The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-11
NO INFORMATION.
Chinese Legation Know. Nothing of

Washington, June 10.-The Chinese
legation has received no information
as to the reported massacre of Amer
lean missionaries in Cheng Tu. and
strong hopes are entertained that the
affair may be less serious than the
meagre reports indicate.
Cheng Tu is a large city in the in
terror of China, the capital of See
Chun. The whole number of mission
aries in the province is less than 100.
They were the only foreigners there.
The inhabitants were excited over the
opening of the province to foreigners
under the treaty with Japan.
Disturbed Their Privacy.
1t is stated at the legation that
Cheng Tu is a large city in the inter-
ior of China. The people are far re-
moved from the centres of foreign
commerce, such as Canton and Shang
hal. Recently, however. by the treaty
of peace with Japan, this interior city
was one of several places to be open
ed to foreigners and foreign COM
merce. This. it is explained, has agt
itated the people who have lived by
themselves from time immemorial.
The missionaries are the only foreign
ers who have heretofore settled in
Cheng Tu. Their number is not
known. 1t is said, however, that the
number of missionaries, including
their families, in the entire province
of See Chun, of which Cheng Tu is
the capital, must be less than 100, in
GLIDING all nationalities. The mis-
sionary headquarters is at Cheng Tu.
where, it is believed, there are not ex-
ceeding ten missionaries, the rest be-
ing scattered through the province.
But this estimate is based only on
the general information of Chinese
officials, as there are no exact de-
tails as to the extent of the mission
airy service through China. The Tsu
Ii Yamen sought to secure from each
foreign government complete llSt OF
the missionaries and their place OF
service. but this was not given. 1T is
said that the emperor of China and
the Tsu Ii Yamen have given every
POSSIBLE protection to the mission
aries. although it has been found i'm
possible to guard against mob vlo-
lence. particularly at remote interior
points.
Advice of Chinese.
The Chinese government has asked
foreign governments TO apprecliate
these difficulties, and has advised that
the missions should be kept WITHIN
safe limits. But the zeal of the mis-
sionaries has led them to push inward
without fear of results to places
where Chinese officials have had diff
Guilty in affording full protection
notwithstanding this, the authorl-
ties at Pelin have done their utmost:
They have placed upon the viceroys or
fine provinces the responsibility of
protecting the missionaries, churches,
etc, the viceroys understanding that
they will be degraded if vlobs are per-
mitted to disturb the missions. AS a
result. the viceroys and their projects
of police are active in restraining mob
outbreaks.
The Official Gazette, of China, re-
Gently received here shows that a
change had been made in the viceroy
at Cheng Tu and that new one has
lust resumed his duties. This. added
to the agitation of opening the city
to foreigners, may account for dis
turbances, although as already stated
the fact that disturbances have oc-
CURED, is not known to the Chinese
officials here.
1t is stated that WI Chang, the
place to which the French ship has
been sent, is another large interior
town near the River Yang Use Kiang.
The river affords inland navigation to
large vessels up to WI Chang, but is
unnaVigdble further up. 1t is proba-
BILE, therefore. that the French ship
goes to WI Chang, as ct is the farth-
est western port reached by naviga-
ton, and is on the way to the remoter
point of Cheng Tu.
Has His Doubts.
At the French legation no informa-
ton had been received concerning the
reported massacre. The French am
bassador, NJ. Patemotre, who repre-
scented his government at Pekin
some ten years ago and who negoti-
ated the treaty by which Tonquin be-
came a French province, expressed
his doubt of the correctness of the re-
port that the Chinese were intercept
ing dispatches bearing upon the al
legged massacre. When he was in
China ten years ago, he said, dis
patches were never intercepted and
he had always had free communica
ton both with his government and
with the admiral of the French fleet
He says it is possible for q French
gunboat to go up the Yang Use Kiang
river, which is nayigable as far as
Han Kow.
Minister Patenotre, by referring to
some documents at the legation. as