CAPTURE OF PORT ARTHUR

1894

On November 20 and 21, the Japanese army and navy made a combined attack on Port Arthur. The land forces effected a lodgment in the rear, while the Japanese ships shelled the forts from the sea. Late in the afternoon of the

second day, under cover of a squall, ten Japanese torpedo boats, supported by two fast cruisers, dashed into the harbor. With their machine-guns they opened on the unprotected Chinese soldiery, whose works faced landward. Thanks to this audacious attack, executed in spite of Chinese mines in the harbor entrance, Port Arthur within a half hour was in the hands of the Japanese. By this they obtained an excellent naval base, with docks and workshops in the enemy's country. On the 24th the Japanese Government intimated its willing ness to receive peace proposals from China through the United States Ministers in Tokio and Pekin. Nevertheless on December 20 an obstinate engagement between the Chinese and the Japanese was fought at Kungwasai on the road to Mukden. The Japanese forced back the Chinese with heavy losses.

At the close of the year the Chinese Government appointed peace commissioners to treat with Japan. They left Tien-tsin on the last day of the year.

EVENTS OF 1895

Nogi Captures Kai-phing and Bombards Teng-chow-Japanese Invest Weihai-Wei-Their Torpedo Boats Sink One Chinese Battleship_in Wei-hai-Wei Harbor and Disable Three-Their Cruisers Sink Escaping Chinese Torpedo Fleet-They Capture Land Batteries and Sink Chinese Battleship "Ching Yuen"-Chinese Admiral Ting Sur renders and Kills Himself-Nodzu Captures Niu-chwang and Yingkow-Japanese Rout Chinese at Denshodai-Li Hung Chang, Suing for Peace in Japan, is Wounded by Japanese Assassin-Treaty of Shimonoseki Gives Japan Liao-Tung Peninsula, Formosa, and Pescadores Islands, Indemnity, etc.-Powers Force Japan to Restore Liao-Tung- President Casimir-Périer Resigns Owing to Secret Scandal of Dreyfus's Conviction-Faure is Elected to Succeed Him -Duchesne Beats Malagasy in Several Conflicts and Captures Tananarivo, Their Capital-Italian General Baratieri Defeats Abyssinian Ras Mangassia-King Menelek Annihilates One of His Detachments-Nicholas II Announces Autocratic Policy-Police Murderously Assault Student Petitioners of the Czar-Sienkiewicz Publishes Master Novel-Powers Demand that the Porte Protect Armenians-Sultan Evades Demand-Massacres of Armenians in Antioch, Constantinople, Trebizond, and Zeitun-Massacre of Druses in Lebanon-Insurgent Victories in Santiago de Cuba-Cuban Republic is Proclaimed-Campos, Spanish Commander, Defeats Gomez Near Matanzas-Native_Royalists in Hawaii Attempt to Restore Liliuokalani-They are Dispersed-She is Convicted of Treason, but Pardoned-Gresham, Secretary of State, Dies and is Succeeded by Olney -Olney Protests against Great Britain's Contemplated Settlement of Boundary Dispute with Venezuela without Arbitration, Advancing Monroe Doctrine as Reason for His Interference-Premier Salisbury Repudiates American Interference and Monroe DoctrinePresident Cleveland Sends Message to Congress Declaring it the Duty of the United States to Settle for Itself the Right of Venezuelan Boundary Dispute and to Enforce This-Congress Makes Appropriation for the Investigation-Salisbury Agrees to Arbitrate the Dispute Belgium Annexes Congo_State Hamburg-Kiel Canal is Opened-British Suppress Swati Rebels in Chitral on Indian Frontier-Pamir Delimitation Commission Fixes Boundary Be tween Russian and British Asian Territory-British Expedition is Sent to Suppress Incalcitrant King of Ashantee-Deaths of Huxley and Pasteur, Scientists-Roentgen Discovers X-Ray-Cape Colony Annexes Bechuanaland-Outlanders in Transvaal Demand Civic Rights-Dr. Jameson Collects Volunteer Force of British Annexationists on Frontier-He Descends on Mafeking.

N January 10 the first division of the Japanese army under General Nogi attacked Kai-phing. After hard

fighting the Japanese occupied the place, having brought their guns through deep snow. The Japanese bombarded Teng-chow and subsequently silenced the fortress. A force of 25,000 men was also landed at Yung-cheng, by

BATTLE OF WEI-HAI--WEI HARBOR

1895

which the Chinese arsenal of Wei-hai-Wei was isolated. On the 30th, after two days' fighting, all the land forts of Weihai-Wei, the second most important Chinese arsenal in the north, were captured by the Japanese. The Chinese loss was estimated at about 2,000 men. The Japanese, having completed the capture by Feburary 1, made themselves masters of the island fortress of Len-Kung-Tan, and thus closed to the Chinese fleet all chance of escape. In the meantime, on January 30, the Chinese peace envoys had arrived at Kobé. The populace greeted them with hostile demonstrations.

