Iron County register., 1896-11-02
THE EASTERN WAR.
Detailed Account Of the Capture of
Port Arthur.
why the Japanese Troops Waited, and How,
When All Things Were Ready, the
Plans for the Capture of the Chi
nese Gibraltar were Carried Out.
Correspondence of the United Press pc
Steamer Gaelic.

| Correspondence OF the United Press per
| Steamer Gaelic.l
SAN Francisco, Dec 15--Tokio,
Japan, Nov. ga peace party is
gradually growing up in Japan, the
motive of its formation being derived
| partly from the general sense of the
sufferings and losses entailed by the
war and partly from a perception of
| the immense issues involved in the
disentegration of the Chinese empire.
Japan's Rothschilds, the Mitany fam
| lily, have presented to the state an ex-
tensive plant of machinery designed
| for the casting of heavy guns. An ar
senal to receive this costly equipment
is to be set in Moi, a town on the
| straits of Shunonosoki that has sprung
/ into sudden prosperity as the distrib-
uting center of the coal mines in the
north of Kinshu.
On November 81 the japanese min
| ister of state for finance increased the
issue of a domestic loan of so, 900, 900 yen
| (S26, ,000, 900 gold approximately, being
| the second installment of the total war
| fund of $50, ZOO, 600 yen voted by the
| diet in it's recent special session. The
| first installment, 80, OOO, 900 yen, was
| placed on the market in August, and
| was subscribed nearly three times over,
| the per cent. bonds being all taken by
| the public at par, a portion even sell
/ ing at premium
| There have been so many rumors of
mediation between China and Japan
that the recently circulated intelli-
| gence of an offer in that direction
from President Cleveland was not i'm
mediately credited. Yet the president
| did really try to step into the breach.
| Thinking that he detected signs of
| coalition of European powers to die
tate peace, and perceiving that Japan
must surrender many of the just fruits
| of her victories in the presence of such
| interference, he suggested the advisa-
bility of arranging terms at once, and
rendered his own good Offices for that
purpose. The japanese government,
however, knowing that an European
coalition need not be apprehended, re-
piled in that sense, at the same time
intimating its own natural desire that
China should sue direct. Before that
answer could be conveyed to him Mr..
Cleveland had himself discovered that
the apprehension inspiring his offer
need not be entertained, and so the
project was abandoned by mutual con-
| sent.
Port Arthur fell into the hands of
! the japanese on the 21St of NOvem ber,
just month after the transports car
rying it's assailants had steamed away
from the shores of Japan. The man
ner of its fall astounded every one, not
excepting the japanese themselves.
Theoretically the place was impreg-
nable against an attack from the sea
front. On the land side it's defenses
were not so strong, but there had been
ample time to strengthen theS mand
| abundant material was at hand, while
nature had lent powerful aid by
throwing around the east of the for
tress a semi-circle of hills, varying in
height from 800 to $50 feet and offer
ing ideal sites for batteries and in
| trenchments.
An English newspaper correspond
ent, writing from the place ten days
| before its fall, told how thousands of
Chinese infantry and cavalry, well dis
| ciplined and armed with magazine
rifles of the most approved pattern,
were drilling for hours every day, and
declared unhesitatingly that the Jap
anese could never take it; that they
had missed their opportunity; that the
| garrison was fully prepared, and that
Port Arthur would justify the predic
tions of those who had foreseen the
moment when the petty tide of Japan
ese aggression would be shattered to
| foam against the rock of China's vast
resources.
| The Japanese thems mselves did not I'M
derestimate the task. On the very eve
of the receipt of the final news, their
military experts said gravely that
there would be a heavy loss of life.
The slow march of events in the pen
insula had also begun to wear an omi-
nous look. Chin Chow and Talien were
taken on the 9th and 7th of November.
Thence to Port Arthur the distance
was only forty miles. Yet two weeks
passed and the attack had not been de-
livered. There had, it is true, been no
actual reverses. Evil tidings of that
nature would have travelled swiftly.
But the apparent hesitation of men
like Lieut.-Gen. YamajI, who is the Jap
| anese ideal of stern determination
and sagacious bearing, seemed to imply
the existence of the most formidable
obstacles. The ominous impression
| grew stronger "HSu IL was 1cdTneu
that there had actually been proposal
to rush on the place on the heels of the
fugitives from Talien and Chin Chow,
but that Lieut.. Gen. Yamaji had
shaken his head and said: wait"
Yet, after all, Yamaji's wait meant
only that he wanted his siege train.
Thirty 12-centimetre guns and six
rifled mortars were still on board ship.
To land them at the original place of
debarkation would have involved an
overland journey of 100 miles, and big
guns do not cross mountains easily or
travel swiftly along narrow roads, al
ready insufficient for the passage of
the troops. Therefore, Lieut.-Gen.
Yamaji's plan was to keep his siege
train on board ship until Talien had
been captured.
Talien is within forty miles of Port
Arthur. 1t has magnificent harbor
fully equipped with stone jetties, lift
ing cranes and all the paraphernalia
of modern station. Lieut.-Gen. Va
mali intended that these appliances,
prepared so carefully by the Chinese
for their own use, should be turned to
the advantage of the invaders. He
took Talien on November =, and so
soon as the harbor had been freed of
its pavement of torpedoes, the Japan
ese transports steamed in and landed
cargo of big guns
These heavy pieces furnished the
key to the scheme of attack. The
| Chinese defenSeS were to be battered