The War Between Japan and China.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 135, 4 December 1894, Page 2

The War Between Japan and China.

ENGLISH NAVAL DEMONSTRATION. THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR. ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY THE JAPANESE. (Per Press Association). London, December 8 It is reported that Great Britain, resenting her exclusion from the peace negotiations by the Chinese, has decided on making a naval demonstration off Chusan. A Times reporter, who was an eyewitness of the Port Arthur engagement, states in his report that the Chinese used explosive bullets. The Japanese, he asserts, pillaged the town, killing everyone they could lay their hands on in revenge for the Chinese burning the Japanese prisoners alive. They also mutilated and disembowelled scores of victims. The Chinese prisoners are reported, on returning to Hiroshima, to have informed the Japanese Minister of War, who was apparently astounded, and vigorously deprecated the cruelty practised. A further Chinese loan of £1,200,000, at 4 i per cent., is shortly to be placed on the English market. Many foreigners are, it is alleged, taking part in the preparations for the defence of Weihaiwei. Tokio, December 3. The Japanese Government has returned a favorable answer to the Chinese proposals for peace, but requires further assurances that the Government will be able to fulfil its offer. Meanwhile the fighting will not cease. Washington, December 3. Japan and China continue to negotiate through the American Government for a basis of peace. It is possible an armistice will be concluded at an early date

The war correspondent of the Mainich in Corea writes that after the capture of Ping Yaog on the morning of the 16th September he visited the battle-field at Senkyori, where the coloumn of Oshima experienced disaster, and where the fighting was furious. He saw the bodies of a number of horses in the wood where every tree bore shot marks. There were many remains of Japanese soldiers around the entrenchments. He counted over 70 of these bodies. All of them were without heads and the right arm, so that it was impossible to indentify whose bodies they were. The sight was horrible beyond description. The cause of such cruel action on the part of the Chinese is said to be that the Chinese General offered a reward tor the heads of Japanese. The large cargo steamer Port Hunter of the Anglo Australian line, which cleared the Customs at Sydney the other day for London, with one third of her proposed cargo of 12,000 bales of wool, it being intended to take in the balance at Melbourne and Adelaide, was suddenly taken off. A cable message was received by the local agents, Gibbs, Bright and Co., requesting them to discharge the whole of her cargo at once, and make arrangements for it to be transhipped to the steamer Southern Cross. The owners have not yet given any reason for this withdrawal, but it is believed that the vessel has been sold to Japan, the steamer Port Albert haying recently gone in that direction. Shippers are very much annoyed at this delay and it was intended that the wool should reach London in time for the January sales.