The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-04-11
PROSPECTS FOR PEACE.

Washington, April 9.-Japanese mail
advices up to March 16 received here
show that in the native press the peace
mission of Ii Hung Chang occupies the
leading place. As they attach much i'm
portance to the present peace embassy,
they state their ideas of the terms of
peace more definitely than heretofore;
yet advance nothing new. While some
journals are more moderate in their de-
mands, others declare in unequivocal
terms that peace is an impossibility until
the flag of the rising sun floats over Pekin.
The Mainichi, in Il philanthropic article,
advocates announcing annexation of part
of continental China, not merely for the
two reasons usually advanced, viz: To
secure the independence of Corca and
the maintenance of peace in the East.
but for two others-that it would be con-
trary to the principles of humanity to
suffer the Chinese in the newly occupied
districts to again fall under the barbarous
rule of China, and that it would be
against the interests of the Chinese in gen
eral if, after war, they did not have en-
lghtened japanese nearby to instruct
them i'll the arts and sciences of civiliZa-
tiuon.
The effects on Japanese trade of the
signing of Il treaty of peace are already
being discussed. That peace would give
an immense impetus, it is asserted there
can be no question, though it has been
found that the japanese trade has not
only suffered the check that was pre-
dicted on account of the war, but its total
volume of trade in money values in 1891
was nearly 80 per cent over that of the
preceding year. In the case of some art-
cles the war hos done some injury to the
foreign trade, but on the whole it has
exercised very little influence. The great
est increase i'll the export trade of 1871
was in the case of raw silk, of which the
value of the quantity sent abroad eX-
ceeded that of 1893 by as much rs 11,0OO,-
600 yen.
AM excellent scheme for the annihila-
ton of the Japanese submitted by II
sage of high repute is reproduced from
a Chinese newspaper The scheme was
originated in answer to the proclamation
of the governor of Nanking, who ordered
all those under his jurisdiction to devise
some scheme for the destruction of all
the Japanese The scheme was this:
Every soldier should be armed with
Il sword. n long bamboo pole and bucket
of water. The pole and the bucket should
be held with the left hand while the sword
is grasped by the right. On charging
down upon the foe, the buckets should be
hurled at the opposing ranks so us to
wet their powder and render their guns
useless. The bamboo poles should then
be thrust between the legs of the enemy
and given a twist which would cause the
Japanese to topple over in confusion. Then
it would be an easy matter to finish off
the dripping and PROSTATE foes with
swords"
! The governor, it apepars, did not take
kindly to the suggestion made, and, as the
story goes, drove the pseudo sage from his
presence in Il fit of rage.
! Evidently the stOutest resistance which
the Japanese army, as 1t advances on
Pekin, will meet, says one of the Japan
ese papers, will not be offered by Ii Hung
Chang's soldiers, nor by the Manchuriar
troops, but by theN1ohammedan soldiers
of China.
| This was Indicated by the conduct OF
! General Taso at the battle of PhyOng
Yang. He acquitted himself as true
general should, while Yei and the othel
Chinese generals disgraced themselves
by their cowardice. General Tasos con
duct at Ping Yang and Admiral Ting's
at Wei Hal Wei We're, the paper says
the solitary bright spots in China's dark
record during the war. Taso was a patri
arch the Chinese Mohammedans. A story
has been told that fhen the news of Taso's
death reached his native district, his wife
declared that she would collect 10000
amazons and avenge the death of hcl
husband, and that the MOhammedanS
shared her resolution.