New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-26
TIE PERIL IN OHM.

The best report from China is that the worst
report is not yet confirmed. Tien-Tsln is not
yet relieved. but may be holding out. Peking
and Admiral Seymour are still hidden In dark
ress and silence. Conjecture is busy. and
rrmors especially in Shanghai. the faisehaOd
emporium of the East are numerous, bur there
is not word Of authentic information. Re
Inducements are being hurried in 10 the rescue.
But the marshaing of an army strong enough
10 cope with such Chinese forces are said to
be IN the field may be matter Of weeks. and
must be at least matter Of days. while It is evil
dent that the urgent need of Picking and Adj
miral Seymour. and. indeed. of Tien-Tsin. may
be and probably is a matter of hours. The three
thousand or four thousand foreigners In and be-
tween Tien-Tsin and Picking are surrounded by
m9riads OF furious foes. That they can hold
out long is not Ia be supposed. And when
they are no longer able TO hold ont there is
nothing left for them but humiliation. Ven
geance would come doubt, II they Were
found all 10 have Leen killed. But vengeance
is only a melancholy satisfaction.
We have said there Is no authentic news
from Picking. Ii is true that the French Consul
al Shanghai sends what might he a reassuring
dispatch The channel through which il comes
is Trustworthy. But what shall we say of its
source: The CouSul's informant was the Chi
nese Minister Of Railroads and Telegraphs
That officer is none other than Sheng Ia Jeu
and without injustice il may he said OF him that
he is not OF all Cinnamon the one whose unsup-
ported word would most readily be accepted.
In fact, lie has the reputation Of being just
about the widest most guileful and least scrupu-
lOus OF all the mandarins that ever rose TO en-
hence by hanging fast 10 the skirt OF II Hung
Chang's yellow jacket When the great Ii
fell into disfavor Sheng let 20 his hold. lighted
upon bis feet, and presently got himself set up
IN bis former patrons stead-Or as nearly in 1t
as was possible for any lesser mortal He be
came Minister OF Railroads and Telegraphs and
IN the last few years has been all powerful in
the letting of concessions TO foreign corpora
tons, q process which is believed not TO have
impoverished him. He is not and never has
been q friend 10 foreigners, save for what he
could make out of them, and his connivance in
an anfi-foreign conspiracy and his suppression
OF real news and dissemination of false news
are DOT sufficiently improbable 10 rule them out
OF consideration ia estimating the value OF re-
poris which emanate from him IT, we NAV
ask. il be true that the Foreign Ministers and
others at Picking were safe a week ago as
Sheng Ia Jen says. why does not or diG not
Sheng Ia Jen. as head Of the telegraphs of the
empire permit one of them 10 send ont a mes
sage TO that effect?
The one thing that is perfectly evident and
that is being emphasized more and more strong
~ is that this is no local riot. but part of
widespread and organized uprising which has
now attained enormous proportions II is well
10 hurry troops 10 the scene for TO send reei-
nent or a brigade in is like sending child into
hons den a large army is needed, and