The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1900-06-13
CHINA IN GRAVE PILIKIA.

controlled Dy torelRn lnterVen-
tin.
WASHINGTON, June 5--The situa
ton in China has now reached
critical point, as shown by the dis
patches received to-day from Minis
ter Conger at Peking and Rear AID.
miral Kempff at Taku. Kempff
cabled the Secretary of tho Navy
this afternoon that Engagement
has begun. Have landed 80 more
seamen. More battalion of ma
rines." He also called for a gun
boat and battalion OF marines.
This morning Secretary Hay receiv-
ed dispatch from Conger, saying
the situation had grown more seri-
Gus, and that the Boxers were try
ing to attack the city. Rear Admit
raj Kempff's dispatch was in cipher
and was not quite clear. He gave
no details to indicate what forces
were engaged.
State Department officials incline
to the belief that the engagement
refers to an attack on Picking, which
was foreshadowed by Conger's dis
patch. Secretary Long has cabled
Rear Admiral Kempff for more
specific information. If the gun
boat Helena is available at Manila
will doubtless he sent, as it was
built especially for Chinese waters.
Drawing but nine feet OF water, it
can go up the Pei-ho to Tien Tsin,
the head Of navigation, from which
point Peking is reached. In diplo.
matte circles the situation is viewed
as extremely grave, inasnuch as the
indications are now strong that the
Chinese Empire is about to be cut
up.
The break in the Admiral's cable
gram is caused by an illegible group
of figures. Reading in one light it
would seem that the Newark has
landed fifty sailors to re enforce the
marines already ashore. and in an.
other aspect the gap might be read
to state that fifty sailors had been
landed with another battalion of
marines. The Admiral's news is re
garded as of the utmost gravity.
Secretary Long has cabled him to
send his messages hereafter in plain
English.
LONDON, June 6.-The Daily Ex-
press has a dispatch from Shanghai,
dated Tuesday, which says: "Rus-
sian troops have been ordered from
Port Arthur to the neighborhood of
Peking to punish the Boxers for
killing two Cossacks and wouuding
two"
BERLIN, June 5.--The latest news
regarding the Boxers has reached
here by private and official tele-
grams, all OF which say the situation
is black and alarming. The German
Foreign Office considers encounter
between the Boxers aud Russians an
event probably fraught with the
greatest danger. News has also
reached here that several German
and Catholic missions in the pro-
yinces OF Shantung have been pill
aged by mobs, supposed to have
been melted by the Boxers agita.
ton.
New York, June "a cable to
the Sun from Paris says: China is
absorbing diplomatic attention at
present. Nine kilograms from Pc
king were received at the Foreign
Office to-day. Fears are now enter
tanned that the Boxers will besiege
that city. 1t is reported that the
Boxers month ago numbered 100,-
900. 1t is considered likely that
Russian troops from Port Arthur
will proceed by way of TEN Tsiu
and occupy Peking. Russian init
alive is viewed with mixed feelings
by French diplomatists. Russia
represents conservative Chinese
ideas, as opposed to the open door
policy, and consequently, though