The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-03
INTERVIEWING II HUNG CHANG.
(By the Editor.)


February. 1895. ended the Chinese cam
paign Of Marshal Oyama's army and
permitted the war correspondents to
get a breathing spell. Having lived for
weeks Ga short rations, vainly trying
to keep warm and subject to the al
most daily periIs of the skirmish line
or the battlefield, we of the fourth es-
tate Ionsed for the fieshpots of Japan.
So we went there. all except my PER
sonal corlrade. Cowen, of the London
Tines. 10 had slipped away to Che
foo on IL. NJ. $. Porpoise to get an M
terview with some white men who had
served CHINA in the war. So it fell 20
Lagarre of lie Temps, OShea of tlie
New York Herald, Ward of the Pail
Mall Gazette and myself to make the
journey across the Yellow Sea togeth-
er. We steamed out of Wei-hai-Wei
bay oil February 22nd. Thirty war
ships. including the U. S. S. Charles
ton lay there and these. with forty
transports, were bright with American
flags in honor of washington's birth
day. Exploding dynamite under cap
tured forts made grand salute.
Arriving In japan the correspondents
scattered. 1 went to Horoshima, the
then military base of the empire. to ar
range to make the Picking excursion
with tie Imperial Guard. Meanwhile
Ii Hung Chang had started for Japan
to try and get n treaty OF peace. 1t
looked as If he might succeed. Meeting
Miyoji Ito. Secretary General of the
Imperial Cabinet, who had special
charge Of tie fore gn war correspon-
dents. l asked him about the prospects.
We had been rather confidential in the
past az What advice he gave me 1
generally followed. This time his toI:n-
sci Was Disappointing. Don't leave
with tie army" he said. Let the ctn-
err men so IL they want to. but you wait
here. 1t will all come right. Sub-rosa,
now. We are going to make peace AMI
the army VIII probably get no further
than Port arthur. While the other fell
lows are there looking at the landscape
you can be attending the peace con-
ference"
So l settled down in an inn in Hi
roshima and waited. Ii Hung Chang
arrived at Shimonoseki, the town at
the western end of the Inland Sea,
where the negotiators were to sit. Lit
tie news came from there and so far Il
had failed to get word from Ito. But
on the night Of March oath I vas
awakened by a messenger who brought
the following curious but exciting let
ter from member of the general staff:
Dear Sir: I beg to inform you that I
have just now received a telegram say
ing that His Excellency, Ii Hung Chang,
was fired from a PISTOL by individual
named Koyama and got a wound on his
face. The poor fellow Is arrested at once
This extraCrdinai event took place on
the Chinese Minister on his way home
from the meeting place this evening.
His Imperial japanese Majesty Is ex-
ceedingly alarmed and sent to the Chinese
Minister Surgeon General Ishaguro and
satow, to attend on him at once.
The warsh.p Yayeyama would be sent
tomorrow morning for the protection OF
Chinese sh ps In Shimonseki.
Yours very truly. MuRATA-
There was no more sleep that night.
The next afternoon / must be where
the news vas developing. And su =,
newsi Ii Hung Chang shot despite
the sanctity OF his diplomatic mission.
PERHAPS lie thought of that the other
day when a Chinese mob struck down
the ENJOYS at Picking. the Japanese
Minister among the rest.
On reaching shInionoseki Il YEAS
learned that while the aged Viceroy
was going through the narrow streets
borne in lis seuah char, a Japlnrse
coolie had sprung in front of the cs-
cort ard fred at him point blank. The
ball had ed the left glass Of lis
spectacles and lodged in the cheek
bone. Ii Hurg Chang was then hun
ried to tie temple, which had been ss.
signed him for quarters and was lyinc
there with good prospects of re ,ovcry
Because Of the sad affair China has
been granted an armistice of hire,
weeks request for one having IRE.
viously been refused.
II The OIen sesame TO Ii Hung Chang
sick room was hard to get, but JON ~
Foster who was in Shimonoseld al
counsel for TIE Chinese Government
spoke the magic word and all door
swung widely. When I met tie great
est man of China-whom Genera
Grant lad called a stronger Statesman
than Gladstone or Bismarck-he la,
on a lounge surrounded by several ia
mandarfIs attired like himself. in mag
nihcent furs and silks. There were Eu
ropean Chairs about and in the corne
was aLOpied bed with an air mat
tress. Servants were near with lotion
and one knelt by the wounded man
side holding a great pipe to his lips
LIS son. Lord Ii. and his American
secretary. Mr.. Pethick. made me wei
come; the Viceroy motioned to a chat
and the Interview began.
IL Hung Chang has peculiar notion
about interviewing. That is to say, h
answers no questions, but fills in tn
time by putting them. Occasionally h
shows cOercive disposition. Som
weeks before he went to Shimonosel
the old statesman sent word to the Pc
king correspondent of the Londo
publication. The correspondent Gale
and found Ii In furious temper. a.
want to know. sir" said the Statesman
what you newspaper men mean b
writing about Japanese victories. Their
are no japanese Victories"
You are mistaken" was the calm re
ply of the journalist. There hav
been nothing but japanese victories 1
this war
THAT is false" shouted the viceroy
You know II Is false. Our armie
may have had small reverses now an
then, but nothing more. You peopl
Inn " ofa 81 To