Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-07-21


sensioR Among POwers-London
Standard Says China Has Declared
War on Civilization, and Plunged
Into Conflict With Rabid Frenzy
Adm mist ration at Washington
Suspicious of Reports OF Foreign
ers' Safety.
London, July 19.--The first Boxer proc
lamation has made its appearance In
Shanghai. 1t declares that kwan, the
war god. desires the blood Of foreign
ers and threatens 10 plaques If the Boxer
tenets are not followed and spread.
The governors Of the provinces of Hu
Nan, Hu ri and lIo Nan have row openly
Joined Prince Tuan and are marching
overland with their armies to Pekin.
| While evidence accumulatts daily that
China has long been preparing for
midable military organization in antici-
patton Of the present conflict, and that
the area of rebellion Is continually eX-
tending, harmony among the allies
which Is necessary to meet such grave
situation, is still deplorably lacking.
The Russians have refused Admiral
| Seymour's request to hand over the re-
stored Taku-Ten Tsin railway to the
English company and it is rumored tina
Germany purposes taking serious in
dependent step, namely, to patrol the
Yang Use Kiang with German men-of-
war.
Such a step would be greatly resented
by England. Still more alarming news
has been conveyed to The Daily Ex-
! press from Toxic, to the effect that tbs
apparent reluctance of Germany and
Russia to consent to a Japanese COM
| mander for the army corps has led the
| Japanese government to delay the for
warding of the division already mob
ilized.
The Standard, in an alarmist editorial
| says: 1T is useless any longer to hide
from ourselves the fact that China has
declared war on civilization. and has
plunged into the conflict with rabid
frenzy. 1t is equally futile to discuss
whether the hostiltias are being waged
by the Chinese government, inasmucf
as it Is evident that an administrators
of some kinds exists and is directing the
anti foreign movement. Unless un-
mistakable evidence eXculpating the Pc
kin government Is promptly forthcom.
Ing, the powers should treat China as q
belligerent state and act accordingly.
A similar lire of comment Is taken
by the other morning papers. All APP
plaud the course of Count Won Buelow
the German foreign secretary in stop
ping cipher kilograms from the Chinese
legation in Berlin, and all urge the othel
powers to follow German"'s example.
The Russian general staff denies the
report that the Chinese have captured
Blagovetchensk, capital of the province
of Amur, and 1t Is reported from Irkutsk
that the Russians have taken Aigun.
A special dispatch from Tien Tsir
distributes the number of those killed al
the capture of The native city as follows:
Russians, 100; Japanese, 81; British
40, and Americans. 81. The correspond.
ent who sends this asserts that thou.
sands of Chinese We're killed, and that
fighting was still going on, when his
dispatch was sent, in various parts OF
Tien Tsin.
With reference to the rumors that Eu-
ropeans were seen working the Chinese
guns at Tien Tsin. The Standard learns
that eight Russian military instructors
forcibly detained by the Chinese, were
compelled to work the guns. One es.
capped and reached the Russian lines
with his hands bornd.
| A special correspondent Of The Daily
Express at Tien Tsin contrasts the
Splendid work and perfect equipment
| A. T., ,,,I, IL. .,
supplies of the British. German and
American cOntingents. which are ter
ribly lacking in the most obvious neces
saries."
The first Boxer proclamation has made
its appearance in Shanghai. 1t de-
clares that Kwan, the war god, desires
the blood of foreigners. and threatens
10 plaques If the Boxer tenets are not
followed and spread.
| A German relief column, Gent into the
interior of the province Of Shan Tung. tC
endeavor to rescue party of 80 mis-
sionaries, German, American and Eng.
lish, has returned without having OBJ
tained any tidings of their whereabouts
and it Is feared that all have been slain
The Shanghai correspondent of Tho
Daily Express asserts that he has as.
certained from an unimpeachables source
that when the question Of an alliance
between China and Japan was under
consideration last autumn, the empress
dowager sent a commissioner to Toxic
with secret proposals to the Mikado.
These proposals" says the CORE
spondent, contemplated the conclusion
of secret treaty. having the object OF
destroying all European and American
influence in both China ana Japan. the
wholesale massacre of foreigners ant
the division of the whole of eastern Asia
from Burmah to Siberia, between Chinf
and Japan. The special commissioner
took a code, prepared by LII Hung Chang
and Sheng, for secret communication:
between the Empress Dowager and tn,
Mikado. The Japanese emperor utterly
declined to entertain the proposals.
A special commission Is sitting in st
Petersburg daily to arrange for the dis
patch of troops to the far east II Is an
nounced from Shanghai that Genera
Nieh has been killed. but there is no con
firmation OF the rumor from Tien Tsin
The consuls at Shanghai have agreed
| to regard the NlCeToy VI Ndh Nil as tHt
chief authority so far as the collection
OF revenue Is concerned. When the vice
roy was Informed of this attitude he ap
pointed Mr.. Taylor, statistical secretary
CT customs, to be inspector OF ustom.
ad interim in succession to Sir Rober
Hart.
Washington. July 19.-Administratioi
officials and others in Washington ar
suspicious Of the statements contained
in the Brussels dispatch saying that tn
members OF the legations at Pekin wer
in Prince Ching's palace. They hope |
II accurate. but they are disposed to ac
ccpt Il. like much other information
The Days Labor Notes.
Springfield. Mass. July l6.-The nt
tional executive committee Of the Socii
Democratic party met here Sunday ar
elected william Butscher of New for
CO, 81 .