The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-03
BRAVERY COST HIN A TOE. .ALLES WERE 70 BLAME
CHINESE ATTACKED THEM ONLY
AFTER TAKU FELL.
New York Sun Correspondent Says that
Situation In China Will Resolve Itself
Into Politics.

o. X. Davis who has been in charge
OF the New York Suns Chinese bureau
was a passenger on the America Maru,
en- route for home. He has been on ac-
tive field duty for over two years hav-
| ing gone out to Manila with General
Merritt on one of the early expeditions
to the Philippines. Davis was in Mani
Ia al the outbreak of the Boxer troubles
and was ordered to hurry to Tien Tsln
b. the Sun in order to be on the ground.
He arrived few days before the Chi
nese commenced the attack upon the
foreign settlement. In addition to SER
wing the Sun, Mr.. Davis also contribu-
ted signed articles to Harper's Weekly,
the latest issue of that journal con-
taining an article from him concerning
the fighting at Tien Tsin.
THE Chinese showed" he said, that
they are good fighters. They not only
fought well but they shot we'll and their
artillery was in fact fully as well SER
we'd as ours and they had moreover
better equipment than any of the forces
which were sent against them. l reach
ed Tien Tsin Immediately after Admiral
Seymour started on his relief expedition
While that expedition was not success
full it was the wisest and the only
course which he could have taken. The
only thing the powers could do was to
try and reach Peking and relieve the
Ministers as soon as possible. The ex-
pedition was handicapped by lack of
proper transportation facilities. The
railroad had been destroyed beyond
hope of repair and the Admiral had had
no time in which to arrange land trans
portation, a task with which sailors are
not familiar.
"As matter of fact Seymour encoun-
tered practically no opposition and the
Chinese did not attempt to attack US
u.sv he ,fY.nI nIc
fired upon the Taku forts. That was an
overt act of war against the Chinese
government and as soon as the fort was
taken the government then took hand
in the fighting against the foreigners.
The opposition to Seymour did not de-
velop until the day following the cap
ture of the forts. Admiral Kempf, the
commander of the American naval for
ces refused to participate in this at
tack and events have justified his ac-
ton.
"Of all the troops engaged, the great
est credit belongs to the Japanese. They
conducted themselves in splendid fash
ion throughout and it Is largely through
their efforts that Tien Tsin was captur-
er The Commander in chief of the
JasAnese forces evidently was in pos
session of special Information concern
ing the Chinese forces and the general
situation at Tien Tsin for he never dis
paired of capturing the place and driv-
ing out the Chinese and capturing the
place. Shortly before the town was
taken he said to me that the Chinese
could fight all day against an enemy
and feel highly encouraged if they re-
pulsed him but If that enemy kept COM
| ing back at him at night the Chinese
would get discouraged and ask what
was the use of fighting against man
who would fight him day and night too.
| 1t was not by a succession of sharp at
tacks that the Chinese could be defeat
ed" said the general, "but by hard
blows all of the time. The looting which
followed the capture of Tien Tsin and
Peking as well. was done to finish.
The places were simply sacked for days
| at a time.
Shortly before 1 left the Philippines,
| General Macarthur assured me that he
was well satisfied with the situation in
| the islands but l noticed that when the
| proposition to send troops from his
| command to China was suggested he
Immediately opposed it and said that he
| could not spare them. l think that he
was right for he needs all of the men
| that he has. AS matter of fact those
| islands are not under our control at all
for you do not dare to poke your nose
outside of our lines without military
| escort. The insurrection is not con-
cipated in heartily by every other tribe
throughout the group. They want Their
independence. L have very strong per-
sonal views on This subject but l am not
at liberty to state them Months age
our troops captured one of the latest
issues of the Filipino paper and in this
was a sort of proclamation written in
the most flowery language of the Span
ish, calling Bryan the friend of the Fill
pinos For while Bryan was of the
same Anglo-SaXon breed which was
trying to enslaVe the Filipinos he was
on account of his greatness of soul anC
nobleness of purpose Filipino and ht
was laboring to aid the poor Filipino II
his struggle for deliverance and inde'
pendence. This talk of there having
been any alliance made with Aguinald'
is all bosh. There never was any suct
assurance given him by Dewey and al
a matter of fact 1t is now known tina
the Filipino Junta of which Aguinald'
was president discussed in Hong Konl
the possibility, remote at that time o
course, of having to fight against th'
Americans. These Filipinos are al
against American rule and so long al
they can make arrows and get rifle!
, they viii continue to fight against US.
= LAS to Hobson's statements regard
Z ing the sinking of the Spanish ships ii
: Manila Bay let me say that there il
nothing new in what he says. Their
never was any claim made that ou
ships sunk those vessels, the Isla d'
Cuba, the Isla de Luzon and the Dol
: Juan. They were sunk by the Spanisl
sailors to prevent their falling int
: Dewey's hands. Hobson had nothing I
do with the raising those ships, for Ma
val Constructor Copp had them raise
and ready to go to Hong Kong befor
, Hobson reached Manila. / photogra
. phed all of them and counted the shot
and with the exception of the Isla d
Cuba none had received any knockou
blows from our shells / have talke
with naval men on the subject and the
say that the only nervy thing whic
Dewey did was in going into Manil
Bay in the face of Notifications whic
: he had good reason for believing wer
very powerful, heavily mounted wit
very heavy guns and in addition tn
harbor was reported as being heavil
| mined. Once inside the destruction
the Spanish feet was easy"
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