Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-18
German Forts will Fight to the
Death to Keep Chinese =
Possession.
GRAY-HAIRED MEN ARE
DRILLING FOR BATTLE
Keservists From Treaty Points Join
the Regulars to Defend
the Forts.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

10 war camp in the midst of hurried
preparations for a siege. Tsingtau. Ger.
many's port on the China coast and the
casus bellt of Japan. has been rushed
during the past month through a series
OF transitions Of startling unexpected.
ness
A month ago the hotels which ,ooL
out over the fine stretch of blue v,ter
OF kfaochow bay were full of euest.
English. French. German. American
from all parts of China, who had cow.
to enjoy the sea breezes. sea b,tbir.
motoring and the other pleasures
wnich this picturesque little German
city affords
81. aooay the houses are empty and tba
shutters closed. Over the hotels ~, sir
ferent parts of Tsingtau fioat thu P gi.
, H.oss nags and within the German
women who have volunteered to ACT ,s
nurses are making preparations to
care Tor the wounded ~
Squads of soldiers occa sion,,,,, ,.
pas, 10 some post: a Chinese rickshau
eooile trots by with German officer
VI uown the street speeds a motor car
eani.ad me corps which has been or
r. . from the automobiles which
me owners have placed at the servica
oi the military authorities
x -; nignt all lights facing the sea are
iirbfbo u,saed: Two weeks ago the
up. S were plown
Fleet Blockading Port.
outside Is a blockading fleet of Jana.
nese men of wharf.-the second sou,aro,
numbering several torpedo boat de.
slrosers' two armored and a batt,e
cruiser. steaming back and forth along
the horizon e
vas ne s announcement of the blockade
Kato ~ py the Japanese vice admiral
H 100 TO the governor of Kfaochow
Sapt. Meyer Waldeck, last week Ths
events since that announcement bare
s oeeh more picturesque than Important
ofNn as me nring upon Japanese men,
oL-war that have ventured too close 70
Tue snore batteries and the loss OF n
Japanese torpedo boat DESTROYER which
ran ashore on small island and has
Janan orohen up on the rocks. Today a
japanese hydroplane from n vessel ~
me meet flew over the city and the for
cations and dropped three bomh.
aimed at the barracks and the nrovy.
ther u missea Luckily for the defenders
.neS missed their mark The Mono
pane or the Tsingtau garrison has aiso
"een OUT on scouting expeditions.
AS yet the expeditionary forces fro,,,
Japan, as far as We are informed in
slde Tsfngtau. have NOT landed h,,t
news from them is expected any d n1.
ana by the time this account Of The
Depeasuered city reaches the United
otates Tsingtau will in all proba hill
.ty De cut on from communication with
equal struggle with the inya..n
forces of Japan
Never shall we surrender the small
EST DIT or ground over which the war
va Is nying. From this place. which
we with love and success have en-
deavored during the last seventeen
Years 70 shape into a little GERMANY
across the sea, we shall not retreat r.
the enemy wants Tsingtau he must
come and take it," ss
Will Fight to Death.
so says the governor in a proclama-
.ioh "hlch was posted in Tsingtau
august ~. the day before the expira-
.ioh OF the time set for Germany's re-
ply to the ultimatum of Japan. Such
IS also the spirit of the little garrison.
II Is not a spirit of boastfulness, for
they are fully aware of the superior
numbers of the Japanese. The example
OF Fort Arthur, a much stronger fort
ress than Tsingtau. is too fresh in
mind to doubt the outcome of this
siege. But they intend to make Japan
fight for what she gets.
AS far as preparation has been possi-
Bile. 1t has been made by the Germans
at Tsingtau. The city lies between
the sea and Kiaochow bay 1t rises
which become frowning heights be-
hind, cutting Tsingtau off from the
rest of the peninsula between bay and
sea. except in one place along the bay
shore. where the railroad enters the
city. 1t is on these heights back of
the city that the garrison will make its
strongest defense. They look down
upon narrow plain, no more than
three miles wide from sea to bay,
across which the Japanese must come
to take Tsingtau.
The three principal points of defense
are Mount Moltke. Mount Bismarck and
Mount Iltia. which command the plain.
Their slopes are rugged, weeded and
important outer line of defense will be
along the Litsun river, which flows
into Kiaochow bay, and then through
the mountains to the sea, line about
eight miles long and distant about ten
miles from the city of Tsingtau.
Preparations have been made to OPP
pose the landing of Japanese forces at
points along the coast of the leased
territory. distance of about twenty
miles. Shore batteries and mines at
the entrance of the bay will make inn
practicable a bombardment by the
fleet. except in cooperation and in
support of the land forces.
Only 1000 in the Garrison.
In food supplies and ammunition tho
garrison OF TS1ngtau is well pro-
vided. 1t is in numbers that it is weak.
For there are all told not more than
1000 men here to oppose the armies
Of Japan. The influx of reservists
from treaty ports of China. from Japan,
Siberia and from every part of the far
east has been ahead of expectations.
The crew of the Austrian cruiser
kaiserin Elizabeth, amounting to over
300 men, who had left Tsingtau over
The railroad before Austria decided to
take the part of her ally In the far cas-
as well as in Europe. are coming back
In small groups and civilian clothes.
and may all be able to return before
rsingtau in invested.
One of the most interesting sights In
with the preparations for
defense Is the drilling of squads of the
andsturm, the last reserve, consisting
Of men for the most part getting on in
years, who have left their business and
families and have come in from all
parts of China. Fat men, with gray
in their hair and beards-men who
nave grown stiff-jointed and lost their
elasticity after years at their desks
ire here sifouldering a gun and going
,ut into the trenches. Their wives.
many of them, also are proving their
oyalty by wearing the Red Cross band
IN their sleeves.
a-J- T-:a:u~ nn1ov