The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-11-13
Using TAU FALLS
BEFORE ATTACK Of
BRITISH AND JAPS
CITY Is CAPITAL OF KlAO-cHOW,
GERMAN FORTIFIED POSSES
SION IN THE FAR
EAST.
CAPITULATION FOLLOWS
FALL OF MIDDLE FORT

TOXIC, Nov. St is officially an
, nounced that the German fortress of
Tsing-Tau, capital of Kiao-Chow, has
surrendered to the Japanese and Brit.
ish forces. The first step in bringing
about the surrender of the fortress &C.
Cured at midnight, when the infantry
charged and occupied the middle fort
OF the line of defense. In this opera.
ton they took 200 prisoners.
!! The Germans hoisted the white flag
in the morning at the weather observa.
ton bureau of Tsing-Tau. The quick
capitulation of the Germans was the
cause of much surprise and joy to the
men of the army and navy operating
against it and also to the people of
Toxic. The charge against the middle
fort was brilliant one. 1t was led
by General Yoshimi Yamada at the
head of companies of infantry and en-
gineers.
Picturesque Phase of War.
The fall of Tsing-Tau ends the most
picturesque of the minor phases of the
great world war now raging on two
continents and in many of the islands
of the seas, where colonies of warning
nations were planted, combats of
more or less interest have taken place,
garrisons have been captured, and
towns occupied peacefully, but in the
little German concession on the south
side of the Shan Tung peninsula of
China there has been going on since
late in August a reduced scale of war
that from all accounts has duplicated
nearly all the features of those bat.
ties in Europe that have resulted in
the capture of fortified positions.
The capture of Tsing-Tau loses to
Germany her last foot of possessions
on the Asiatic mainland as well as her
last strategic position outside of the
German empire in Europe.
For nearly three months the little
German garrison, amounting to about
1000 men, and nearly wholly com.
posed of reservists who were living
or doing business in China, has held
out against the land and sea attacks
of the Japanese and of certain Brit.
ish detachments of both white and
Indian troops that found themselves
in China at the outbreak of war. What
the losses of the garrison have been
are not known, but the official Japa-
nese and British reports have imdicat.
ed that Tsing-Tsau has been taken at
heavy cost of men on the part of the
allies.
Japs Announce Intention.
1t was on August Is that japan
threw herself into the European war
as an ally of Great Britain, after de-
manding that Germany withdraw or
inferno all German warships in Asiatic
waters and relinquish possession of
Kiao Chow. In the statement from
Toxic that accompanied this demand,
Japan asserted her intentions were
purely military and did not contem.
plate the retention of one foot of
ground on Chinese territory and later
affirmed that she did not intend to ex-
tend her holdings in the islands of
the Pacific that might fall into her
possession during the campaign.
Her demands ignored, when the ulti-
matum expired week later, Japan
proceeded cautiously with plans to
seize the German settlement on the
Chinese mainland
On the night of October IL occurred
the most serious of the Japanese naval
losses when the cruiser Takachiho
was blown up by the German torpedo
boat $50.
Japanese Lost Severely.
Fighting continued from the middle
of September intermittently until the
fall Of the fortress. During this period
both the German and the Japanese
warships and aeroplanes engaged in
the bombardment of each others po-
sitiors. On one of the most severe Of
these engagements, on October /, it
was announced that the Japanese lost
LOO killed and 800 wounded. 1t was
then reported that the Japanese would
await the arrival of siege guns before
continuing operations. At various
times German losses were reported UP
to a score Or more.