The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-07-12
NOTE ISSUED TO. POWERS
THE CHINESE EGOVERNME ENT MIXES
 ITS DEFENCE.
Charges Thut the Allies Began the At tack at Tahu-The Assnssinntton of the German Minlstcr-Evcrythi Possible Being Done 70 Defend Lega- lions.

9
 Possible Being Done 70 Defend Lega-
 lions.
 Washington, July 11.-Wu Ting Fang, the
 Chinese minister, to-day handed to Secre-
 tary Hay copy of an imperial decree,
 dated Sd day of 9th moon (June 20), which
 had just been received by telegraph by the
 minister from the Taotai of Shanghai,
 transmitted on July l. from the treasurer of Chilli province, who received it by special
 courier on June 30 from the board of war,
 who, in turn. received it from the priyy
 council In Pekin. The decree is as follows:
 "The circumstances which led to the com
 mencement of fighting between Chinese and
 foreigners were of such a complex confus-
 ing, and unfortunate character as to be
 entirely unexpected. Our diplomatic rep
 resentatives abroad, owing to their distance
 from the scene of action, have had no
 means of knowing the true state of things,
 and, accordingly, cannot lay the views of
 the government before the ministers for
 foreign affairs of the respective powers to which they are accredited. Now, we take this opportunity of going fully into the
 sentatives aforesaid
 Tn the first place there arose in the Provinces of Chi Ii and Shantung a kind of rebelious subjects, who had been in the habit of practising boxing and fencing ill their respective villages, and at the same time clothing their doings with spiritualis- tie and strange rites The local authorities failed to take due notice of them at the time Accordingly, the infection spread with astonishing rapidity. Within the space of a month. it seemed to make Its reached the capital itself. Every one looked upon the movement as supernatural and l1, strange and many joined It.
 Then there were lawless and treacher- thn ndn1 thn nf hNrn with Christianity About the middle of the Fifth Moon these persons began to create disturbances without warning. Churches were burned and converts were killed. The was created which could not be brought under control. At first, the foreign powers requested that foreign troops be allowed to enter. the capital for the protection of the legations. The imperial government, hay ing in view the comparative urgency of the occasion, granted the request as an ex- requirements of International intercourse over five hundred foreign troops were sent to Pekin. This shows clearly how much ca@ China exercised in the maintenance of friendly relations with other countries.
 'rhe legations at the capital never had much to do with the people. But from the time foreign troops entered the city the guards did not devote themselves exclusive ly to the protection of their rspective lega- tions. They sometimes fired their guns on top of the city walls and sometimes patrol led the streets everywhere. There were re- peated reports of persons being hit by stray bullets. Moreover, they strolled about the city without restraint, and even attempted to enter the Tung Hua gate (the eastern gate of the palace grounds). They only de. sisted when admittance was positively for bidden.
 "On this account both the soldiers and the people were provoked to resentment, and voiced their indignatoin with one ac- cord. Lawless persons then took advantage of the situation to do mischief, and became Dolder than ever in burning and killing Christian converts.
 ''The powers thereupon attempted to re- inforce the foreign troops in Pekin, but the reinforcements encountered resistance and defeat at the hands of the insurgents on tae way and have not yet been able to proceed The insurgents of the two provinces of Chi Ii and Shantung had by this time effected q complete union, and could not be sepa- rated. The imperial government was by | entire suppression of this insurgent element. | But as the trouble was so near at hand, | ther was great fear that due protection | might not be assured to the legations if the , anarchists should be driven to extremties 1 thus bringing on a national calamity. There also was fear that uprisings might occur In the provinces of Chi Ii and Shantung at | the same time, with the result that both | foreign missionaries and Chinese converts in the two provinces might fall victims to popular fury.
 it was therefore absolutely necessary to | consider the matter from every point of l view. As measure of precaution it was | finally decided to request the foreign min. ] 1sters to retire temporarily to Tentsin for , safety
 Tt was while the discussion of this pro- 1 position was in progress that the German minister, Baron von Ketteler was assas- sinated by riotous mob one morning while on his way to the Tsung Ii Yamen. On the previous day the German minister had written q letter appointing a time for call ing at. the Tssung-li- Yamen. But the Va. men, feainrg he might be molested on tho way, did not consent to the appointment as suggested by the minister.
 Since this occurrence the anarchists as- stunned more bold and threatening atti- wise to carry out the project of sending the diplomatic corps to Tientsin under an es cort However, orders were issued to the troops detailed for the protection of the greater precaution against any emergency. Moon (JTne 16) foreign lnavaqg officers at general commanding and demanded his sur render of the forts,. notifying him that fall ing to receive compliance they would at the forts by force. To Jung Kwang being bound by the duties of his office to hold the forts, how could he yield to the demand? On the. day named they actually first fired up a fighting all day and then surrendered
 Thus the conflict of forces began, but certainly the initiative did not come from our side. Even supposing that China were not conscious of her true condition, how could she take such step as to, engage In war with all the powers simultaneously and how, could she, relying upon the sun port of an anarchistic populace, go into war with the powers? Our position In this mat ter ought to be clearly understood by all the powers. The above Is statement of the wrongs we have suffered, and how Chlna was driven to the unfortunate position from which she could not escape
 "Our several ministers will make known accurately and in detail the contents of this decree and the policy of China to the ministers of foreign affairs in their respect i've countries, and assure them that mili- tary authorities are still strictly enioinad to afford protection to the legations as | , hitherto to the utmost of their power As for the anarchists. they win be severely dealt with as circumstances permit.
 ''Ihe several ministers will continue In | the discharge of the duties of their offices. as hitherto without hesitation or doubt This telegraphic decree to be transmitted for their information. Respect this'
 Minister Wu said to-day in regard to the of Baron vOn Ketteler the German minister to Pekin, by a mob of 1 Chinese rioters, that in attempting to pass , through the streets to reach the Tsung Ii , Yamen Baron von Ketteler took his life | n his own hands. The German minister | ( le said, had requested an audience of the Chinese cabinet, to which they would not lccede, knowing of the dangers from the I awless rioters and the nti-foregners, that g would attend the minister's journey through