A Carious Proclamation.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8227, 7 June 1895, Page 3

A Carious Proclamation.

Reuter’s Agency (says the London Times in reference to the Ohino-Japanese war) observes that the statement that the Hunan troops of Wu Ta Cheng fled at the first encounter with the Japanese at Ninchang gives especial point to a proclamation issued by the redoubtable

General to the Japanese troops, when the latter were not within striking distance. The proclamation was as follows : —Special proclamation of Wu, Assistant Imperial Commissioner of Defence, an officer of the Premier Button, President of the Board of War, Vice-president of the Board of Cenors, and Governor of Hunan. Having perfected over fifty battalions of Hunan troops at Shan hai-kuan for the last three months, and given my men thorough drills and armed them with magazine rifles, I am now ready to proceed forth upon my way to meet the enemy, and it is certain that within two months decisive battles will be fought. But how can you Japanese, exhausted by disease and cold, stand up against my fresh troops. You Japanese have young wives and children at home who are weeping and longing for your safe return ; you are but the tools of Otari ; you have been forced by conscription to make your bodies receptacles for bullets. When you are victorious your generals get all the praise and honour ; if you get defeated, they escape, while you common soldiers suffer. l am, however, also of a charitable state of mind; and I cannot bear to see you going to destruction before my fresh battalions in this severe cold through no fault of your own. Hence I hereby give you Japanese soldiers notice if you should be defeated and have no place to run away to, wherever you should see my signal boards bearing the words “ Surrender and avoid death,” you may at once present yourselves to the officers in charge, who are also delegated to the duty on account of their reputation for charity and justice. You must then throw down your arms and prostrate yourselves before the signal. You wil 1 then be received into our encampments and given two meals a day, and exactly the same treatment as our own people. You will not be put to hard labour, and when peace is restored you will be sent back in steamers to your homes to meet your wives and sons once more. I swear before Heaven, earth, and the gods that I will not go back on these words, for by so doing I should be injuring my own future life. But if you will not harken to my words let us try conclusions with your best troops. Victory will rest with the best men in these battles. My experience of military matters for the past fifteen years makes me confident in the quality and ability of my troops.