The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-18
WAR AGAINST RUSSIA DECLARED.
China Has Done This, Says the Daily Mails ST.
Petersburg Correspondent
(By the Associated Press.)

London, July 1S.-The Daily Mail pub
fishes a sensational dispatch from ST.
Petersburg. dated Monday, which asserts
that there is no doubt that China has de-
clared war against Russia.
The Russian press" says the CORE
spondent, lis restricted to the publication
of official details and the publication
of many dispatches from the front has
been prohibited. / hear, however, from a
reliable source that the Chinese troops
and the Boxers seized a Russian trans
port vessel laden with munitions near
Aigun ION the Amur River about IS
miles from the Russian frontier,) killing
almost the entire Russian escort.
''They next suddenly attacked and
bombarded the town of Blagovechensk
capital of the Amur Government, on the
Amur River). The garrison held out
bravely but was finally overwhelmed.
Nearly all persisted, and the town was
burned"
The news of the Manchuria disturbances
/ is not regarded as justifying the serious
view attributed by the Daily Mails adj
vices. Amur is boundary territory be-
tween Eastern Siberia and Manchuria
The district has been the scene of local
disturbances for a long time owing to the
provocative conduct of the Cossacks
toward the twenty-five thousand Chinese
employed in the construction of the
Russo Manchuran Railway.
Several serious collisions have occurred
between the Cossacks and the Chinese
troops. One happened several weeks ago
when two Russian officers and 16 men
were killed. The extension of the Boxer
movement to Manchuria has resulted in
great destruction of the railway, COM
polling the Russians to withdraw their
officials. The Chinese tried to stop the
Russian steamer Michael, carrying ammu-
milton and the steamer Selenga, with the
Russian frontier commission on board.
from passing up the Amur at Aigun. They
fired on the steamers wounded an officer
and few men, but the steamers reached
Blagoveschensk The local Chinese com
mander at Aigun seems to have sent the
Russians sort of ultimatum to quit
Manchuria.
The Chinese, according to the Daily
Mails ST. Petersburg correspondent have
thrown up Notifications, and placed forty
guns at point II miles from Aigun to
dispute the progress of the Russians The
official Russian advices leave the infer
ence that BlagoveShenSk is still in Rus
sian hands, the Russian losses during
the bombardment being only three killed
and five wounded.
The Amur military district was mobiIi-
zed fortnight ago on war footing, and
it is believed that the Russian forces
there are fifty thousand men and a
hundred and twelve guns. The Governor
has now ordered the troops on the from
tier to form a Gordon. The Russian pa
pers demand severe retribution for
Chinese audacity in Manchuria but they
hold to the view that Russia must perse-
we're in her resolution to avoid war. The
Chinese Minister in st. Petersburg has
disavowed the events in Manchuria, on
behalf of his Government and has prom
ised to make serious representations to
Pekin regarding the consequences that
will follow if the hostilities there do not
cease.
According to Shanghai dispatch pub
lished here one hundred thousand Chinese
troops armed with Mauser rifles and mod
ern artillery are enoamped at three points
within forty miles of Shanghai. ready to
besiege the town in the event of an at
tack by the Europeans upon the Woo
Sung forts According to telegram
from Che Foo received here TODAY
ITO of the allied troops were killed in the
assault upon the native city of Tien
Tsin.