The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-21
SURROUNDED IN
PALACE GROUNDS
Consul Ragsda|e Announces
That Imperial Troops
Are Now Hemmed
In by Allies.
EMPRESS PROBABLY ESCAPED
PRINCES CHING AND TU1N STILL
IN INNER CITY.

AeANC CL-C CAlNU iaD O-iN bAAiA
IN INNER CITY.
Cabinet Meeting To-day to Consider Iii
sation of HostiItties Chinese "Omci-
al" Dispatch Tells of the Decapitation
ofAnti-Forcign Officers japanese Ad-
vices Corroborate Account of the seige
Pekin-Tombs of the Ming Dynasty
VIII No tie Disturbed.
Washington, Aug. 20.-The American
reply to China's latest appeal for ces-
sation of hostilities, received to-day
from Ii Hung Chang, has not yet been
made known, and it is likely that the
matter will be one of the main subjects
of consideration at the cabinet meeting
tomorrow. But there is reason to be-
lieve that the overtures will in effect be
rejected on the ground that the condi
tions laid down in the American note
of August 12 have not been complied
with, and until complied with the gov
ernments course must proceed without
reference to China's appeal for a halt
in the proceedings.
The dispatch Of August IL said speci
fically that the United States was ready
to enter into an agreement between the
powers and the Chinese government for
a cessation of hostilities on condition
that the relief forces should be permit
Tod IN pelyip 11nn1O1asta6 and aS
cort the legationers therefrom under
such circumstances as the commanding
general might lay down.
But up to the present time there is no
evidence that the allied forces are un-
molested at Pekin, or have received the
sanction of the imperial government to
convey the legationers to Tien Tsin
without further trouble, and under the
conditions laid down by the command
ing general On the contrary, all of the
dispatches indicate that the allies are
meeting stubborn resistance and there
is an entire lack of compliance with the
conditions laid down by the United
States in It's dispatch of August II.
AS stated, however, the government
has given no authoritative statement Of
its purpose in reply to Chinas applica-
chance that complete compliance with
the demands of August 12 may be an
nounced In the Pekin dispatches before
the final determination on the reply is
made But the disposition tonight is
clearly in the line indicated.
China's latest application for peace
negotiations was received early to-day
at the Chinese legation and was trans
I, +o +Lo
ment Secretaries Hay and Root We're
out of the city, but Acting Secretary of
State Adee went over the subject with
the president Earl LIS request is that
the United States shall name Minister
Conger or some other official to act as
peace envoy for the cessation of hostili-
ties. He expressed his Willingness to
go to such point as the powers may de-
SIRE and, under the limitations made, |
IT is thought that Pekn or Tien Tsin |
would be selected for the negotiations. |
The Chinese envoy proposed no terms !
as to the withdrawal of troops and |
made no other suggestion as to what |
was to come before the commission, his
sole anxiety being to secure the cessa-
tion of hostilities. The application is
understood also to have been made to
the powers In the hope that if all would
name a commissioner there would be
general council Of peace between Lii
Hung Chang on the one hand and the
several representatives of the nations
on the other.
Aside from the fact that the condi-
tions of August 12 have not been COM
piled with by China 1t is probable that
this government would desire to take
sufficient time to learn what the other
powers intend doing on the same line,
as all are acting in unison. Moreover,
there are some unexplained features of
Lii Hung Chang's application, one Of
them being that, while he asks the al
lies to cease hostlities, he gives no as ,
surance that he has the power to make
the Chinese army and the rebellious
Boxers cease their hostilities.
The situation at Pekin was made
more clear to-day from many sources.
The latest advice appears to be that
from Consul Fowler at Che Foo repeat
ing a dispatch received from Consul
Ragsdale at Tien Tsin. The latter re-
ports "Chinese troops surrounded In 7
palace grounds" The Japanese lega- I
ton received a dispatch of the same 6
tenor, but more in detail stat I
ing that the Chinese troops retreated I
on the 18th within the imperial palace, t
and that they were surrounded there, ]
with the japanese military headquar- V
ters located IN the Japanese legation. /
Admiral Remey also transmitted an au- s
thentic report from Pekin on the 10th, g
saying: Troops moving on the imperi-
al city" These several dispatches from
different sources establish clearly that
the imperial palace and grounds were c
under siege But not one of the dis :
patches is clear as toNhow late this con- Z
dition of affairs existed.
The Fowler dispatch is the latest to !.
be received and is dated the goth, but =
probably that is the date on which 1t
lCnntinued on Sixth Page( hp