The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-16

San Francisco. March 15.-The steamer
China brings the following special cor
respondence:
Toxic. March Admiral Tings pro-
posal to surrender the forts on Liu Kung
island and what remains of his fleet, was
brought to the Japanese naval command
er on February u by the captain of the
/ gunboat Chen Pei. The document was
brief. setting forth that as resoIute fight
ing had not availed. and as many ships
had been sunk and many men killed. the
time had come to yield. Everything
should be given up to Japan, on condi-
ton that all persons-Chinese and for
eigners-connected with the defeated
army and navy. should be uninjured. The
writer suggested that the British admiral
! should guarantee the good faith Of tbs
offer.
Unfit For Duty.
While the letter was under considera-
| ton by the Japanese commander and his
sta1, the Chinese messenger discussed.
the situation unreservedly with a. group
OF Matsushima's officers. He asserted
that If the troops in the forts had Coop
Grated courageously with the Pei
Yang squadron, Wei Hal Wei might have
been held indefinitely, but the Chinese
army was unfit for any kind Of duty. and
defense of the country. To prolong the
war was useless, in his opinion and since
the ran OF the naval station was inevi-
table he trusted It would teach fhe s,cv-
eminent at Peking the necessitv of con-
Guiding peace without delay. After reit-
eratlng these views in various forms he
returned TO the harbOr with Admiral Ito's
reply to the letter of submission.
Inc condition specified by Admiral
Ilng was aSSen1ed TO, but the SUGGESTION
with reference to the British Commander
was rejected. 6OIfhf of 81,
cer1ty was entertained An urgent, an
peal was made that the vanquished ctief
sn9 9 seek an asylum in Japan until the
eno OF the war With this communica-
ton Ito sent three hampers of refresh
nents-champagne and the like-which
ms adversary declined to- receive. On the
ground that the enmity between the two
nations forbade him to accept such a
courtesy. though he appreciated the spirit
IN which it was rendered.
Suicide Announced.
On the morning of February 18th the
messenger again presented himself. an
snip, that his leader had committed sui
cloe Immediately after writing a re-
Spouse to Admiral Ito's letter. The two
principal military officers on Ii1 Kunns
Island had likewise killed themselves IN
ms hnal dispatch. Ting expressed thanks
Tor the promise that his followers should
De shared, and asked that possession
shC- not be taken of the forts ships
and Uther property. before February 18TH
rms request was granted in a communi-
cation addressed by Ito to THE Officer
Commanding the Pei Yang SQUADRON -
The determination of the IapaneSe n
recognize no Europeans as holding au-
thorlty on behalf of China was once naors
asserted in stipulation. several times
repeated. that no foreigner must be as
signed to the duty of arranging the de-
tails OF the transfer Of ships etc Anv
chinese officer would be cordially wei
coined, but none of any other race On
FEBRUARY 18th the surrendered vessels
the exception of the Kwang Chi, which
Admiral Ito gave back. in order that the
remains Of the late Chinese commander,
should be taken away in man-of-war
belonging to his own country. The body
was carried on board with respectful
ceremonies, and SaluteS were given as the
vessel departed for Che Foo. On the 18th
the garrison Of Iiu Kung. numbering 1000
ana the 400 sailors of the Pei Yang .
squadron, were sent to the mainland eS-
corted to the Japanese outposts some
twenty miles from Che Foo, and set at
liberty.
In Manchuria.
The Chinese armies in Manchuria show
a great deal of persistence in repeating
their movements against Hal Cheng but
they invariably run away before any real
fighting is done. The latest demonstra-
when futile efforts We're made to concen-
trate columns from Lao Wang, Lieuten-
Katsuras' position. As usual
the Japanese lost only about half dozen
killed and wounded in these affairs. and
the Chinese Ned, leaving at least 100
dead The same report with change OF
date, might serve for each successive
march upon Wal Cheng. Lieutenant-Gen-
eral Neza is at the front Of the third
army division. and has recently been
visited by Lieutenant-General Yamagata.
commander of the first division now
stationed in The Liau Tung peninsula.