Putting aside unverified rumours, Friday's news from the seat of
war shows that for the moment both sides are merely preparing to spring. The Japanese are pouring reinforce- ments into Corea, the Government requisitioning, either as transports or cruisers, all steamers that fly its flag, their plan being to crush the Chinese forces at Asan before the Manchurian army, which is marching overland, can arrive. Meantime, the Chinese fleet does not move, and is watched by swift Japanese cruisers. The news that Li Hung Chang was deprived of his yellow jacket turns out to be false, but the Emperor is said to be personally alive to the situation. He is levying a war-tribute from the Viceroys, and a European loan Is talked of. Captain von Hannecken, whose depositions were read before the Court of Inquiry on Tuesday, still declares that the Japanese official ver- -sion of the sinking of the Kowshing' is not true. On the other band, Chief Officer Tamplin, who has been further questioned, does not bear out the charge against the Japanese of murdering the drowning Chinamen :—" I was," lie says, "some time in the water before I was picked up by the Japanese. They were very kind, and gave me every care and attention. The Chinese soldiers on board the 'Kowshing ' fired on me after I sprang into the water, but so far as I saw, the Japanese fired at the Chinese soldiers who had left the Kowshing ' in the ship's boats and were continuing the fight." This, we confess, mounds the probable explanation. Men firing from boats at other boats might easily seem in the confusion to be firing at men in the water.