The

On the night of February 5 the Japanese torpedo boat flotilla dashed into the harbor of Wei-hai-Wei and got in among the Chinese fleet. Seven torpedoes were discharged at close range. The "Lai Yuen" was hit and capsized. The Chinese crew were imprisoned alive in her iron hold, and were heard knocking and shrieking for days before they expired. The "Ting Yuen," though hit, saved herself from immediate disaster by closing her water-tight doors. "Wei Yuen" and "Ching Yuen" were likewise disabled This reduced the Chinese fleet in Wei-hai-Wei to four ves sels. The Japanese had lost two torpedo boats and twelve men. Then followed several days of hot, long-range bombardment. On February 8 twelve Chinese torpedo boats made a desperate attempt to escape by the western entrance. The Japanese cruisers opened upon them as they came out, and, chasing them along the coast line, captured or sank them all. On the same day a Chinese land magazine was blown up, and the island forts, all but one, were stormed by the Japanese. On the 9th the "Ching Yuen" was sunk in the harbor by a shell from one of the ten-inch guns among the captured shore batteries. After three more days of incessant bombardment, Admiral Ting bowed his head to fate. He tendered to Admiral Ito the surrender of the remaining Chinese vessels in Wei-hai-Wei Harbor and of the Len-Kung forts, on the

XIXth Century-Vol. III-13

1895

TREATY OF SHIMONOSEKI

condition that the lives of the men and garrison should be spared. Having despatched this letter he committed suicide. Two of his fleet captains followed their admiral's example. Captain McGiffin of the "Chen Yuen" was released after brief captivity and returned to America. As the result of the injuries received in the battle of the Yalu he became mentally unsound, and ultimately he, too, blew his brains out. On March 4 the old city of Niu-chwang, one of the Chinese treaty ports, was captured after a heavy bombardment by two divisions of the Japanese army under General Nodzu. The new city of Ying-kow, to which the Chinese garrison withdrew, was carried only after eleven hours of severe street fighting. General Sung's Chinese army was scattered. The following day, after much delay, Li Hung Chang left Pekin for Japan with full powers to negotiate terms of peace. Another brilliant victory was gained by the Japanese at Denshodai on the 9th, in which 7,000 Chinese troops with thirty guns were defeated after two hours with a loss of 1,400 killed and wounded. Finally, on the 18th, Prince Komatsu, the Japanese Commander-in-Chief, was ordered to proceed to China. On the 22d the Japanese fleet opened an attack on the Pescadores Islands, between Formosa and the mainland. Two days later, Li Hung Chang, when returning from a conference with the Japanese Ministers, was fired on by a Japanese and wounded in the cheek. The Mikado thereupon ordered the Japanese plenipotentiaries to come to an unconditional armistice. On April 15, at Shimonoseki, the terms of peace were finally settled. China ceded the Liao-Tung Peninsula, Formosa, and the Pescadores Islands, agreed to pay an indemnity of 33,000,000 pounds sterling, and made other important concessions of suzerainty and freedom of inland trade. The Japanese Government, however, intimated its willingness a few days later, in view of a joint protest of Russia, France, and Germany, to renounce the

FRENCH TAKE TANANARIVO

1895

definite annexation of the Liao-Tung Peninsula, including Port Arthur. Japan had to content herself with a temporary occupation of Wei-hai-Wei, and the annexation of the still unsubdued island of Formosa, whose rebellious inhabitants China had never succeeded in wholly subduing. Instead of withdrawing as commanded, the Chinese Viceroy of Formosa proclaimed the island an independent republic. Japan immediately prepared an expedition to subdue him.

In France public opinion was deeply stirred by CasimirPérier's resignation as President of France in consequence of secret revelations in connection with Captain Dreyfus's condemnation and deportation to Cayenne. On the 17th of January, at the Congress of the two Chambers held at Versailles, François Felix Faure was elected President of the French Republic.

In August, the French invaded Madagascar. The fortified town of Andebra was captured by General Duchesne. Soon the French troops gained a victory over the Malagasy at Tsinainondry. A French flying column under General Duchesne, having scaled the pass over the Ambolimana Mountains, dispersed the Hovas. On September 30th, Tananarivo, the Hova capital of Madagascar, after some sharp conflicts, surrendered to General Duchesne. The French troops advancing from Tamatave succeeded in capturing the Hova forts at Farafatra.

In Abyssinia the Italians under General Baratieri, after some severe fighting early in the year, inflicted a defeat on Ras Mangassia, the Abyssinian chief, and his allies the Dervishes. In October Baratieri gained another important victory over the rear-guard of Ras Mangassia's forces near Autalo. In December, however, the army of King Menelek of Abyssinia, numbering 20,000 Shoans, made a sudden advance and attacked an Italian detachment of about 2,200 men, chiefly native troops, of whom only 300 escaped. A stormy