Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-01-31
JAPANESE PROGRESS.
Wei-Hai-Wei to be Taken from
the Land Side.
England the Only Power Dreaded by the
Victorious Japanese-The Future of
the Aroused Pagan Nation-Ex-
ports and Imports.

SAN Francisco. Jan. 26.-The land
Ing of the Third japanese army corps
on the south coast of the Gulf of Pc
chilli means that Wei-Hai-Wei is to be
taken from the land side. The jap
anese navy will probably act, as it did
at Port Arthur and Talien-Whan, in a
precautionary capacity.
There can be no doubt that the great
fortress which commands the southern
side of the approach to Pekin will fall
as easily as the other Chinese strong
holds have fallen.
The third army is even better
equipped than either the first or sec
ond army, and consists of the most in
telligent troops in the japanese
empire-men from the north, men
who more nearly resemble white
people in their appearance and
habits than the rest of their
nation. Wei-Hai-Wei could have been
taken by portion of the second army,
but the officers of the Sendai garrison
absolutely begged to be permitted to
take their troops into the field against
China
The Chinese are no better off than
they were six months ago in their prep
arations for defense. All seems to be
confusion, brag and recrimination.
As the war progresses it is seen more
clearly than ever that China is not
nation, but loose jointed confederacy
of nationalities apathetic toward each
other and jealous.
Capt. Gould of the ship Mary L.
Stone, bound from New York to Shang-
hal with a cargo of petroleum, but
wrecked off the coast of FOrmOsa, in
forms me that when he landed with
his crew he found the Chinese busy
massing troops and mounting cannon
for the defense of the island against
the japanese.
He was talking with the local man
DARN when a Chinese man-of war ar
rived to take him and his companions
to a more convenient port. A Chinese
flag was displayed by the war ship, but
the moment the mandarin caught
sight of the vessel he became greatly
excited and declared that it was a
French man-of-war sent to attack For
mosa. In vain the captain assured
him that the vessel was Chinese. He
did not seem to be able to distin-
SulSh tile NllhcTeHCc DeG"eeH the
Chinese naval flag and the French en-
sign.
This illustrates the condition of the
defensive force of China.
The talk about vast army massed
for the defense of Pekin seems to have
little foundation. The japanese are
well aware that the road to Pekin is
open and undisputed.
England is the only power dreaded
ust now, and the man who is inter-
ested in the next turn of affairs had
better keep his eye upon the British.
i am satisfied that Russia has decided
not to take any aggressive part in the
trouble.
Meanwhile the Japanese government
is concentrating its attention upon the
new treaties. With the abolition of
foreign settlements and the annihila-
tion OF consular jurisdiction the jap
anese hope to shut out the British and
American commerce in the east and
extend their Own commercial interests
in Asia.
The anti-foreign, anti-white and
anti-Chinese spirit was never stronger
than it is now, and yet few days ago
sion to the agent of the American
Bible society to distribute tracts in
the hospitals and barracks at Hiro-
shima.
The joke is almost grotesque, con-
sidering the desperate game Japan is
playing with the diplomacy of Europe
and America. Three months ago a
missionary who would have even sug-
gested the idea of distributing Chris
tian tracts among the pagan soldiers
of a proud pagan empire would have
been laughed to scorn.
l predict that if the rights of Ameri-
cans in Japan should be surrendered
the missionary work of all sects eX-
cept Shinto and Buddhist will be
crushed out.
The Japanese seem to have arrived
at stage in their progress which the
Russians reached some time ago, a
stage in which the once backward
nation, learning from more advanced
nations, considers that it can improve
on the lessons of its teachers, believing
that it has discovered mistakes into
which they have fallen and that it can
show a more excellent way.
In the London Times of November 2
is an article on Alexander Ill, refer
ring to the opposition among the first
generation of the Slavophiles to the
German element in the Russian serv-
ice, which had, by its methodical ways
and orderly habits, become the civil
iZing element in Russia. According to
the philosophical theory of sthe Slayo-
philes, Russia had made a mistake in
adopting the arts and sciences of Eu-
rope in wholesale fashion and with
out digesting them"
Herein the Japanese can scarcely be
said to be of the opinion held by the
SIavophiles, but in what follows they
agree:
s'She ought now to strike out for
herself a new pathway better adapted
to the wants and capabilities of a ma
tional character. Gathering courage
as they advanced. the new philoso.
pliers of nationalisrl soon declared the
whole Roman Catholic and Protestant
world had taken a wrong direction;
that western Europe was intellectually
bad and socially rotten; that Russia
must seek her salvation not in servile
imitation of modern models. but
in developing the principles Of
eastern orthodoxy, autocracy an6
nationality. Civilization had long beer
the property of the Latin races, and
from them it passed to the Teutonit
family, but now the Latins and leu
tons are sunk in error and decrepitude
The future belongs to the SIavs."
This is the dominant spirit of Japa1
at this moment. She has adopted tn,
vast machinery and methods of west