The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-10
The Capture Of Pekin is the Key to
the Situation. German
Squadron Sails.
KeMPff ASKS FOR REINFoRcENENTs
If an Early Advance on Pekin is Contemplated,
They Must be Sent at Once. Two Re-
giments May Go From the
Philippines.
(By the Associated Press.)

London. July 10.-CTuesday, 3:25 d.
m.)-With the foreigners in Pekln
probably safe amid civil war, with
Prince Ching on their side, with the
movers united and their forces con-
stantly increasing. the outlook i'll
China is now rather more hopeful
than it has been for a month past. lt
appears from the cautious statement
given out by Taotai Sheng in Shang-
hal that the reason the heavy guns
bearing on the legations at Pekln
were not used Isl that Prince Ching.
who is served by 10000 troops, seized
all the artillery ammunition. Sheng
likewise intimates that 1ung III, COM
mander-in-chief of the Northern army
is associated with Prince Ching in OPP
posino Prince Tuan's ferocious and
dictatorial ambition. Sheng, who APP
Dears to be the sole Shanghai conduit
of Pekin. cheers the foreign consuls
nv these confidential communications,
but takes excessive precautions to
prevent the Chinese from thinking
him friendly to the foreigners.
The feeling of unrest in the South
crn and Central provinces continues.
The members of the official class in
those provinces strive to remain neu-
tral with leaning toward the for
eieners. until they shall see whether
the moderate or extreme factions will
win in Pekin. 1 rince Ching seems to
be standing for the dynasty and the
old order against Prince Tuan's in
ordinate ambition.
From a foreign view point the cap
ture of Pekin is the key to the situa-
ton. as there is a fear according to
The Daily Nails Shanghai CORES
pondent that delay now means one
hundred recruits for the Boxers for
every soldier of the allies in the land.
Two couriers arrived at Tien Tsin
on July 1st from Pekin. One brought
n letter from Sir Claude Macdonald,
the British Minister to the same eff
feet as that previously received from
Sir Robert Hart. They say that
Prince Ching is doing his utmost to
protect the foreigners, but that the
native feeling against the whites is
strong Two high officials opposed
TO the Boxers are reported by the
couriers to have been assassinated.
4 dispatch to Il news agency here,
dated Tien Tsin, July 2d says:
"The Empress Duwager, so far
from being dead, is actively striving
to prevent the factions fighting.
Prince Ching has informed her that
he would rather lose his head than be
constantly obliged to warn her of the
consequences of the prolongation of
the present anarchy. Prince Tuan is
quite willing that Ching should be de-
capitated, but the Dowager Empress
will not allow this. Prince Tuan has
decided that he will take full respon-
sibility He purposes to retalle Tien
Tsin and Taku. Outside of Pelkin,
except in the Pc Chill and Shan Tung
country, the people are supremely in
different"
However, al this may be, the allies
at Tien Tsin are having an exceeding
~ unpleasant time. The last engage
ment of which news has come through
occurred on July 9th. The Chinese ar
tillery opened at dawn. Their fire
was more accurate and their ammuni
tion better, the shells exploding with
precision and setting fire to several
buildings. H. NJ. S. Terrible's guns
again quieted the Chinese who, again
Shilling tHCii dIliilcIy, Ic-OpcHGu TIC
attack in the afternoon, but thun-
der storm breaking the Chinese be-
came suddenly quiet. The allies inn
mediately attacked and drove the
Chinese from their works. but lost
thirty killed or wounded in so doing
The non-combantants are leaving Tien
Tsin and the opinion of a minority
favors the military leaving also. Sto-
ries of colossal Chinese armies gather
inc continue to worry not only the
rank and file, but the commanders,
who admit the uncertainty of recon-
noissances and the complete absence
of an effective intelligence depart
ment. Chinese information is received
with extreme distrust.
1t is obvious, that though there are
rnary thousands of Chinese eamped
by the guns. nothing can be done at
present except to await the arrival
of reinforcements. The rainy season
has set in and this makes going into
the interior most difficult. The coun-
try between Pellin and Tien Tsin in
other years has been frequently flood