The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-21
OFFICIALS INSINCERE.
Berlin Believes They Are Only Trying
to Hamper thePowers.

Berlin, July 20.-The German govern
ment feels confident that the present at
tempts by Chinese officials to deny the
Pekin massacre are insincere and dictated
solely by a desire to hamper and retard
the powerful joint action of the powers.
At the Chinese legation, here, where also
denials of the massacre have arrived
from the viceroys, the statement was
made today to the correspondent Of the
Associated Press that the Chinese minis
ter himself, Lu Hal Houan, placed small
reliance upon them.
Lu Hal Houan has in no wise replied
t. the recent prohibition by the foreign
oiIice of his use of the telegraph for secret
messages, but has since sent to Count
V on Buel0W several teIegrans for ap-
prova1 which has been granted.
The foreign Office considers that the
graxest point in the situation Just now
is the doubtful at de of the southern
and central vicer0ys, with the evident
spread of the anti-foreign hostilities.
The news received here on this score is
very meagre, but it all points TO treach-
cry and to a cunning policy Of procrasti-
nation by the viceroys until the moment
snail have arrived when they can afford
to discard dissimulations Yuan Shi
here as worse than unreliable.
The foreign Office feels glad that all
these Chinese ruses have not succeeded
IN binding the powers or in retrading
their serious preparations.
Official circles deny a number Of sensa
tlonal stories printed by the English
press-stOr1eS which the foreign Office
charaeterizes as made of the same cloth
as many that were set afioat during the
Spanlsh-American war, and the earlier
stages OF the h0stilities in South Africa
The only story having any foundation,
according to the foreign Office, is that the
question Of who is to be commander in
chief IN China, is now engaging the at
tention Of the powers. Regarding this
a foreign Office official said today: The
suggestion to make Lord Wellesley or
some other English officer, the comman-
der-in- chief, does not meet with approval
anywhere. This is hardly strange be-
cause the British land force in China is
rather Insignificant as we'll authenticated
information shows. The proposal to
make q German chief in command, would
not be acc epted by Germany unless a
unanimous wish to that effect were ex-
pressed by the powers interested.
The semi official AIilitaire WochenbIaat
asserts, from alleged authentic figures,
that the number of allied troops now in
China is $4,000. OF these, however, 90,
600 Russians are located at Liao Tung
peninsula and Kwan Tung province, and
1000 Germans with Is field guns, 10
heavy guns and six machine guns at
Kiao Chou, Now on the way from Ger
many, France and England there are
about 10, 900 men, and the first part Of
a Japanese division is also en- route. Ar
rangement have been made for the de.
parture of 81, ,00O with IA guns and, alto
gether, there will be from present ar
rangements in China by September, 16, 600
Germans, $4,000 English, 65, 600 French,
$4,000 Russians, 81, 900 Japanese, 4 600
Americans Y, GOO Italians and 1900 Austri-
ans together with 311 guns and 36 ma
chine guns.
Gen. Won Boguslawslxy, a high mill
tary authority, whom the cOrreSpOn dent
OF the Associated Press questioned regard
ing the foregoing estimate, said it was
quite possible that this force of 116, 900
men would prove insufficient to bring
China down, but that in such an event
every power would increase it's contin-
gent.
III the whole Of China should rise, " he
continued, lit might prove to be ques-
tion OF unparalleled military magnitude
but even then the powers by skilfuliy
using their fleets and troops in the har
bofs and harb0r cities could dictate peace
on their own terms.
The Vossisch6 Zeitung prints a spec
ial despatch from Paris this evening,
asserting that the French language VIII
be declared the vehicle OF general COM
munication between the allied oontin-
gents in China.
Herr Eugen Wolff the well-known
traveller and writer, declares in the
Berliner Tageblaat that British policy in
China has been solely responsible for the
present troubles "a policy which first
coddled the reform party there, and then
left them, with the young Emperor, in
the Iurch,"
Outlining the terms of the final settle
lnent, he says:
Germany, when peace is re-estab-
lished, MUST insist upon three points.
She must have the prinoa's palace, oppo-
site the British embassy in Pekin, China
must bind herself to furnish Germany
for colonial purposes as many hundreds