18
Opium had the same effect upon the soldiers that it had upon the civilian.
As has already been pointed out, opium causes its victims to become physically and mentally weak and inactive.
It was indeed very seldom that the Japanese army encountered any sturdy resistance on the part of the Chinese. Many times the Chinese abandoned their forts without firing a shot. Even Port Arthur, a naval fortress and arsenal on which $30,000,060 had been spent, and which was the bone of contention during the Russian ad Japanese war, was taken by the Japanese in one day, the latter only losing 18 men, and this port was considered China's strongest position.
The Chinese soldiers, undrilled, unfed, unled, propertyless to a degree of nakedness, could hardly be expected to be animated by military or patriotic spirit.
China was again conquered and her power of defense measured by the rest of the world.
On April 17, 1895, a treaty was signed. The terms of the treaty were as follows: First China was to surrender Formosa and the Pescadores Islands and the southern part of the Shinking province, including the Liau-Tung, or Regents Sword Peninsula, and of course, also, the naval fortress of Port Arthur.
China was also to pay in eight installments a money indemnity of $160,000,000. She was also to grant certain commercial concessions.
Just at this stage of the drama new actors appeared upon the scene—the allied powers of Russia, France and Germany, who determined to interpose. Surely these Christian nations would without any selfish motives come to the rescue of poor bleeding China.
They presented to the Mikado in the name of the three powers a request that he should leave his hands off the Liau-Tung Peninsula which also included Port Arthur. It was proposed that in return for the renunciation of this territory on the Chinese mainland, the pecuniary indemnity should be increased by $30,000,000.
The demand could not be rejected without war against the three interposing powers, and the odds were too great for Japan to face without the assistance of Great Britain, and this assistance the British did not see fit to offer.
The Mikado accordingly submitted to the loss of the best part of the fruit of victory.
