The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-07-26
GIVEN HIS PASSPORTS.
Russia Sends the Chinese
Minister Home.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS SEVERED
iDcs IL Equivalent to . Declare
tion of War A gainst Russia.

New York, July 21.-A dispatch to
the Journal and Advertiser from Lon.
don says:
The Chinese inavsi on of the AmuI
province is equivalent to declaration
OF war against Russia, which, constru-
ing it as such, has handed the Chinese
envoy ut St. Petersburg his passports
today and requested him to leave the
country, along with the members OF
his mission.
The Importance of this Chinese deo-
laration of war against Russia, and of
this bold invasion of Russian territory,
lies in the fact as the matter now
stands, that it virtually releases the
czar from his obligations to the foreign
powers to act in concert with them in
China. He is placed thereby in po.
sition to act indepe ndently, not only
with reference to the defense of his
dominions against the Chinese invasion.
but also as regards the carrying of war
into the enemy's country and an event.
ual march upon Pekin.
Should q Russian army, proceeding
from Siberia, reach Pekin and captur.
it before the allies could get to it from
the Pacific coast, the czar would be
able to dictate terms to China indie.
pendently of the other powers, and
without any regard to their wishes, vir.
tually establishing himself as masteA
of the country.
The British and German govern
ments, alarmed at the idea of this
eventuality, have today decided to
abandon the policy which they have
pursued until now and to declare wal
upon the Chinese government. thur
placing themselves in line with Russia
and France. and the United States ID
ex pected to follow suit Immediately.
France has, indeed. already issued,
today, decree forbidding the sale of
arms or war material of any kind to
the Chinese. while Germany has al
ready prohibited the Chinese envoy at
Berlin from communicating with his
government except through the German
foreign Office. and is preparing to give
him his passports. Here in London,
the Chinese minister has already packed
all belongings, removed his boys from
the schools and cancelled all his en-.
gagements, 80 as to he ready for i'm.
mediate departure.
In addition to the corps of the I'm.
perial Chinese army, which has in-'
vaded Siberia with orders to drive all
foreigners out of the rich gold-bearins
Amur province of the czar, there are
i've other corps. one of which is en-.
gagged in destroying the Russian rail.
road in Manchuria and in driving all
the foreigners, especially the Russians.
from the northern portion of the en-.
pire; another is to occupy the roads be-
ween Pekin and Sham Hal Kawn; yet
| another is to concentrate at Marking,
while columns are being directed in
hot haste to Tien Tsin, to the bodrere
of Corea and to the neighborhoOd Of
SHANGHAI. s,.s
Altogether the Pekin government ie
estimated to have under arms at the
present moment no less than l 200, 00e
men, splendidly equipped with Muse1
rifles, smokeless powder and quick.fir.
ing ordnance, and carefully trained
| under the direction of Danish and Ger.
man officers. This huge army is un.
der the orders of Prince Tuan.
In addition to this, there is the Chi.
| nese feet, reconstructed and reorgan.
lied since the war with Japan, tanG
comprising Is first-clasa cruisers OF
the very latest type. These are cruis
ING about the Yellow sea, with theiI
| decks cleared for action.
| Inasmuch as five vessels of the allied
feet, tincluding the British battleshiI
| Terrible, are cruising about in the
| same waters, accommodating various
towns and forts and inviting the latter
to open fire upon them. news may BE-
expected at any moment of naval bat.
tie. - 49, s-f
Nine other foreign men.of-war are at
anchor of Shanghai. with the object OF
assisting in the defense of that city in
the event of its being attacked by the
big Chinese army, which is now with
| in one days march of the place.