The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-10
Feeling of Unrest in The
South Continues.
Allies At Tien Tsin Having Un-
pleasant Time.


London, July 1885 a. m.-With the
foreigners in Pekin probably safe amidst
civil war with Prince Ching on their
side, with the powers united ard their
forces constantly. increasing, the outlook
in China is now rather more favorable
than it has been for q month past 1t
appears from the cautious statement
given out by Tao Tail Sheng in Shanghai
that the reason the heavy guns bearing
on the legations at Pekin were not used,
is that Prince Ching, who is served by
10, 600 troops, seized all the artillery am
munition. Sheng likewise intimates that
Yung Lu, commander-in-chief of the
Northern army, is associated with
Prince Ching IN opposing Prince Tuan's
ferocious designs and dictatoriaI ambi-
tion. Sheng, who appears 20 be the fole
Shanghai conduit of Pekin news, cheers
the foreign consuls by these confidential
communications but takes excessive pre-
cautions to prevent the Chinese from
thinking him friendly to the foreigners.
The feeling of unrest IN the southern
and central provinces continues. The
members of the official class in those
provinces strive to remain neutral, with a
leaning toward the foreigners until they
shall see whether the moderate or extreme
factions win win in Pekin. Prince
Ching seems to be standing for the dy-
nasty and the old order against Prince
Tuan's inordinate ambition. From a
foreign view point the capture of Pekin
is the key to the situation as there is a
fear, says the Daily Nails Shanghai cor
respondent, that delay now means one
hundred recruits for he Boxers for every
soldier OF the allies in the land.
Two couriers arrived at Tien Tsin on
July 1, from Pekin. One brought "a let
ter from Sir Claude Macdonald, the
British minister to the same effect as
that previously received from Sir Robert
Hart. The couriers confirm the reports
of the death of Baron Won Ketteler. They
say that Prince Ching is doing his ut
most to protect the foreigners, but that
the native feeling against the whites Is
very strong. Two high officials opposed
to the Boxerssare reported by the couriers
to have been assassinated.
Sir Claude Macdonald S letter is dated
four days earlier than that Of Sir Robert
Hart. A despatch to a news agency here
dated Tien Tsin, July 2, says:
''The Empress Dowager SO far from be-
ing dead, is actively striving to prevent
the factions fighting. Prince Ching has
informed her that he would rather lose
his head than be constantly obliged to
warn her of the consequences of the pro-
longation of the present anarchy.
Prince Tuan is quite willing that Ching
should be decapitated but the Dowager
Empress viii not allow this. Prince
Tuan has decided that he will take full
responsibility. He purposes to retake
Tien Tsin and Taku. Outside of Pekin,
except in the Pc Chi Ii and Shan Tung
country, the people are supremely in
different.
However all this may be- the allies at
Tien Tsin are having an exceedingly un-
pleasant time. The last engagement of
which news has come through, occurred
on July 6. The Chinese artillery opened
at dawn. Their fire was more accurate
and their munition better, the shells ex-
ploding with precision and setting fire to
several buildings. II. M. S. Terribles
guns again quieted the Chinese, who,
shifting their artillery, reopened the at
tack in the afternoon, but a thunder
storm breaking, the Chinese suddenly
quit. The allies Immediately attacked
and drove the Chinese from their works
but lost thirty killed or wounded in SO
doing. The non-oombatants are leaving
Tien Tsin and the opinion Of minority
favors the military leaving also. Stories
of colossal Chinese armies gathering con-
tinue to worry not only the rank and file,
but the commanders, who admit che un-
certainty OF Reconnaissance and the com
plete absence Of an effective intelligence