Omaha daily bee., 1895-01-18
DEATH FOR ALL.,CENERALS
Ii Hung 0hang's successcr Getting Even
with His Political Rivals.
LUZ KUN YIH'S FIRST SUMMARY EDlCT
Every Commander In the Chinese Army to
he Punished for tho Successive Re-
verses-E -Emperor's Decree for the
Salvation of the Capital

VANCOUVER, d. c., Jan! 17.-The follow
ing advices from the Orient have been re-
ceived by the steamer Empress Of Japan:
The situation in Peking is growing more
complicated since the arrival of Viceroy Lui
Kun Yih, LII Hung Changs greatest enemy
and head Of the Human faction The first
evidence of Lui Kun Yihs influence is the
issuing of decree condemning Admirals
Ting Kung and Tao Tai to death. and all
other officers in command of divisions yet
alive who showed cowardics before, after or
during battle BY this sweeping decree none
of the generals or admirals escape. The
decree states that as they are responsible for
the necessary fall of Port Arthur death must
be their penalty The board of punishment
will publicly disgrace the commanders be-
fore execution. The mandate overrides Ii
Hung Changs desperate attempt to white
wash every cowardly commander who de-
serted his post at the fall of Port Arthur.
officers have been sent after Admiral Kune
with instructions to bring him back alive or
leave his dead body to the vultures. Kung
will surely be taken. He is in hiding at
Yang Cho. Kung is brother of the Chinese
minister to England, and, up to a recent
date, under Lii Hung Chang, was a very
powerful politician at court. Lui has selected
Kung for his special revenge on account of
his enmity to LII Hung Chang. Lord Lii
another impeached admiral, is in hiding and
is in communication with Kung. Govern
ment spies have reported these facts to the
authorities, SO that his capture is certain.
Admiral Ting is locked up with his fleet at
Wei-Hai-Wei. 1t is said If he hears of his
fate he will cheat the eXecutoner, as he is
extremely proud and will not live to satisfy
the hatred of his old rival, Lui.
An edict issued a month ago by the en-
peror of China to those within the palace
precincts has just come to light. During
this time it has been jealousy guarded from
the public. as it was hoped and wished that
the young emperor, despairing and dis
couraged, would change his mind and recall
his utterances. The translation of this most
extraordinary edict issued by the emperor
during the war has been obtained. 1t was
given out when Wing Thung Tsao and Wen
Thung Shih memoriaized the emperor, sug-
gesting the removal Of the capital westward.
The substance of this proclamation is as
follows:
when we first took charge of the affairs
of the empire it was our intention to intro
duce many reforms. Suddenly and uneX-
pectedly the Japanese have broken the peace,
taken away our Corean dependency and taken
possession Of the borders of our empire.
1--WE have sent our generals on whom we
trusted with their armies to punish the
enemies Of peace and drive them away, but
we never intended to disturb the peace Of
the Japanese empire, and this our ancestors
and all foreign nations will know.
Little did we expect that our generals
were incompetent and in many cases untrust-
worthy, and that the soldiers were insub-
ordinate and i'll supplied with the arms
adequate, and large sums of money were ap-
propriated by us to equip them and it is for
these reasons that the Japanese have gained
victory after victory, and place after place,
which causes us real concern and makes our
ancestors restless in their fionored graves.
"All this affliction and trouble is because
we are unworthy and have employed unfit
men. IT, however, the worst comes and the
enemy secure our sacred affairs then there
remains nothing for us but to perish at the
altar Of our fathers and be gathered home
to them, fighting to the last, as they did
before us, for our country and our honor.
when that time comes may you rever-
emily escort the empress dowager westward
and elect worthy man to be your emperor,
look after the sacred affairs of our ancestors,
revive thought and wipe out this terrible
disgrace