The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-18
History of Anti Foreign
Movement Up
to Date.
SIEGE OF LEGATIONS.
Ministers Shut Up fer
Months and
Fired On.
SIEGE OF LEGATIONS
The Republic Bureau.
18th ST. and Pennsylvania Ave.

The Republic Bureau
18th ST. and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington. Aug. 1.-The bombardment
| of the British Legation in Pekin, where the
| members of the foreign colony assembled
for self-defense. was begun on June 20 by
the fanatical Boxers and some of the i'm
perial Chinese troops. 1t was continued un-
til July 16. when. alarmed at the fall Of
Tfen-Tsin. the Chinese leaders agreed to an
armistice al the capital. Since that time a
| renewal of the attack has been expected at
any moment in case of a halt of the allies
or last desperate movement on the part
of the retreating natives.
The general attack on foreigners in Pc
kin took definite form as far back as last
May. The report on May IS that q force
of Boxers was marching on Pekin was ac-
companied hy alarming statements from
the Ministers that the Chinese Govern
ment's attitude toward the rebels was "un-
satfsfacto--." At the time the native Chris
uans in the city focked to refuge in the
French cathedral and elsewhere.
Murine Guards Land.
Marine guards for the Pekin legations
were landed from the warships al Taku on
May 2s. in response TO requests from Min
lister Conger and others, and We're con-
signed by special train to Pekin two days
later. The force numbered $50 officers and
men of the six Powers chiefly involved.
Three days after its arrival all railroad
traffic between Pekin and Tien-Tsin was
suspended. On June > the Boxers attacked
and defeated the soldiers guarding the line.
Following the killing of the japanese Chan
cellor of Legation by soldiers of the EN-
press's guard. on July II. the Boxers next
day made an open attack upon a British
patrol. At the same time the relief cXpe-
dition, under the British Admiral Sey-
mour, set out from the coast. The assassi-
nation of the German Minister, Baron Won
ketteler. and the destruction of many of
the legations on Saturday, June 16, were
announced from Hong-Kong. After many
conflicting reports Won Ketteler's death
was generally admitted in messages to this
country and Europe on July l. Chinese re-
ports. on June &C. declared that the Minis
ters had left Pckin. guarded by native
troops. The retreat of Seymour without
having reached the capital and his final
rescue ten miles from Tien-Tsin renewed
the most serious fears for the Ministers
and those with them.
ENJOYS Ordered to Leave.
1t became known on June 50 that the Chi
nese had, on June 10. given the Ministers
twenty-four hours in which to leave Pekin.
This they had refused to do Thereafter
persistent reports of massacre were sent
out from Shanghai and elsewhere. to be
promptly denied by the Chinese Viceroys
in the South and the Ministers in this coun-
try and Europe.
Reports on July 5 declared that all the
foreigners We're dead and that the Emperor
and Empress Dowager had been poisoned.
A message. in which Sir Robert Hart de-
clared the situation desperate" on June
IS. was followed by more reports Of tor
ture and death. On July u it was admitted
that no authentic word of the legationers'
fate had come from Pekin since June 2i.
The Chinese Government first approached
this and other Governments in an edict of
June &c. received by Minister WI in Wash
ington on July TO- Secretary Hay at once
asked. and Mr.. WI agreed, that a message
to Minister Conger should be sent through
Chinese channels of communication. Then
followed the attack on Tien-Tsin, In which
Colonel Liscum of the Ninth United States
Infantry fell on July 13 and the capture of
the native city on the following DAY,
u
ineness of which was doubted both here
and in Europe. was received by Minister
WI On July 20. 1t was undated and read:
IN British Legation under continual shot
and she'll fire from Chinese troops Quick
relief only can prevent general massacre"
Advance on Pelxin Starts
The United States urged upon the other
allies the necessity for immediate advance
of the relief expedition from Tien-rsn,
without waiting for the desired 5000 men,
The advance guard OF the relief column ac-
tually started out on August 2 -or Pekin,
1900 strong. Complete anarchy in Pekln
meanwhile was reported on July Il.
A message from Sir Claude Macdonald
cleared up the situation somewhat on July
80. The British Minister explained ,hat his
legation had been bombarded from June 20
to July L. since which time there had been
an armistice. Later reports said that Yung
Lu had arranged the truce.
The second Conger message received on
July 81, reported our Minister and his fam
lily ''all well'' on July q.
The apparent treachery OF the Chinese
Government was told in dispatch re-
ceived by the London Times on August 2,
from Its Pekin correspondent Doctor Nor
rison. The Boxers were said to have been
encouraged by the Government. even while
1t was Offering safe escort to the Ministers
and ne ,otiating with their home Govern-
ments. Prince Tuan, 1t was asserted in
formed the Ministers that their home Gov
ernments had ordered their withdrawal
from the Chinese capital.
Chinese Defeats.
The rapid advance OF the relief column
after its reconnossances near Tien-Tsin has
been recently told. The Chinese were de-
feated on August 1 at Pei-Tsang, eight
miles from Tien-Tsin in a battle lasting
seven hours. The losses suffered by the al
lies were placed as high as 100 men out
OF the total OF 5000. Two days later, at
Yang-Tsun. the allies again routed the
Chinese. losing on this occasion some 200 or
800 men.
General Chaffee reported from Matow
that the troops suffered severely from ex-
treme heat. but that little opposition on
the part of the natives had been met In
the more rapid advance. r.
The occupation Of Tung-Chow. only few
miles from Pekin, occurred on August u.
The Chinese troops had then fed to the
capital.
China's appeal to the various Govern
ments DID not interrupt the advance. Re
quests for mediation" were met with firm
demands on the part of the United States