Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1895-01-03
AN OFFICIAL DENIAL.
Japan Denies the Alleged Afro
cities at Port Arthur.

The japanese Legation in thii
city received by the China th.
following official statement il
regard to the actions of japanese
soldiers at the storming of Port
Arthur:
1. Chinese soldiers flying dis
carded Uniforms.
2. Those in plain clothes
killed al, Port Ar thur were most.
ly soldiers in disguise.
8 Inhabitants left before en-.
gagement.
t. A few remaining were or
dered to fire aud resist and did
so.
5 japanese Army greatly ex
cited by sight of fearful NJ utilated
bodies burnt alive and some
crucifed.
g. Still japanese preserved
discipline.
Z. About 355 Chinese prison
ers taken at the fall of Port Ar
thur kindly treated and being
brought to Tokioin a few days.
The reports sent abroad by
foreign newspaper correspon-
dents, and especially by the Re :
porter of the New York World
regarding the capture of Port
Arthur were greatly exaggerated
and are of highly sensational
character tending to impair the
good name of Japan.
At the fail of Port Arthur the
Chinese soldiers seeing that
open resistance was futile, dis
carded their military uniforms
and put on citizens dress dis
guised themselves as peacefulsin-
habltants of the place and secret
ed themselves in the vacant
houses from which the real
peaceful inhabitants had taken
their departure some days pre-
vious to the attack by the Japan
@e Army and to which they re
turned again after peace and order
had been restored. The Chinese
soldiers thus disguised carried
concealed arms and as they were
not accustomed to give quarter to
their enemy. They were afraid
of being killed in case they sur
rendered. Consequently, when
they were at last discovered by |
the japanese troops they offered
resistance and fought to the last.
In addition some of the peaceful
inhabitants who had not left the
place before the battle, acting
lnders orders Of The Chi"~---
'r0vr,5 nreu upon the Japanese
orces, but most of the Chinese
killed at Port Arthur actually
proved to be soldiers in disguise.
This statement is esta bllshed bv
he fact that upon nearly ali the
orpses we're found Chinese
clothes underneath the
utter garments.
One of TIE foreign correspon-
ents stated, that as most of the
ilied at Port Arthur bore sword
ut wounds their bodies present
d more horrible spectacles than
'ould have been the case if they
ad only shown bullet wounds. s
his may be one Of the causes.
nat led to some misrepresentation ,
9gardlng the real facts.
The Japanese army were ma
lrally greatly shocked and ex-
ted by sight of the fearfully
Initiated bodies of their com
ldes who were taken prisoners
the Chinese troops, some be-
e burnt alive while others were
'uclfed; upon entering the town
Port Arthur the japanese
rces were confronted by the II
npaled heads of their dead com =
DIES stuck up in the front of the L
fuses. Acting under the i'm t
Use OF these atrocities, the Jap ii
ese soldiers may have Carried S,
hosti tiles longer than they Al
d done In previous engage
9nts, and it is possible that al
ey killed Il greater number of 70
slr enemy than absolutely
cessary. But it is not true T.
At there was wanton, cold n
'oded, or indiscri innate slaugh- -
+. Such action wouldsbe utter. ia
opposed to the spirit which fr'
,ulates the discipline of the tr,
panese troops in the field. C.
None If those who peacefully Ia
were killed or NAL 20
ated. On the contrary about ID
Chinese prisoners who were gu
en- at the fall OF Port Arthur
. been treated kindly, and NJ.
being brought to Toxic where p
u will arr;ra - N Co. ISL