The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-16

| Washington. July l5.-Such news as came
| to Washington to-day from China was dis
| tinctly bad.
| II consisted of cablegram TO Minister
1 WI from Sheng. the Imperial Director of
| Posts and Telegraphs al Shanghai. and, &c
/ cording 10 the Minister. was In reply to the
| urgent message he himself had sent yester-
| day TO that official asking him 20 try 10
| secure some news from the Chinese cap
| itaL This cabiegram Minister Wa regarded
as of sufficient Importance TO carry in per
son directly to Secretary Hay, who was
waiting at his home for news.
Under date of Shanghai, July Is. Director
General Sheng cables Minister WI as fol-
lows:
.'Pekin news of July says that General
Tuan Fuh Slang. in disobediance Of fmpe-
rial orders was about to use guns. Lega-
fions and the Government will be In peril
This news was corroborated by that con-
tained in a recent cabieg-am from Mr.
Goodnow, although the Consular Generals
dispatch gave his Pekin news the date OF
the 9Th. saying that the final attack upon
the legations with guns was about to begin
on the 18th of July.
It Is surmised here that Mr.. Goodnow
got his news from Sheng. who is certainly
in position to secure the first news from
Pekin.
Aside from the gloomy forecast given OK
the end of the terrible struggle OF the le-
cations against the inevitable. the s'gnih-
cant feature of the message is the coupling
of the fate of the Imperial Government
with that Of the Foreign Ministers. Officials
hero get some satisfaction from this portion
OF the dispatch as 1t sustains them in he
he, hoy hagd he first that
the Chinese Government is not at war
with Christendom. but Is confronting
formidable Instruction.
There still remains a suspicion, that.
while Mr. WI is undoubtedly acting with
perfect sincerity, Sheng. who is represented
to be a clever and alroit man, may know
more of the actual happenings at Pekin
than he il willing to reveal at once. II is
feared that he is trying TO prepare the way
for the disclosure of terrible news. hoping
that by letting II come out gradually the
blow will not fall with such severity. and
perhaps with such disastrous Results to his
own people. as might be the case If the
whole story were impaired TO the world az
once.
This news It may be noted, comes en-
tirely from Chinese sources.
Pekin silent Twenty-Five Days.
1t is now lWenty-OUs udyS SiHSt d hDlu
has come directly from any OF the unfor-
Inmates besieged in the legations at Pekin.
The last message from there was from Sir
Robert Hart. the Englishnan in charge of
the Chinese customs service, and was of I'M
doubted authenticity. II represented the
situation of the legationers as desperate
and implored help
The last word from Minister Conger came
to the State Department from Pekin under
date Of June Y. At that time he asked that
Seymour's international relief column.
which was even thea doomed TO fall. should
signal its approach when near Pekin. That
was Just one month and three days ago.
and 1t would be an unprecedented defense
for such an Inadequate and ill-fitted and
provisioned force as Was at the command
OF the foreign Ministers to hold out for
that length OF time, Minister wu's cable
gram from Sheng should not be taken as
an answer to the cipher message he for
warded at Secretary Hays request to Chi
ma In the effort TO get II through 10 Minis
ter Conger. That message went to Yonan
Shih Kia. the Governor of the Province f
Shan-TuDg. That official has replied fnfor-
rnaiiy that he has no news himself but It is
assumed that he will take prompt steps TO
forward the cipher message. His status at
this critical juncture is unfortunately not
beyond suspicion. though Mr.. WI retains |
full confidence In him.
Long Got Two Reports.
Secretary Long had two cablegrams to- I
day from China. but ne was inclined to set |
a negative value upon them. because they
made no mention of a massacre of the ie-
gationers In Pekin. He reasoned that Ad-
niral Remey was in coed position to get rs |
early news any one Of such an event. |
The Admirars message was from Che Foo |
Of to-day's date. though he Is supposed |
to be at Taku, II is assumed that IL was |
sent from that place yesterday. The Ad- |
miral stated that he had ordered the Buff
falo to Taku. She was coming cut to the |
Orient by way of Suez. and was to report |
for orders at Singapcre, where she was TO |
be directed to proceed to Manila or be de- |
fected to North China She is carrying cut |
a cargo of coal and a number of sailors 20 /
recruit the American feet.
The second dispatch came from. Captain
Bowman of the gunboat castine. which is |
stationed at Shanghai. and also was dated |
to-day. II was follows:
Shanghai. July 15.-Secretary Navy.
Washington: Rodgers sends word Oregon !
passed Che-Foo 18th. Nashville conveying. |
(Signed) BOWMAN"
1t is supposed at the Navy Department |
that Captain Rodgers OF the Nashville
signaled this Information from his ship as |
he passed Che-Foo.
The distance from Che-Foo to the Kurs