The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-11
NO NEWS At WASHINGTON.

| NO NEWS At WASHINGTON.
Reports From the Scene of the alleged
Massacre Haze Not Been Receiyed.
| WASHINGTON, d. c., June 10.-The
| Chinese legation has received no informa-
ton as to the reports of the massacre of
American missionaries in Cheng-Tu, and
strong hopes are entertained that the affair
may be less serious than the meager re-
ports indicate. Cheng-Tu is a large city
in the interior of China, the capital of See
| Chun.
1t is stated at the legation that the
people of Cheng Tu are far removed from
the centers of foreign commerce, such as
Canton and Shanghai. Recently, how
ever, by the treaty of peace,
this interior city was one of several
places to be opened to foreigners and
foreign commerce. This, it is explained,
has agitated the people, who have lived by
themselves from time immemorial.
The missionaries are the only foreigners
who have heretofore settled in Cheng Tu
| Their number is not known. 1t is said
that the number of missionaries, includ-
ing their families, in the entire province
! of See Chun, of which Cheng Tu is
the capital, must be less than 100, includ-
ing all nationalities. The missionary
headquarters is at Cheng Tu, where,
it Is believed, there are not exceed
! ing ten missionaries, the rest being
scattered through the province. But
this estimate is based only on the general
information of Chinese officials, as there
are no exact details as to the extent of the
missionary servibe through China
| Tho Tcupp.1i Vap,ap tr> eoo,,.o &c..
| each foreign Government a complete list
| of the missionaries and their place of
service, but this was not given. 1t is
said that the Emperor of China
and the Tsung Ii Yamen have
given every possible protection to the mis-
sionaries, although it has been found i'm
possible to guard against mob violence,
! particularly at remote interior points
The Chinese Government has asked
foreign Governments TO appreciate
these difficulties, and has advised
that the missions should be kept
within safe limits. But the zeal
of the missionaries has led them to
push inward without fear of results to
places where Chinese officials have had
difficulty in affording full protection.
Notwithstanding this the authorities at
Peking have done their utmost. They
have placed upon the Vicerovs of
the provinces the responsibility of
protecting the missionaries, churches,
ETC., the viceroys understanding that
they will be degraded if mobs are per-
| mitted to disturb the missions. As q re-
suit the Viceroys and their projects of
| police are active in restraining mob out
breaks.
| The Official Gazette of China, recently
received here, shows that a change had
| been made in the Viceroy at Cheng Tu,
and that new one has just assumed his
| duties. This, added to the agitation of
opening the city to foreigners, may ac-
count for the fact that news of the dis
| turbances has not reached 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-tse Kiang. The river affords inland
navigation to large vessels up to WI Chang.
but is unnavigable further up. 1t is prob
able, therefore, that the French ship goes
to WI Chang, as it is the furthest western
port reached by navigation, and is on the
way to the remoter point of Cheng Tu.
AT the French Legation no information
had been received concerning the reported
massacre. The French ambassador.
M. Patenotre, who represented his
Government at Peking some ten
years ago, and who negotiated the
treaty by which Tonauin became French
province, expressed his doubt of the cor
rectness of the report that the Chinese
were intercepting dispatches bearing upon
the alleged massacre. When he was in
China ten years ago, he said, dis
patches were never intercepted, and he
had always had free communication, both
with his Government and with admiral of
the French feet. He says it is possible
for French gunboat to go up the Yang
tse Kiang River, which is navigable as far
as Han Kow.
Minister Petenetre, by referring to some
documents at the legation, ascertained
that there were about 100 Catholic mis-
sions in China, of which "a were French
and % Italian. Concerning the number of
Protestant missions he had no specific
knowledge. The regulation number of
missionaries at post varies from two to
ten or more.
The State Department has received no
dispatches from Minister DENLY or other
officials in China regarding the reported
missionary massacre at Cheng Tu.
There are no records at the
department showing the number
of missionaries there. There is telegraph
line to Cheng Tu, and the State Depart
ment officials think there should be no diff
Guilty in learning all the facts in the case,
and as no report of the massacre has been re-
ceived by the department, it was thought
that the outrage may have consisted of the
destruction of property only, and not re-
suited in the death of any of the mission
aries.
1t is said in the State Department if the
Cheng Tu mentioned in the dispatches is
the point on the Yang-tse Kiang it is
probable that there are five or six Protes-