The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-18

there was absolutely no cover most .
of the comment upon the fighting
would have centered around the
dauntless bravery Of these republican
idealists. Their behavior is worthy
of any army in the world when it
comes to the personal bravery Of each
fighting unit.
Revolutionlsts Hopeless.
Their enthusiasm, even when they
realise that they are struggling for a
cause almost as it seems now lost to
them, is all the more remarkable when
we remember that such public spirit
is a quality in the Chinese nature we
have never given him the least credit
for. Their lot will probably not be
to them bewilderingly happy, but they
deserve to have the honor of laying
down nobly their lives for the good of
their country. But despite all this, l
think it is now generally admitted To-
cally by all who are closely watching
the fighting, no matter how enthu-
siastic they may be for the cause of
the republicans, that those who pass
judgment are almost unanimous in
declaring that the revolutionists, as
they stand have not the ghost of a
chance to conquer the men from the
North. Today has been one long
ticking-Off of deadly encounters at
close quarters between the two arm
les, marked throughout with doings
among both loyalist and revolutionary
troops that would make any European
general proud of his men were their
behavior half so good.
( Hundreds have lost their lives to-
day, and because of the fact that the
exits from the battlefield to the hos
pitfalls are in the direct line of fire,
making it impossible for the men to
| be carried in, there are probably hun
dreds more lying helpless and in
agony in the spot where they were
shot during those encounters. And
so again l have to repeat that, al
though the loyalists have not forged
much farther ahead than they were
yesterday, and have done little to-
wards the taking of the city, the net
result of the days doings is a weak
ening of the revolutionary forces in
their esprit de corps-and with that
there probably comes the beginning
! of the end.
The bombardment of the two cities
of Hankow and Hanyang has drawn
itself out over another day. How
long it may last no one knows. and
dares not guess
In Danger Spot.
From dawn today until we'll on after
dark, shells fell with fearful regularity
into the two cities, and the battery
on the Tortoise Hill, the great strong.
hold of the revolutionists in Hanyang,
must have suffered a good deal.
Magnificent Conflagration.
AT dusk the loyalists began to fire
all the buildings at the back of the
Sien Sing Road a mass of buildings
known to contain much ammunition
which the revolutionists had taken
from them in the first engagement.
AS | write it is still burning a mignif.
cent confiagration spreading for half a
mile along the back and lighting up in
large letters against the heavens the
grimness of war, There are also sew.
eral other fires along the back-but is
hardly worth mentioning these things,
for If the revolutionists do not sur.
render the intention of the loyalists is
to burn the whole place between the
concessions and Hanyang.
News comes in from several steam.
ers that they have been fired upon in
their movements in the river between
the Kilometer Ten point and the Con.
cessions. This seems to be one of the
most delicate points in the whole bust
ness, and one can foresee many evil
effects arising from it if the revolu.
tionists continue without any cause
to shell foreign property either on
land or on water
So far the mails have been very
regular that is so far as the running
is concerned-but there is difficulty
IN getting up by the steamers, many
OF which do not come above the dan
ger limit. Yesterday it was a pecul
lar sight to see about a dozen for
eigners in the postoffice, where Mr..
Hyland Cthe postmaster) and his
hard-worked assistants We're being
assisted in sorting four days mail.
However, things may get worse, and
one must be thankful that the mail
is there to be sorted.
The Rev, A. X. Kepler, of the
American Presbyterian Mission, who
came down from Siangtan one day
and was seriously wounded on the
confines of the battlefield the next, is
progressing favorably. The bullet,
sharp and DOinted has baan -,