japan
ese landed. ii is estimated, 2j.UU troops.
The landing was effected during heavy
snow storm. Yung Ching Is thirty-five e
miles from wei-Hai-Wei-
Secretary Gre.hnm's Advices.
Secretary Gresham today received two
cablegrams from United States Minister
DENLY at Pekin. confirming the reports OF
the landing of the Japanese troops near
wei-Hai-wei. The first states that Teng
Chan Flu had been bombarded by three
Japanese ships, and that the American mis-
sionaries had left on the Yorktown.
The second under date of January 81.
states that IL is reported that Teng Chan
Flu, fifty miles north of Chefoo. had been
bombarded by the Japanese. who had sub
sequently effected a landing on the Shon
This places the Japanese in a position be-
tween Pekin on the west and the great
forti ess of We-Hai-Wei on the east. and IL
a
by land and sea upon the latter place. just
at Port Arthur.
First Attack ON the Mainland.
Except for a few shots fired at Chinese
warships in the harbor of Wei Hal Wei
early in the war, this Is the first time in
this war that an attack has been made up
on any place on the mainland of China,
says the New York Sun. The Sun goes on
to say:
Teng-Chow is a iourishing city OF 2300OO
inhabitants Oh the extreme northern part
Of the promontory that juts out into the
Yellow sea and forms the eastern part CT
the province of Shan Tung.
1t is on the same coast with Chifu and
Wei Hal Wei and is west of them. The
foreign warSi.ipS. that have gone from
Chifu to witness the bombardment had to
travel only about fifty miles to reach the
city that the Japanese warships are Iow
assailing.
Cnili at the point where IL begins to merge
into the Gulf of Pechili. 1t is a little west
of south of Port Arthur, and only about
seventy miles from it, so that the Japanese
Tessels issuing from the captured fort to
the north had only few hours sailing
before they reached the point of attack.
Teng- Chow occupies almost level site.
the sea front fer miles is almost as straight
as Il lire could be Drawn. and the town can
ne seen frora the set as far as the curva-
tGre of the earth permits.
The water front, where most or the cOEl-
merce of the city Is situated. Is compare
lively narrow, but the city behind 1t
spreads oGt over the plain like far. This
is unfortunate for the great residence DIS
Cricts are the easiest mark to hit. and any
projectile that flies over the narrow sea
frCpt is sure to land in the widc-spreadinS
and densely populated area behind 1T.
Teng-Chow IL not Cne OF the ports cpen-
ed tC the world by treaty. but, through ar
raI Sements made by various powers, for
eign trade has been permitted there to
some extent. This trade, however. has been
growing less from year to year, for Teng-
Cnow. with its Swallowing waters. has been
less and less able to compete with Chifu
and its very fair harbor. So most of the
fcreigr merchants doing business at Teng-
Chow have gradually removed all of their
interests 20 neighboring Chifu.
The Chinese warships at Wei-hai-wei are
within a few hours sailing of the scene of
action, and Ii remains to be seen whether
they will sally out and do something to
divert the attention of the Japanese fleet
from the hapless city. which Is probably
enable to offer any defense worthy of the
name
This is the first time in many years that
the Japanese have seriously attacked any
point on this coast. Generations ago the
people here were in mortal terror of Japan
pirates. The name by which the
Chinese very commonly know the city of
Chifu is "Yentai'' or Smoke" The city Is
so called from the fire that used to be
kndled on a neghboring mountain to warn
the people along the coast of the approach
of their piratical enemies.