Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-14
TINCS TRAGIC Death
Inside History Of the ORR
entail Crisis.

His Country and Became % Victim
OF Its Brutal Customs Story of
Friendship and Patriotism
Victoria, b. c., March 13.-The Ca
madam Pacific steamship Empress OF
India arrived here with the following
advices from Toxic, Japan: The sur
render Of the Chinese fleet and of the
remaining forces of Wei-Hai-Wei con-
stituted the most striking scene In
the drama Of the war. Several days
before the event Vice-Admiral Ito.
commander-in-ohief of the Japanese
naval squadron, had addressed let
ter to Admiral Ting, who held cor
responding position on the Chinese
side. The two men were Intimate
friends. as they had often come to-
gether before the breaking out of the
war, and each had been attached to
the other by mutually similar quail
ties of ood-fellowship and profession
al zeal. Admiral Ito. therefore, in ad-
dressing Admiral Ting by letter while
the fleets commanded by the two ad-
unirals were waiting to destroy each
other divested himself entirely of his
public capacity and spoke simply as
friend. The gist of tho letter was to
advise Admiral Ting to abandon the
doomed cause and to take refuge in
Japan until the termination of the
war. Naturally, the question of Ad-
miral Ting's personal safety was kept
out of sight. Admiral Ito based his
advice solely on patriotic motives.
Chinas disasters, he said, were due
to inherent weakness. They were the
outcome of defective systems. corrupt
government and blind conservatism.
He continued:
1T has long been fated that you
should witness results such as are
now before you. Can 1t be the duty
of the faithful subjects of the empire.
men really solicitous for It's welfare.
to swim idly with the tide now sweep
ing over the country by the decree
of an ancient fate, and making no
effort to stem 1t? A single pillar can
not prevent the fall OF q great edi-
fee. BY whatever reputation for hon.
orable dealing the Japanese soldiers
possess in the eyes of the world, /
vow that 1 believe that your wisest
course Is to come to Japan and walt
there till the fortunes of your country
are again in the ascendant"
Remarkable Circumstances.
Admiral Ito did not add to his repu-
tation by this letter. The ethics 1t
advocates have never been those
adopted by brave and loyal men in
any age. Admiral Tings duty was in
the real present, not in the hypotheti-
cal future. He had TO serve his coun-
try, such as II was, and not to walt
to serve 1t such as 1t might be; to save
the fleet actually entrusted to his COM
mand, not to save himself in vague
hope of commanding better fleet
hereafter. He adopted the only digni-
fed course under the circumstances
he left the letter unnoticed. Strange to
say, little comment has been evoked
in the east by this letter. 1t has.
however, q history which is still con-
cealed from the general public. Ad-
miral Ito did not write 1t. He was,
of course, consenting party and
since the letter bore his signature. he
must bear the responsibility. But the
work of composition and inditing was
actually done by one of the foreign
military attaches. The language used
was English 1t is curious and sug
gestive fact that in this war the Chin
ese and Japanese find the English lam
guago the most convenient and acces-
sible medium of communication. The
Chinese admiral. when he received
the letter had fine fleet under his
commando powerful ironclad, seven
cruisers, seven gunboats and eleven
torpedo boats. The land defences at
wei-Hai-Wei were also intact. Garri-
soned by strong body of troops and
excellently planned. they appeared i'm
pregnable. The humiliating defeat of
the Chinese, however. is we'll known
to the world.
Ting's Dignifiel Surrender.
Admiral Ting's case was now des-
perate. On the 18th of February he
dispatched TO Admiral Ito the follow
ing letter:
II have received q letter of sugges-
tion addressed to me by the officer
commanding the united Japanese
squadrons but did not reply because
our countries were at war. Now,
however. having fought resolutely,
having had my ships sunk and my
men decimated. 1 am ready to give
up the contest and ask for cessation
of hostilities in order to save the lives
OF my people. I will surrender to the
Japanese ships of war now in Wei
IIai-Wei harbor together with Liu
Kung island forts and armament pro-
vided my request is compiled with,
namely, that the lives of all persons
connected with the army and navy.
Chinese and foreign, be uninjured and
that they be allowed to return to their
homes. If this is acceded to the COM
mander-in-chief of the British naval
squadron will become guarantor."
Admiral Ito accepted the proposed
terms. He dispensed. however, with
the foreign guarantee offered by Ad-
miral Ting. In acknowledging the dis
patch Of surrender Ito sent to his Old
friend a few cases of champagne.
claret, etc. But Ting would accept moth
ing. His mind was set on other things.
Tragic Deaths.
Immediately after this the stout old
sailor retired to his cabin and poisoned
himself with opium. His example was
followed by the second officer in COM
mand. Commodore Liu, and by the
officer commanding the Liu Kung gar
rison. General Chang. These three
men had done their duty bravely, but
knew that nothing EXCUSES failure
where Chinese judges are on the
bnnoh To haUa ratnrpa5 b0r,o ,,o,,I1