Frederick citizen., 1895-01-25
Intention OF The JlPS
viii Not Attempt to Reach
Pskin This Winter.
Advices Received by Steamer Peru
Say That IL Has Been Decided 10
Capture Wci-Hai-W ci ~ Statistics
Showing China's Loss at Present
To Ee Abont sO,0OO.OOO Yen.

To Ee About SO,00O.OO0 Yen.
San Francisco, Jan. 23.-The steamer
Peru, just arrived. brings Toxic news
to Jan. s. Under date Jan. ?. the ia.
pan Gazette says:
we understand that no attempt viii
be made to reach Pekin this winter
The reason IS obvious, but ii would
never do to let the army remain idle
nor to permit the national enthusiasm
10 cool through passive policy.
Hence it is reported that 1t has been
decided to capture Wei-Hai-W
IF it was not for the bad weather
this diversion would not be attempted,
as the Chinese fleet is afraid to figai
and We!-Hai- Wei Is no obstacle to a
march on the capital. Bat since for.
ward movement Of any magnitude are
at present Impossible the value Of cap.
turing Wei-HaiWea is easily compre.
heusible. 1t would destroy the last
refuge of the Chinese fleet ana in all
probability the fleet itself.
Being close to shore the sailors
could be depended upon to desert and
it is very unlikely that the Chiness
gunnerS in the forts will offer any
more determined resistance than that
exhibited by the towards At Port Ar.
thur. Its capture then would be sim.
pie. and apart from the moral effect
Of the blow. the destruction or sur.
render of the Chinese feet would de-.
stroy the last chance of China again
acting on the offensive. Before the
end of January We believe Wei-H ii
Wei will be in japanese hands"
Writing under date January s, tn.
United Press correspondent at Toxic
says:
I'm addition to two first class for.
tresses and a dockyard with all ap,
phances, as we'll as a great tract Of
territory, China has lost in the pres nj
war fighting ships sggregating l.. 81
tons and valued at 1000, 900 yen (fvs
and a half million gold dolarso OF
these vessels three were captured by
the japanese; the rest sunk or burned.
Among other spoils taken by the Jap.
anesa are 607 cannon; 7,400 stand oi
rifles; 2,8Oi,741 rounds of cannon am.
munition; 77.45S,7S5 rounds of small
arm ammunition; 1857 Koku Of rice
specie and coin to the amount of one
million yen; 1926 tents; Is sailing
ships and steamers and a quantity 0i
other things the value of the whole
including the fortresses and dock-yart
being about eighty million yen.
"The Japanese armies In the fed
consists of three divisions and a half
| The first division and one half of tn:
/ second are now in the Lao Tung pen
| insula where they form the second
army. Their inaction since takin1
Port Arthur has been subject 0.
comment. The brigade forming halt
| Of the sixth division remained TO gar
| rlson Port Arthur and the first division
| has been maSsed at Chin Chow ans
| Talien. TIE reasons for this inertis
are apparent The first division ha!
been held in read ness for another ex
pedition over the sea. II could not
therefore, undertake any operation.
! involving a long march inland. Tht
expedition in question Is an attacl
upon Wei-Hai-Wei, China's only re
naming fortified harbor in the Cful
OF Pechih The first division will no
/ proceed alone. 1t Is to b Joined BY
! the third division, now on the poin
| OF embarking from Hiroshima. Til
place Of landing in the Shan Tunf
province rs kept a profound secret, bu
the Chinese know that Wei-H alive
Is TO be attacked and have been doin:
everything in thelr power to tortif.
it's back door. Il is tremendous un
| dertaking TO carry an army Of 2G.U0
men into the Gulf Of Pechil and Ian
them on the Shan Tung shores il
midwinter.
The situation Of the left wing o
the first japanese army in Shin Kin!
| is not stratericaliy sound. Lieut.. Gen
Katsure at Hai-Cheng is between tw
Chinese forces, each of them numeri
! cally nearly twice as strong is hi
own command. An element Is wantiri
/ 80 make practicable and effective
| plan Of campaign. and that elemen
is a northward movement of Japanes
troops from the Lao Tung peninsul;
SO as 10 operate upon Katsura's sout,
| and engage one of the Chinese arnlie
threatening him. Every one suppose
that such a movement was contem
| plated especially when Marshal Cyan
pushed from Chin Chow to Fuchov
and occupied the latter place Decem
Der 5. By continuing his march sixty
three miles further north, he woul
have found himself under the wall
of Kai Ping, the headquarters of Ger
|
being under orders to hold his troop
ready for embarkation. On the 2St
OF December. however another brig q
took the ship from Hiroshima for tn
Lao Tung peninsula. 1t Is proba bl
that on the arrival of that bTgad
the rorthward movement alluded
above will be undertaken Not tha
the force then in the peninsula wi
be stronger than the force there a
present; on the contrary the first ii
vision now at Chin Chow and Tale
having been withdrawn for the expedi
ton against Wei-Hai- Wei and replace
by the brigade. there will only be
division In the peninsula instead of
division and half But 1t is not
question Of numerical strength TIL
northern movement could have bee
made long ago had not Marshal Cyan
been obliged to keep the bulk Of hi
troops within easy reach of Talien ba
with a view to speedy embarkation.
The Porte Apolt gizps.
NoprtaotinonIa Tan S2-Tba port