The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28
KOREAN CAMPAIGN IN N CHlNA-JAPAN WAR

Tn the war between China and Japan hostllities opened on July 25. 1894. with the sinking of the Chinese transport by the Maniwa Kan. a Japanese cruiser off the Island of Phungdo, near Chemulpo.
 That same day force of 5000 Japanese troops set out from Seoul to attack the Chinese intrenched position at Asan. The distance was sixty-seven miles. On the 30th Asan was captured, and on August the conquerors re-entered Seoul. Three days later the van of a column destined to drive the Chinese from their strong hold at Ping Yang. 140 miles distant marched out of Seoul
 Corea was wholly without railways and almost without roads. It is broken every where by mountains and intersected by streams. the passage of which presents great obstacles to an army. The Japanese force, some 1b.000 strong. found that It's Eayerag ge daily rate of progress northward did not exceed six miles.
 This being the rate of advance. the van had been pushed some ninety miles from Seoul when it was decided that a change of military plan must be made The Chi- nese. assembling in great force at Ping Yang threatened Gensan on the opposite coast At Gensan there is an fmportant Japanese colony. and from Gensan a trunk road leads southward to Seoul. | A force of ten thousand men was ac- cordingiy transported thither by sea, with instructions to move westward against Plng-Yang, synchronizing It's advance and attack with those of the army from Seoul
 The dispositions made by the Chinese for the defence of Ping Yang were of a much more skilful character than those at Asan. livery commanding situation outside the walls of the town was strongly intrenched and batteries were placed wherever guns could be used with effect.
 | Tbese positions were stormed one after another. by the various Japanese columns and at two P. M. on September 15 the Chinese on every face had been driven with heavy loss into the city. The best stand seems to have been made bx inc ltroons under General Yeh. to whom vss lintr,isted the duty of guarding the south- ern iron.
 Al no other point. however. did the Japanese experience any serious rebun.
 Next comes the great naval battle of the Yalu River In which Japan's fleet of cruisers vanquished the ponderous from cIada of the Celestial Empire. The whole world was forced to applaud
 Janan's northward march into Man. lcb,.r,a now continued. Town after town fell into It's hands, until at last the many s,IacessIye victories were crowned by the oant,,re of Port Arthur.
 Her. for the first time in history a navy and army acted in perfect consort and worked together with the precision and regularity of clockwork Japan also nroved the inestimable service that could 1 be obtained from her swift little torpedo boats. These little vessels danced in and but. right under the gaping mouths of the huge cannon of the Chinese forts, and did untold damage to the enemy. Port Arthur fell and the event was scarcely realized by the world before Japan had taken pos session of the forts and docks. drawn up some of her ships for repair. and was apuarently as much at home in this late stronghold of China as though 1t had beeni her home for years.
 | The Yellow Sea was now practically ruled by Japan. with the exception of one important point. the great fortified naval station of Wei-Hai-Wei.
 After some daring torpedo boat work the place was invested by land and sea and shortly surrendered.
 The victorious Japanese proceeded to invade China proper at Niu-Chwang and along the line to Shanhai-Kwan.
 Pussia intervened. however. and, Joined lbv Germany and France. halted the vic- torious iegions of the Mikado at a time when nothing stood between them and | Pekin.
 Negotiations for peace were carried on st shimonoseki. and the attack of a Ianenese fanatic on the venerable Chinese | statesman u Hung Chang. aroused sym natby which helped to modify Japan's de- nands All that the Japanese received was a money indemnity.
 A large portion of that indemnity vas expended for the great ships which now thunder at the sea gates of Port Arthur.