Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-01-26
THE STAKES OF PEACE

locks, 1llclHGIllS CRY uOckS, dllu erected
4 ring Of II forts along the ridges sur
rounding the bay Three Of these forts
were especially strong and they played
i part i'll the siege. They are on the
hills, directly back Of Tsingtall, aud III
front Of them is a barbed Wire cntangle-
mcnt and 4 l0-toot wall, whitewashed
50 that anyone trying to take the forts
might be the more easily seen. III addi-
lion the Germans had bomb-proof shell
tcrs and trenches. all Of which were
taken III the japanese when they cap
tured the port.
The German Improvements We're Of
tho most lasting character. They spent
T7,0000Oo III dredging the harbor and
bay. The piers are Of granite. They
have a floating dock, capable Of lifting
10000 toms. and modern craving dock.
which can accommodate the largest
merchant ships and men-of-war afIoat.
Within 10 years the Germans have
spent more than $50, 100000 on the har=
Dor alone and it il safe to say that their
expenditures on the town Of Tsingtaa
and the railroads which they have built
into the interior have cost more than
500, 100000.
The town OF Tsingtau is one ct the
finest foreign settlements Of the TAR
east 1t lies right on the end OF the
peninsula. at the entrance to the bay. it,
red-roofcd houses climbing the slopes Of
the hills with the Notifications behind
The seashore is bordered ~ a massive
wall and along the top OF this is a drive
way which forms the chief promenade
and driving place in the evening. Fac
inc this drive IL the Hotel Prince Henry
and some Of the chief business build
ings.
Tsingtau has boulevards and well or
dercd streets 1t has sewers and water
works, electric lights and the best Of
sanitary conditions Its houses arc OF
German architecture, each foreign
dwelling having a bic front yard. with
beds Of tulips. four 0 clocks and other
beautiful flowers. There is Il three-stonv
postoffice building, million-dollaa
clubhouse. Il stone bank building, when
was owned by the German Asiatic com
panN. and Il substantial railroad depot,
as we'll as stone barracks for the Ger
man garrison. which, with its officers,
has been everywhere IN evidence At
the time Of the siege the Germans We're
less than 5000 III number, whereas the
Japanese had $4,000 soldiers. Never
theless, the forts held ont for six weeks
after the blockade was declared. and
for morethan 4 week after the japanese
had begun to lombard them with their
big guns, 14O III number. The lombard
ment began Oct. y, 1911. and il was not
until NoY. Z that the garrison =capit1l-
lated
In the siege the Germans did credit
to their military reputation. When the
imperial japanese government sent It's
demand that the fort be given up the
governor Of kianchan, Captain Never
Waldccl1, replied: IF the enemy wants
'Tsingt;lu II must come and take it. s.
This was Aug. -, 1911 The japanese
did hot wait long q accept the chat
lenge. Twelve days later the second
squadron Of their fleet was IN front Of
the harbor and the blockade began. The
port was bombarded by the ships and
the forts on shore responded. LII the
meantime tile three German gulboats,
the Emden, the Schalnhorst and the
Genelsrnat. had left the town TO its own
resources, the Emden starting ont on
that remarkable cruise during which
she DESTROYED more than S5,OOO.Oo0
Il, "a. l. Il