The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-01
MERE QUESTION Of PLANS FIRE RACES IN PEKING
LooTING BEGINS BUT is PUT
DOWN.
Difference of Opinion Between the
Commanders of the Allies-Are at Sea
Regarding Their Duties.

LONDON, August A.-3:5O a. m.-
Fires, lighting and dissension are ap-
/ parently following in the wake of the
! relief of Peking. The Daily Mail pub
{ nshCs dispatches from the Chinese ca
pitals +, dated as late as August H. de-
clarihg great fire was then raging In
| the imperial city. The Russian COM
mander has declined to accept the deci-
! sion of the other generals not to violate
the imperial precincts and street fight
ing was going on.
Gen. Chaffee, so it is asserted main
tanned the Chinese had been adequately
punished already, and that il would be
unwise to take the imperial palace. This
explains the withdrawal of the Ameri-
cans after breaking through the gate, as
cabled by the special correspondent of
the Associated Press. The Russian gen.
eral, however maintained that his gov
ernment had declared war against China
and that therefore there was no reason
to prevent him carrying hostilities into
the sacred precincts.
Judging from various, and in many
cases, contradictory dispatches that
have reached Europe this morning from
Peking, the commanders eventually
adopted middle course, for a Reuter-
telegram asserts that sentries were
placed to prevent looting. Hence it is
presumed that the imperial buildings,
ed.
The fires appear to be incendiary and
to be caused by the Chinese themselves.
All the dispatches point to the fact
that, according to the latest news re-
ceived from Peking, the commanders
were somewhat at sea regarding their
future action, all awaiting instructions
from their governments.
The foreign residents appear to have
been sent to Tien Tsin, although the st.
Petersburg correspondent of the Daily
Mail says the ministers will not leave
Peking until negotiations for indemnity
are under way.
Neither the commanders nor the diplo-
mats were in communication with the
Chinese government on August II. They
were then searching for Prince Tuan.
Among the puzzling reports as to the
whereabouts of the Empress Dowager,
Is one from st. Petersburg that she is In
the vincinity of Peking but surrounded.
The Emperor seems to have disappeared
completely. 1t is officially reported that
the minister of the Netherlands, DR..
Knobel, was slightly wounded during
the seige.
st. Petersburg dispatches announce
good progress in the Manchurian cam
paign. The town on Meregen was cap
tured August IS, with trifling loss, while
the Chinese suffered severely leaving 10
guns, 700 rifles and large quantities of
ammunition in the hands of the Rus
slams.
The reports of risings in northern
Korea are confirmed. 1t is believed that
these are not due to ill-will toward fore
igners, but to local dissatisfaction. The
Korean government is sending troops to
the disaffected districts.
According to kilograms from Shang
hai considerable uneasiness is felt there
over the fact that no dispatches have
been received from Peking since August
20. Other Shanghai reports locate En-
peror Kwang Su as under the protection
of the allies and the Dowager Empress
as already captured by the Japanese.