Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 184, 9 August 1894 — CHINA AND JAPAN. [ARTICLE]

CHINA AND JAPAN.

Whieh Would Be Victorious in the Case of & War ? Heeeui dispatches, stuting thut war is probable between China and Japan over tho Corean qnestion, renders the following extract frora the Jajian Ga:rtie, receired Saturday morniug. interesting: As to whieh of the two eombatants wouKl win if tbe worst comes to worst there is no neeil bere to discuss. Tbat the Japanese troops wouhl acquit them®elves iu a manuer wortby of the traditions of the great Hideposbi goes witboatsayiog, but Ohina is a vast conntry and war could be goiogon for years on her frontiers without people in the interior snflering any inconrenience. It is diflereut witb Japan. £ven if sbe g«ined many victories tbej woold iell nearly as severely as maoy defeats. The conntry is noi a rich one. Already tbe larmer and the bnsbandman are Uxed «Imost to the uttermo«t.

{ ■ The Hurpios in the Treasury wonld soon be awalloweU up and . ir woahi be very difiicalt to ra;se . more True sbe L«s no n&iional ( debt wortb speaking of, and a 0 lo«u in Earūi>e won!d bs leaiLH a Uken up, bul all tbis wouhl meaa heavier taxation Heneo her in- . iustr es would be haiuiicapje«t and tr «de wouhl dwindle. So ■ . great wonld be tbe bnrdeo that 5 we doubt whether even tbe aee qaisition of Corea woald be a . āuflicient recomj>ense. And it is at least donbtful if she em aef qnire Corea. There wasa reportonThnrsday, says tbe SorOt China D āU'j Xeie* . of June 13th. whieh we rej>eat r> with aii reserve, tfiat Fr.«nce and e : Rassia will snpport Japan in l« r i sistance to China’s action e in Corea. That this means that ? Japan will rssist China in Corea , e 1>3’ force. an«l that Frauce and t Russia will activeh’ assist Japan* e we are loath tobe!ieve; butif this shoaI«l haj)j>en, will Cbina look 1 to ns to eome to her assistance ? [ f We «lo not believe that any of tbe [ . powers uamed is auxious now f>r . a war over sucli a small ra«tter as , tlie centrol of Corea; least of all s France, who, it seeins, is about f to have 8iam on her hands onee s more. Meanwhile we understand that the Chinese telegraj>h liues j north are so congestfed with Govj ernment messages, tnat they ean . | hardly andertake any other . business This rumor we (Japan j j GazeUtj do not credit. Surely r Russia would gaiu nothing j allowing Japan to occapy the 3 j Peuinsula, nor would such oeeu- j . | j>ation be in keeping with her . traditions. If she heljis anv one to Corea it will bo herself. i f In another plaee the Gazelte r says: We would not impugn the 3 j braverv or the of Jaj>an’s t Her soldiers will not d m 1 the luster of thosa beroes who, 5 uuder Enomoto, waged uueqnal t war at Uakodate, or of those r bravo men who dietl gallantl3’ for i a lost cause uudcr Saigo Taka- - mori. They eome of a fighting 3 race and will do all that courage 3 ca« do to acbievo success. 1 But what will bo tho use of a t victorv’ or two »gainst such a . country as Chin.«? It is doubtful ? if there is «i powei* iu tho wor!d, 3 whieh, sing!e-handed eoulil re- . duce Ohiua to hnmility. France ! tried it aud failed, aoel whut she . eoukl not «lo it is at least ojion to « question th it Japan eau perform. ! Japan, wbether victorious or de- \ feated, will lose thousands «>f mon - and exhaust her treasuiy. China > j will uot kuow that she has been hurt. If defeated she will send more trooj>s, for what is half a . milliun soldiers in a country with four huudred uiilliou populalion? ***** Ihe entire Chinese Arm3’ is divided iuto three sections. In the time of j>eace, raost of them are ecg!igod in j>eaceful oeenpations, aml are only ealleii out in time of emergeucy. It is only Li Hung Chang’s aroiy of 30,000 meu who are alwi«3’s iu scrvice. fhe first section consists nominj allv of 520,768 men of whom 167433 reside in Peking, at Shin kyo • 36,950, in Mancburia J,875 and 41,500 in the various provinces. The second is 145,802 strong, consisting of 90,034 infantry, 2.272 Mrtillery, 4,821 cavaliy. 28,956 Manehu reserves and 19,719 on the Manehu frontiere. The last is report©d to be 714,430. The total estimated ! 1 strength is 1,110,000; but the accurancy of tfcese figures is oj>en , to qnestion. i 1 li