The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-16
Pekin Guarded by 100000 Imperial
Troops Who Have Orders to
Admit no Foreigners.
THE GATES DEFENDED BY MODERN GUNS
Our Government is Awaking to The Necessity
Of Increasing Our Force in China, ard
May Yet Call Troops From
tho pb,I;nn;noc
The Philippines.
By the Associated Press.)

London, June Saturday is
the situation in China as it appears
to the Shanghai correspondent of the
Daily Express, cabling last evening:
The members of the foreign legations in
Pekin are virtually prisoners; and the
Chinese troops are only restrained from
attacking them by fear Of the legation
guards.
Meanwhile the Ministers are altogether
unable TO communicate with the officers
commanding the relief colum n, which is
making an enforced and isolated halt
between Tien Tsin and Pekin. The walls
OF the capital are guarded by 1000 600 i'm
perial troops The gates are heavily
defended with modern guns. General
Tung, acting under orders from the En-
press Dowager, says that no more foreign
troops shall enter the sacred city.
"On Monday the Ministers sent a de-
nland 10 the Tsung Lii Yamen that the
gates be opened declaring that other
Wise the foreign troops would enter forci-
bly,. To this no reply was given. A sec
ond message went unanswered or had
not been answered when the latest news
left Pekin.
Sir Claude McDonalds latest message
says that the legations are capable of
sustaining an effective defense, unless
attacked in force
Russia, this correspondent asserts. not
withstanding assurances to the contrary,
sides with China. Some foreign troops
are already reported to be in the environs
of Pekn, and the attitude of the Chinese
troops is increasingly menacing.
1.-THE strets of Pekin," continues the
correspondent of the Daily Express, are
reported to be seething witn anti fore 2n
mobs. clamoring for the destruction of
the legations and the ieath of tie for
ign Ministers. Even were the Tsung
l. iYamen disposed to restrain the >jo-
lenee of the reactionaries, il is Ccrs.d-
cred high improbable that they viii be
able to hold them in chcckk. For tht
foreign Ministers the crisis vli arise
when the relief column comes IN sight
of Pekin.
1T is still felt here that the foreign
force IS wholly inadequate TO battle With
the hcrdes of Chinese troops massed o%t-
side the gates, which now include the
imperial troops from Shan Hal VIVIAN
A disquieting element in The sitaat:on
is the fact that. although rhe Russo
Chinese telegraph line from pekin, Via
kiahta eastern Siberria) is working
again, the transmission of English mes
sages is rigidly refused.
From Ten Tsin it is repor: ed that The
foreign forces in the harbor will attack
the Taku forts, and if necessary bo.nhard
them.
The international column appears to be
still at Lang Fang. engaged in slowly
repairing the railway which according
TO dispatch from Tien Tsin to the Daily
Mail dated June 18th, cannot be effected
for weeks. The force is short of pro-
visions. and as it is without field trans
pert, it must stick to the railway.
The report that the mixed forces will
seize the Taku forts is taken to mean
that the foreign commanders expect no
aid from the Chinese Government in re-
pressing the disorders and are determined
10 max Taku secure as a base from
which to operate.