Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-21
FIsH1ING AT pEKIN.
Allied Troops believed TO liaSe seri-
GUS Task Before Them.

GUS Task Before Them.
London, Aug. 21.-Altho satisfactory
details are lacking. there is evidently
fierce fighting in Pekin. An official ltal-
ian report gays that the struggle in the
streets of the Chinese capital was still
in progress on Saturday, foar days after
the legations We're relieved. Further
more, urgent requests have been sent
L to Taku for reinforcelnents', and troops
are nav hurrying UP by forced marches.
The Chinese troops are said TO be still
surrounded in the palace grounds but
any Indication of an ISSUE of the strug-s
gle is lacking. The strength of the al
lied forces a the start Was Ia, ,Ooe, but OF
these. thru wounds. sickness and heat,
probably 500 at the least have been in.
capacitated. ON the other hand, II is.
not unlikely that they have the services
of 200 Or so of the enfeebled Europeans
who stood the siege, but who have been
rescued.
Some London war experts express the
opinion that the question of supplies
! and ammunition is certain to be a seri-
ous one; that the force took slarge luan-
titles isFcertain. but it may be inpossl-
bile to satisfactorily Keep open the line
of communications with the base at Ia
ku, and protracted hostilities III and
about the capital may Wear out the all
lies and exhaust their supplies at II
critical juRcture. Street fighting in Pc
kin is likely to be terribly difficult and
costly undertaking, and the fact that
the situation is far from satisfactory Is
proved by the haste With which rsin-
furcements are being hurried up from
the sea. The number Of Chimes sol
diers s,illin the capital Is unknown, but
tits estimated that they outnumber the
allies two TO one.
The whereabouts Of the empress. ems
peror and Prince Tuan are still a ,nys-
terry. The German consul at Che Foo
declares that. the empires is still Within
4 the imperial palace japanese reports
insist that the anipsrnr and empress ;,rf
both there The Chinese minister n
London. Ii Hung Chang and other Chi.
nese officials, declare that the empress
and her an i-fore IGN supporters are flee,
f ing westward toward Hsianfu. in the
province of Shansi. the ancient capita
OF the Chinese empire. 1t is claimed
that the royal fugitives are now sixt.
miles from Pekin. Prince Tuan ha:
emerged from the obscurity which sur
rounded him for several days and Il
now reported to be personally conduct
~
Ching with putting Gen. Yunk Lu il
prison for not defending Pekin.
Commenting on Ii Hung Chang
latest appeal to Washington, the Time
says:
Before any offers from the Chimes
government be entertained the power
4 must in the first place be satisfied tina
Chinese government exists. and, mex
& that 1t has duly authorized somebody t
treat in Its name whom all the power
can be reasonably expected to regar
as an impartial representative OF tn
interests OF China, and of no other in
terest.
None OF these conditions at presen
are fulfilled. We do not know what til
actual government of China is.
Even IL the emperor or empress sti
retains enough influence to enable tn
powers to regard them as the existin
government of China. there is no ev
dence OF their giving Ii Hung Chan
authority to act in their names. He he
stated, 1t Is true, that such aAthprit
has been conferred upon him by imp,
rial edict. but the powers still deman
some better credentials than his stat,
ment before they can accept him In tt
capacity he desires to assume.
! The time Tor negotiations has n.
yet gariiveA When it does come ths
mt - opsasd g 4 Ai1srsnt bas