THE CHINO JAPANESE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 290, 5 December 1894, Page 8

THE CHINO JAPANESE WAR.

The ««New York Herald " publishes the following from Shanghai, under date November 13th:—After fruitless eftorta on the parb.of China, ' tjo .induce England, France and tho United Sbates, Russia and Germany to intervene, Prince Kung, recently appointed President of the Foreign Office and of tho Admiralty, exclaimed : " Then China is losb." ■ Major Yon Hanneken, who formerly was chief advisor of Li Hung Chang, and who was recently summoned to Peking, has counseled peace ab any price. He has left Peking. Tbe flight from Peking is increasing every day. Hundreds of ladies of the Imperial harem, Ministers of State, and wealthy poople havo already lefb tbe capital. Tho Ministers of the foreign powers, dreading anarchy when the populace learns the true condition of affairs, are leaving Peking, and will tako up their residence in Shanghai. It is believed thab secret orders have been given to the Chinese commanders, both naval and military, to cease opposing the advance of the Japanese, whoso proclamations appear bo be conciliating the people as far wesb as Shan Hai Kuan. The British fleeb will occupy the Island of Chusan as a basis of operations against all comers. English troops will probably occupy Shanghai. The Chinese people aro demanding tbe overbhrow of the corrupb mandarin dynasby, and aro in favour of any power bold enough to seize tbe opportunity.

FALL OF PORT AETHtJR,

The London "Times" published on tho morning of November 13tb a despatch from Chefoo, saying! thab bwo military generals had deserted Port Arthur, bub that several generals are yob there, General Chang in command. A subsequnnb despatch from Shanghai, dated November 12th, says bhab bhe Japanese captured Port Arthur on tho lltb, after a feeble resistance by the Chinese. The Porb was bombarded previous bo surrondor. . The Chinese laid down bheir arms, and yielded themselves prisoners of war. The Chinese commanding officers abandoned the place on the night of tho 6th November. It was reported thab the representative of foreign powers would start for Peking ab once. Tho Japaneee Legabion people ab Washington, D.C., say that if Porb Arbhur has fallen ib will be bho mosb disastrous blow China has yob received. The placo had been • pronounced impregnable by na-val experts of - Germany;- Li Hung Chang had builb thero modern gun factories, which rivalled those of the Krupps. Ib is somewhat similar to bhe United States navy yards, Brooklyn and Norfolk, only throe times greater. Moreovor, Li Hung Chung had centred there the pick-of tho Chinose army. It is pointed oub thab bhe capture, if effected, is mainly importanb in giving the Japanese a fortification inside China, from which they cannob hereafter be dislodged. The Japanese soldiers will, undoubtedly, make the place a base of operations,' and iti will also afford protected shelter for .the Japanese floeb. Tho gun factories, which have been the chief reliance of Li Hung Chang, would henceforth be ab bhe service of Japan.

WHAT THE JAPS DEMAND,

The *' London Telegraph " of November 7bh says Japan will demand as terms in peace bho cession bo her of bho Island of Formosa and the payment to her of an indemnity of £30,000,000 or £40,000,000. Another journal says Japan wili demand the payment of an indemnity of £100,000,000 gold sterling,with which to establish a gold standard. ATho progressive papers, however, demand thab Japan shall tnsisb bhab China yield all her war-ships, arms, ammunition and the vessels of the China Merchant Steamship Company. They also demand thab Japan shall take possession of Shanghai and -its Customs revenue. Ib seems to be Japan's iabention to strip and cripple China.