The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-28
in ASIATIC WATERS
British Admiralty Elabor-
ating a Plan Of Naval
Defense in the
Far East.
A COAL ALLIANCE WITH JAPAN
Admiral McSair's Movements
Yorktown Landsman Drowned
-Rumors of Val
A COAL ALLIANCE WITH JAPAN

Correspondence of The Associated Press
YOKOHAMA. Sept. 10: 1Ssz.-Among the
many things which the Japanese are
teaching their western brothers is the dis
posal of the dead. Cremation has always
been a fayorite method throughout the
empire, and a recent occurrence empha-
sizes this fact.
The body of the. late Count Mutsu, who
recently died in Toxic, has been cremated
and the ashes sent on to Osaka, his birth
place, and deposited beside the ashes Of
| his ancestors in accordance with time
honored usage.
The British Admiralty is slowly but
SURELY celebrating a programme for the
naval defence in the far East, which bids
fair to place the ships of the feet in those
waters at no disadvantage as compared
with the ships on the home station. Alden,
Colombo, Singapore and Honkong form
an unbroken chain of naval outposts
which will enable the war ships of the
English navy to hold the sea against all
Corners. Coal, that prime '"sinew of war
in these modern times, is within easy
reach from Australia. Bengal or Borneo,
and in case of war the British Admiralty
would have a practical monopoly of the
best and cheapest coal in the East.
Japan shares with Great Britain in an
Independent coal supply. so that a ready
made reason exists for a combination OF
these two powers in some not far distant
contingency of war.
A recent Incident in the harbor of Hong
kong emphasizes the growing Importance
of the far Eastern question. Eight differ
ent navies were recently represented in
that harbor, and the flags of five admirals
floated side by side, each of a different
nationality. and it is noteworthy that the
British pennant easily outclassed them
all.
Following the visit of the flagship
Olympia to Chefoo, China, the American
Admiral contemplates q short stay in
Chemulpo, Korea. While at Chemulpo it
is his intention to pay an official visit to
Seoul, the capital. for the purpose of as
certaining by actual inspection the pe-
litical condition of affairs in that dis
tracted part of the far East
The new United States Minister, DR.. HI.
N. Allen, is a personal friend of Admiral
McNair, and this fact. coupled with the
unsettled state Of the capital, renders
this visit all the more important.
The Olympia will probably go as far as
Hong Kong this fall, but owing to the
unsatisfactory sanitary condition of that
part of the coast, it is not likely that the
flagship will make a prolonged stay there.
BY a recent and sad occurrence on the
Yorktown at Nagasaki, of the lands
men belonging to that ship lost his life
by drowning. William Montgomery was
the name of the unfortunate man. AT
first fou play was suspected, but a full
investigation Indicated that his death was
entirely accidental. The dead man was
a favorite with his shipmates, and the
funeral OF the third instant, at the for
eign cemetery, was largely attended.
Orders have been issued for the regular
inspection of all the ships of the fleet
while assembled at Chefoo. As soon as
this function is over b Yorktown will
proceed TO Yokohama and fill her bunkerS
for the long voyage to Honolulu.
Among the natives here and at the other
open ports of Japan the impression is be-
coming quite general that some lin of a
thigh Robbery" is imminent between the
United States and this country. Some
of the ~vernacular papers are constantly
filled with paragraphs lending to keep the
war fever alive.
The weather has been very wet for some
time, but the reports received by the sur
geon of the fleet from the ships on the
station Indicate unusually good health for
the time of the year. No cases of fever
or malariaI trouble have been reported.