The sun., 1900-08-05
DOES CHINA MEAN WAR?
TSU UNG-LI-YAMEN STOPS COMNUNHA-
TION WITH THE MINISTER'S.

vance Of the Allies and Give the Chiasss
| Time to Get the Ministers Safely to Tientsin
WARRINGTON, Aug "a new and very serious
phase has been given to the Chinese situation
| through the announcement OF the Chinese
Government that. a. fighting is going on al
| Tientsin. 1T il nexpedent that cipher tele-
| grams should be sent" from and to the foreign
| Ministers In Pekln. The announcement is
| contained In despatch received by the Chinese
Minister last night and presented to MIR. Alvey A.
| Adee, the acting Secretary Of State. this morn
ing An official bulletin containing the despatch.
was given to the press by Mr.. Adee. 1t is as
follows:
Minister WI this morning handed to the
Acting Secretary Of State copy Of a telegram
from the Taotai Of Shanghai. dated Aug. 2, and
| received by Minister WI on the evening Of the
sd. n confirms the message Of Yuan Shih-Kal
Governor OF Shangtung, to Mr.. Fowler. Consul
at Chefoo. purportns o communicate the same
telegram OF July 30 from the Tsung-li-i amen,
but il Il 10 be noted that It contains a passage
omitted from Gov Yuans message namely.
the announcement that as fighting Is going on
in Tientsin 1t Is inexpedient to send cipher
telsgrams TO the foreign Ministers In Pekin.
In this particular. the present telegram agrees
with Consul General Goodnow's report. received
yesterday. that Earl Ii Hung Chang had told
the French Consul at Shanghai on the Sd that
no messages would be delivered TO the Minis
tsrs because the foreigners were advancing on
Pekin. It Is as follows
"'The Tdotai TO Minister Wa.
"'Tsung-li Yamen's cablegram Of July 80 is as
follows:
"'"Forcign Ministers In Pekin are all safe and
Nd
have been repeatedly supplied to them. Re-
lations most friendly At present consulta-
tions are going on for the protection Of various
Ministers going TO Tentsin for temporary
shelter. which will soon be concluded satis-
factorily. But as fighting is going on in Tien-
tsin It is inexpedient that cipher kilograms
should be sent Different Consuls have been
notified so that they may inform their respec.
tive Governments Please inform the Foreign
Offioe'
Besides wiring to other Ministers I trans
nit the above to you. YU LIEN YuEN
While officials are inclined to regard the an
nouncement Of the Chinese that communica-
ton in cipher between tho Ministers and their
governments has been suspended on account
OF the hostilitins going on near rtentSin MS part
Of big game Of blum, they are nevertheless
sensible OF the defiant attitude which China
has assumed toward the Powers and partic-
ularly toward the United States, which de-
manded free communication with Minister
Conger ms a matter of absolute right and not
as a favor" In denying the demand Of this
Government, China approaches very close 10
the line between peaoe and war. She has as
s,imed the "unfriendly attitude" 70 which MIR.
Hay referred in his answer 10 III Hung ChanE's
recent communication and has assumed also
the heavy responsibility" which was pointed
out by Mr.. Hay.
But It Is confidently assumed here that China's
defiant action does not mean as much as she
would have the Powers believe. Her sole aim
now appears to be 10 keep the allies from reach-
ing Pekin She knows that their primary OBJ
ject is to rescue the Ministers and other for
eigners In the capital and that the Ministers
are her strong card in the game To get the
Ministers safely TO Iientsin or to turn them over
To the allies before the allies reach Pekin is
the best way to accomplish her endeavor to
placate the Powers, and despite the virtual
threat contained In the message received by
Minister WI. 1t is believed here that the i'm
perial authorities will do every thing in their
power TO get the Ministers away from the cap
ital and under the protection OF their country
men Probably the Ministers themselves are
the principal objectors TO any such proceeding.
They have good reason to decline 10 turn them
selves over TO the tender mercies Of the Chinese
under promise that they will be delivered
safely at Tientsin and it is reasonable to sup
pose that they are insisting that the allies be
permitted TO come to their relief.
1t is very clearly indicated in the Tsung-
4 ,l,at
ten the effect of her defiance by soft words
about friendly relations between the Imperial
authorities and the Ministers. The state
ment that the consultations to arrange for
protecting the Ministers TO Tientsin were con-
cluded satisfactorily indicates that II the Min
listers consent. safe escort out Of the capital
will be promised them. Nobody here in au-
thority now believes that the Chinese Govern
ment will kill the foreigners in Pekin or per-
nit them to be killed II appreciates too well
the consequences Of such an act For that
reason. and the belief that China will do every
thing and anything. no matter how much
her pride may be humbled thereby, 10 prevent,
by peaceable means the entry Of the allies
into Pekin. the officials are inclined to the
opinion that when China appreciates that her
announcement about cutting of Of communi-
cation has not had the effect Of stopping the
advance Of the allies she will become impor-
tunate instead Of defiant.
When n nation refuses free communication
between another nation and that nations di-
plomatic representative in its capital /, places
itsplf In "an unfrinndly attitude" Secretary
Hay has mnde that clear TO the Chinese Gov
ernmcnt But an unfriendly attitude does
not necessarily signify tina, an adjustment of
the troubles which brought about the display
Of unfriondlness shall be rea ched only through
a test OF armed strength. To quote a very
high oficial. one Of the advisers of tho Presi-
dent n nation declares war when It IL to its
advantage TO do 80. We do not see what ad-
vantage Is TO he gained Just now by declaring
war against China" Therefore tho defiance
OF the Chinese Government does not neccs-
sarly change the situation. except in bringing
China one step nearer TO official war with the
Powers, The Government cannot overlook
the declaration of the Imperial authorities
that It Is maintaining friendly relations with
the foreign Ministers NJ Pekin. which indicates
that China does not recognize that state Of
war In i's technical sense exists.
the Chinese Government indorses the oppo-
sition to the allies war will be on from that
moment and the Powers would be Obliged
10 recognize H. II the Ministers are killed
ernment Ia capable OF protecting them war
would most certainly be the result. should
the Ministers not leave Pckin under Chinese
eHcort before the allies reach the capital the
supreme test would come then. II the allies
had not been opposed by imperial troops on
their mqr7h from rientsin: but Ii Is expected
that the Chinese Government would not begin
open hostlties until it had sndeavored to maks
n n n fprf fha hAl pf Nt,.ta