The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-23
Hundreds Of Whites Reported to Have Been Slaughtered BY
Native Forces.
BLOODY RIOT is STILL IN FULL SWING AT PEKIN
fsrslsnsn Said Have Been Killed the Capital cu HuuI
Chang PskH Wednesday. BY Order Of The Empress
View TO Establishing Peace LIS Remedy DecSplatIu
Of lhs Boxer Leaders

nese situation fairly illustrate the few
erish anxiety with which every deyel.
opment In the situation is being
watched.
The French government. In addition
20 those already recorded. has now
its accession TO an understanding that
= the movement in China Is 10 be con-
Quoted In common interest; for the pro-
lection OF the lives and interests OF
foreigners IN China and not for any
national gain.
The warships which have arrived at
Shanghai are three Chinese Armstrong
built cruisers Not much apprehen-
sion Is felt on account Of the appear
ance Of these vessels al Shanghai. for
the officials believe that there Is no
doubt as to the good Intentions Of the
Chinese navy. II is only as 10 the Chi
nese army that doubt is expressed and
administration officials are exasperated
by the peculiar omission frcm every Of
ficial message Of any statement which
would clear up doubt as to whether
or not the Chinese army. as well as
the Boxers. are opposing the relief coll
umn, and. II the former. then whether
the troops are rebels or are acting
under orders from the Chinese goven-
ment.
This point is OF the utmost Import
ance, for upon 1t depends the atti-
tude to be assumed by the United States
toward China, and by that test must
be determined the question. Are we
at war with Chinag" The state depart
mant stlll holds to the negative view.
Without exception. European ad-
Vices to the department indicate that
the governments there do not yet re-
gard developments in China as war
ranting the assumption that state OF
war exists. The general disposition
is to avoid the application to China Of
the same rules that govern intercourse
between the highly civilized nations.
HONG KONG. June 23.-Li Hung
Chang, who was interviewed in Canton
yesterday. said he would leave for Pc
kin June "a in obedience to an order
from the empress to suppress the Box
ers and TO make peace with the Box
ers.
He endorsed the opinion that he was
the only man in China capable Of
coping with the situation. He said
he believed the Boxers to be "a rabble.
led away by fanatcism and ant-Chrls-
tian feeling" But he also declared that
native Christian leaders were much to
blame, inasmuch as they engendered
litigation in the native courts. He as
serted that in his opinion the empress
had been misled and misnformed.
Prince Ii said he had been officially
Informed that Taku forts fired upon
the allied fleets because the admirals
sent an ultimatum calling for the re-
moval Of soldiers He does not inter-
pret that action as a declaration of
war, and he has not received any in
structions TO the effect that war has
been declared His remedy for the sit
uation is to decapl:ate the leaders Of |
the Boxers, to send their ignorant fol-
lowers home, and TO make peace with |
the powers.
BERLIN. June 22,-The commander
of the German squadron at Taku has
wired as follows to his government:
"A French officer who arrived from
Tien Tsin, which he left June 20, reports
that for three days the city had been
bombarded by the Chinese and that
the troops of the foreign detachment
were short of ammunition. The Ger
man cruiser Irene has arrived here
with 240 marines who, with 4S0 English
and 1900 Russians, proceeded to the