1894 BATTLE OF PING--YANG Japanese land forces attacked Asan, and captured it with heavy loss to its Chinese defenders. As soon as the news of these events reached Japan the Mikado made a formal declaration of war. A clear statement of the causes of this war was given in the Japanese declaration of war published at Tokio in the form of an imperial rescript: "Korea is an independent country, which was first induced by Japan to open its doors to foreign intercourse, and to take its place among the nations of the world. Yet China has always described it as her tributary, and has both openly and secretly interfered with its internal affairs,” etc. At the time of the first naval action a fleet of heavy Chinese ironclads were at sea under Admiral Ting Ju Chang, an ex-cavalry officer, appointed to the command of the northern squadron. Li Hung Chang issued an order limiting the operations of the squadron to the east of a line drawn from Wei-hai-Wei to the mouth of the Yalu. The Japanese in some way got wind of this order which all but crippled the Chinese fleet. For some time the Chinese lay inactive at Wei-hai-Wei, leaving the Japanese in undisputed possession of the sea. The Japanese improved the interval to convey as large a force as possible to Korea. On September 15 the Japanese attacked the Chinese position at Ping-Yang, defended by 20,000 Chinese soldiers. After a long frontal engage ment in which neither side gained material advantage, the Japanese outflanked their enemy, and the Chinese were completely routed. Only one-fifth of their army could be rallied. The defeat of the Chinese land forces at Ping-Yang forced the Chinese to make use of their navy. Admiral Ting was ordered to convoy five transports with 5,000 Chinese. On September 14 Ito, with the most powerful ironclads of his two first squadrons, steamed toward the mouth of the Yalu. He did not expect to meet the Chinese fleet, and had therefore NAVAL BATTLE OF THE YALU 1894 left his torpedo boats behind. The two fleets sighted each other's smoke after half past nine in the morning. It was the first time that two large fleets of modern ironclads, equipped with high-power heavy guns, torpedoes, and quick-firers were to try issue. The Chinese had the heavier ships while the Japanese had the swifter cruisers. The Chinese were benefited by the professional advice of a number of Europeans. The Japanese had no foreign officers. Admiral Ito's orders were to circle around the Chinese flanks and crush the weak ships by a concentrated fire. To deliver their attack the Japanese steamed along the Chinese front. The "Ting Yuen" opened fire with her twelve-inch guns at a range of 6,000 yards. The concussion was so great that those on the bridge were knocked down and Admiral Ting had to be taken below. At a range of 3,000 yards the Japanese opened their broadsides, firing three or four times as fast as the Chinese and far more accurately. While the Japanese main squadron sped by the Chinese front the leading ships outstripped the slower Japanese vessels. As a result the Chinese were taken between two fires, since their own indented front prevented several of the vessels from bringing their guns to bear, and made them mask one another's fire. The brunt of the Chinese fire fell on the slow Japanese vessels at the end of their line. The heaviest loss in the Japanese fleet fell on the flagship "Matsushima.” She lost ninety officers and men in killed and wounded. Admiral Ito transferred his flag to the "Hashidate." The burning "Matsushima" had to steam out of action. The first Chinese ship to give way was the unfortunate "Yang Wei," which ran out of the thick of the fight ablaze. The battleship "Chih Yuen" while attempting to ram the "Yoshino" was smothered by quick-firers, and went to the bottom. Next, the Chinese "Tsi Yuen," commanded by the wretched Fong, fled out of the fight, and, coming in collision 1894 JAPANESE CROSS THE YALU with the burning "Yang Wei," sent her own sister ship to the bottom. The "Kwang Kei" also retired, while the "Ching Yuen" and "Lai Yuen" were soon ablaze. The whole Japanese flying squadron concentrated their fire on the "King Yuen." With a fearful explosion she went to the bottom. This left only the "Chen Yuen" and the "Ting Yuen" in the Chinese line of battle. Both of them were repeatedly on fire. While the Japanese flying squadron chased the other Chinese ships, the main squadron wheeled and concentrated its fire upon these two Chinese ironclads. They held out until the bitter end. At nightfall they collected about them the burning "Lai Yuen," "Ching Yuen," "Ping Yuen," two gunboats and two torpedo boats, and retired toward Wei-hai-Wei with the honors of war. Fong, with his almost uninjured runaway ship, had arrived there hours before. The subsequent abandonment of the sea by the Chinese navy revealed the magnitude of China's catastrophe. While the Chinese fleet withdrew tc Port Arthur, and later to Wei-hai-Wei, Admiral Ito with his ships was kept busy convoying troopships to the Chinese mainland. On Oc tober 24 a Japanese army disembarked near Port Arthur, and the attack on this stronghold was begun. On October 15 informal overtures for peace were made by China, but were rejected summarily by the Japanese Government. The Jap anese Parliament unanimously passed a war budget of 150,000,000 yen. On October 24, the Japanese, under cover of darkness, having effected a lodgment on the north bank of the Yalu, crossed the river and routed the Chinese forces. On the following day they took possession of the stronghold of Kiu-lien-cheng, which had been precipitately evacuated by the Chinese, and won the battle of Hushan. On November 3 China appealed to the Powers to intervene. Meanwhile, Kinchow and Talienwan were occupied by the Japanese, the Chinese offering little resistance. 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 Vogi Captures Kai-phing and Bombards Teng-chow-Japanese Invest Weihai-Wei-Their Torredo Boats Sink One Chinese Battleship in Wei-hai-Wei Harbor and Disable Three-Their Cruisers Sink Es caping 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 Arme nians-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 Liliuo kalani-They are Dispersed-She is Convicted of Treason, but Par doned-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 Venezu elan 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 Between 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. Ο 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 |