128 



CHINA. 



The British Government replied that it would 

 hold the Japanese Government responsible for 

 any loss of British life or property. A naval 

 court of inquiry was afterward held at Shanghai 

 under the presidency of Admiral Freemantle. 

 The British officers concluded that the Japanese 

 were justified by international law in sinking 

 the "Kow Shing," and were not liable to pay 

 compensation to the owners or to the families 

 of the British subjects whose lives were lost. 



In the beginning of August the ironclad 

 - ( 'hen Yuen ' ? engaged the Japanese cruiser " Hi 

 Yei." and the latter, by running up close, avoided 

 the shot of the heavy guns, and poured in such 

 a hail of projectiles of all sizes that the battle 

 ship was crippled before she could get sea- room 

 to use her batteries effectually. The result was 

 a drawn battle, in which both ships were serious- 

 ly damaged, and each made for port to undergo 

 repairs. 



After the first fights the Japanese vessels 

 cruised about the southern coasts of Korea in 

 order to protect the route of their own transports 

 and guard against a descent on the coast of 

 Japan. In the mean time the northern waters 

 \\vre free for the Chinese armed transports to 

 laud troops at the mouth of the Yalu river. 

 When they found that the Chinese, notwith- 

 standing their armored battle ships and heavier 

 guns, were not ready to take the sea, but re- 

 mained at anchor under the guns of the Wei 

 Hai Wei forts, the Japanese vessels collected and 

 cruised up to the Gulf of Pechili to challenge the 

 I'ei-Yang squadron to a battle. While British 

 and German merchants who had taken over 

 Chinese coasting steamers were trading in con- 

 traband, the United States consul-general took 

 away the papers of the " Smith," which had been 

 purchased by an American, when he learned that 

 she was loading munitions of war for Formosa. 

 The new British-built cruiser " Tatsuta," which 

 left the Tyne to join the Japanese fleet before 

 the declaration of war, was detained by the 

 British authorities at Aden. Another new pur- 

 chase the " Islam " was not allowed to leave 

 Great Britain. The China Sea was effectually 

 patrolled by Japanese cruisers, the number of 

 which was augmented by many merchant vessels 

 purchased, some of them in China, previous to 

 the opening of hostilities, the object of this 

 watchfulness being to prevent the rice tribute 

 from going north. The " Akitsushima" and 

 "Naniwa" patrolled the Gulf of Pechili, while 

 the Chinese squadron hugged the forts or hid in 

 the estuaries, lacking plan and purpose, as unity 

 and co-operation in the direction of both land 

 and sea forces were wanting, lacking competent 

 officers to fight the ships and skillful engineers 

 and firemen to develop their speed and enable 

 them to be properly manoeuvred. The supply 

 of good coal, too, was short, compelling the na- 

 val authorities to enjoin economy. 



At 1 o'clock on Aug. 11, under cover of the 

 darkness, the Japanese fleet, consisting of 12 

 men-of-war and <> torpedo boats, crept into the 

 harbor of Wei Hai Wei, where the Pei-Yang 

 squadron lay at anchor, and the torpedo boats 

 were sent out for the purpose of blowing up the 

 Chinese ships. They took a wrong direction at 

 first, then turned back and changed their course, 

 and were making straight for the place where 



the Chinese vessels lay side by side, when a Brit- 

 ish man-of-war anchored in the harbor flashed a 

 light on the boats and fired a salute for the 

 Japanese vessels. In an instant all the flash 

 lights of the forts were lighted, and soon all the 

 forts were in activity. An exchange of shots 

 followed, and after an hour's firing the Japanese 

 retired, no damage being done to either side. A 

 torpedo that was discharged against the return- 

 ing torpedo flotilla was sunk by one launched 

 from one of the Japanese boats. The Japanese 

 fleet had previously made a reconnoissance at 

 Wei Hai VVei on Aug. 9. After their night at- 

 tack was foiled through the unusual action of 

 the British commander in firing salutes at dead 

 of night, which, he afterward explained, was 

 done to manifest the presence of his vessel lest 

 it should be attacked, the Japanese attacked 

 Port Arthur, but retired after a few shots, not 

 caring to risk being hit by shot from the heavy 

 Armstrong guns, and having ascertained the 

 position of the guns of the fort and studied 

 angles of elevation. 



Declaration of War. On July 31 the Japa- 

 nese Government informed the foreign representa- 

 tives at Tokio that a state of war existed between 

 China and Japan. The Chinese Government re- 

 quested that the United States representatives 

 look after the interests of its subjects in Japan, 

 and the Japanese Government intrusted the pro- 

 tection of its subjects in the treaty ports of 

 China to the United States minister and consu- 

 lar representatives in China. The Chinese min- 

 isters and consuls were withdrawn from Japan 

 on Aug. 3, and the Japanese legation and con- 

 sulates in China were thereupon closed. 



On Aug. 1 the following formal declaration of 

 war was published at Tokio in the form of an 

 imperial rescript: 



We, the Emperor of the Empire of Great Japan, 

 having ascended the throne by virtue of a lineal suc- 

 cession unbroken for ages eternal, fully assured of 

 heavenly aid, do announce to all our brave and loyal 

 subjects that we hereby declare war against China. 



All our officials and officers, with a view to the car- 

 rying out of our intentions, should devote themselves 

 to warlike matters or to carrying on the war against 

 China, and in all respects strive to further the national 

 object. They are desired to leave nothing undone, 

 but, on the contrary, to use every means to this end, 

 within the limits of their respective offices and in a 

 manner not prejudicial to international law. 



Over twenty years have now elapsed since our ac- 

 cession to the throne. During this time we have 

 consistently pursued the policy of peace, being deeply 

 impressed with a sense of the undesirability of being 

 in strained relations with other nations, and have al- 

 ways directed our officials diligently to endeavor to 

 promote friendship with all the treaty powers. For- 

 tunately our intercourse with the nations has contin- 

 ued to increase in intimacy. 



Contrary to our expectations, however, every act ot 

 China toward this country in connection with the 

 atfairs of Korea has been opposed to the principles 

 that should govern the relations between friendly 

 nations, and has been a breach of good faith toward 

 Japan. 



Korea is an independent country, which was first 

 induced by Japan to open its doors to foreign inter- 

 course, 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. On the recent insurrection 

 breaking out in the peninsula, China, on the pretext 

 that she meant to protect her tributary from calamity, 



