El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-25

iiiii
dition the Germans had bomb proof
sEelters and trenches, all OF which
were taken by the japanese when
2 they captured the port
Spend S3O.OOO,O0O.
] The German improvements were OF
the most lasting character. They
spent 100000 in dredging the har-
+ Dor and bay. The piers are Of granite.
The have a floating dock. capable OF
lifting $4,000 tons. and a modern
I craving dock. which can accommodate
( the largest merchant ships and men
{ Of war afloaL
Within 10 years, the Germans have
spent more than S50,000,0O0 on the
har5or alone, and it is safe to say
that their expenditures on the town
. Of Tsingtau and the railroads which
they have built into the interior have
+ cost more than S1Oo,0OO.000-
A Beautiful City.
The town Of Tsingtau is one OF the
finest foreign settlements Of the far
east 1t lies right on the end OF the
peninsula, at che entrance to the bay,
its red rooted houses climbing the
slopes OF the hills, with the fortifica-
lions behind. The seashore is bordered
by a massive wall and along the
top Of this is . driveway which forms
the chief promenade and driving place
in the evening. Facing this drive, IS
the hotel Prince Henry and some Of
the chief business buildings
Tsingtau has boulevards and well
ordered streets It has sewers and
waterworks. electric lights and the
best Of sanitary conditions It's houses
are Of German architecture, each for
eign dwelling having a big front
yard, with beds Of tulips. four o'clockS
and other beautiful flowers There IS
d three story post office building
million dollar club house, q stone
bank building, which was owned by
the German Asiatic company, and a
substantial railroad depot as wen as
stone barracks for the German gar
rison. which. ? it'll its officers has been
everywhere in evidence.
Made Good Defence.
At the time Of the siege the Ger
mans were less than 5000 in number,
whereas the JaaDnese had o. 900 SOL
diers Nevertheless. the forts held
out for six weeks after the blockade
was declared, and for more than q
week after the Japanese had begun
to lombard them with their big guns,
40 in number. The bombardment
not until November Z that the gar
rison capitulated-
Defied the japanese.
In the siege the Germans did credit
to their military reputation When
the imperial Japanese government
sent its demand that the fort be
given up the governor Of Kiauchau,
Capt. Meyer Waldeck. replied. If
the enemy wants Tsingtau, It must
come and take it" This was August
IS. 1914. The japanese did not wait
long to accept the challenge. Twelve
days later the second squadron Of
their feet was sent in front Of the
harbOr and the blockade began The
port was bomoarded by the ships and
the forts on shore responded
ships Depart.
In the meantime the three German
gunboats, the Emdens the Scharnhorst
and the Geneisenau, had left the |
town TO its own resources. the Emden /
starting out on that remarkable /
cruise during which she. destroyed Z
shipping in the Bay Of Bengal. bonn /
harded Madras. and disguised by a /
dummy extra funnel and flying the !
japanese flag crept into Panang and
sank a Russian cruiser and French /
torpedo boat destroyer. She kept
alive until the 10th OF November !
when she fell in with one OF the
Australian cruisers of the Cocos !
Islands and was driven ashore and I
burned
Japs BOmbard.
The japanese made things mighty |
uncomfortable for Kiauchau. They /
had aeroplanes and hydroplanes, with |
which they dropped bombs on the
fort and city trying 10 hit the am
munition depots. the signal station, ]
the electric light plants and the 4
Kerosene oil tanks IN opposition to Z
this the Germans had only two bal /
looms and one little taube- The Jap
anese filled one Of the balloons with !
shrapneI holes. and the other was lost
by a strong wind, which carried il out /
over the Yellow sea The taube left
the port the day before the surrender
and flew TO the Chinese city Of Hal (
chaw, $50 miles away, where II was
informed. its aviator making his way
TO the United States.
After the siege was over the Jap
anese took possession Of the port and /
the country surrounding. Since then /
many civilian Jpanese have arrived, /
and the trade has been largely cap
tured By japan. Last year II had IS /
per cent Of the imports and s. per
cent Of the exports There are said to .
be about 10000 japanese now living
and doing business in Tsingtau. New
ertheless, the japanese government
ALLEGES that 81 fg willing n -fr-a hack