The Somerset reporter., 1900-08-02
Affairs In China.

news regarding the fate of the ministers
and of reliable Indications of the real
origin of the appeal, it seems that Lord
salisbury, the premier, considered it
was not even necessary to publish the
fact that the appeal had been received,
or to do anything beyond formally ac-
knowledging it, with perhaps an intima.
ton that nothing could be done until
news from Pekin had arrived.
In an interview with the Russian and
Italian Consuls, July &c, Ii Hung Chang
insisted that the discontnuance of mill
tary operations by the Powers was the
only condition on which the foreigners
would be brought alive from Pekin to
Tien Tsin. He asserted that the Throne
was able to control the Chinese troops
and the Boxers. He maintained that
the Ministers were alive and said that
the other Europeans were of no impor.
lance.
From St Petersburg comes the report
that 200 Russian soldiers and convoy of
Christian natives, women and children,
who were reported surrounded by 10 900
Chinese with artillery, between Telin
and Charbin, in Manchuria, have all
persisted The soldiers made a pro-
longed and stout resistance, but were
overwhelmed by numbers.
1t was reported at Shanghai. Satur-
day, that nine members of the China
Inland Mission have been massacred
near Hangchow.
Dispatches to London papers from
Shanghai on Saturday state:
"a new imperial edict promulgated,
10 In III nj x,p
and provincial governors to endeavor to
ministers are held as hostages pending
the result of the overtures for the aban-
donment of hostilities against China
1.-THE viceroys are also commanded to
guard their territories vigilantly against
attack and to prevent, by all means in
their power, the advance of the foreign
troops, especially along the Yang Use
Kiang. The decree says that the Off
Gals will answer with their lives for any
failure to execute these orders.
az ommands are also given that not a
single foreigner shall be allowed to es-
cape from the interior; where there are
still fully 1000 Europeans connected
with missionary work, in isolated stu
atoms
when the governor of Shan Tung
communicated to the consuls the impe-
rial decree of the oath, he omitted i'm,
portant passages addressed to Lii Hung
Chang:
"'It Is admittedly advisable to kill
all the ministers, but it is equally unwise
to send them to Tien Tsln. 1t will be
much wiser to keep the survivors at
Pekin as hostages
"'You are commanded to hasten to
Pekin.
The Secretary of State received at
midnight, sunday night, dispatch
from Mr.. Fowler, American consul at
Che Fee, dated July Goth. Mr.. Fowler
says
IA letter from the German legation,
dated 21st instant received at Tien Tsin
German loss is ten dead and twelve
wounded Chinese ceased their attack
on the 18th. Baron Won Ketteler's
body said to be safe, the Austrian,
Italian, Dutch and Spanish legations
destroyed and the French partially A
letter from the Japanese legation dated
22nd arrived at Tien Tsin on the 25th.
len battalions of Chinese sheled the
legations consecutively from the 20Ih
of June and stopped on the 18th of July,
but may renew. The enemy are de-
creasing The German, Russian, Amer
lean, British and half the japanese and
French legations still defended. Japan
ese say they have food for six days, but
little ammunition. The emperor and
empress are at Pekin
sir Chih Chen, Chinese minister in
London, has been notified by telegraph
that Lii Hung Chang, cojointly with
other viceroys and governors, has me-
moralized the throne to urge the imme-
date sending of the foreign representa-
tiyes under escort to Tien Tsin or the
restoration to them of free telegraphic
communication with their government.
I Germany is one of the governments
which is putting forth every effort. to
get into direct communication with the
ministers and like the United States has
had recourse to the "Underground''
route. An object of special solicitude
is To discover whether Baroness Won
Ketteier has escaped or whether she
shared the fate of her husband.
July so it was announced that at last
the British government ls convinced
that the ministers at Pekin are safe.
Brussels, Berlin and Washington adviees
were regarded with a certain amount of
doubt. but once the British consul at
Tien Tsin officially confirmed them, all
doubts vanished.
Gen. Chatfee arrived at Taku, July rs.
Under date of July 81, the British
admiralty at London made public the
following desnatch from Rear Admiral
Bruce at Tien Tsin:
"Following message from Pekin:
"'British legation, Pekin, June 20 to
July 10 repeatedly attacked by Chinese
troops on all sides Both rifle and ar
tillery fire, Since July l6 an armistice,
but Gordon is strictly drawn on both
sides of the position. Chinese barri-
cades close to ours
"'All women and children in the
British legation. Casualties to date o.
killed, including Capt. Strouts A mum.
Der of wounded in hospital, including
Capt. Halliday. Rest of legation all
well except David Oliphant and Warren,
killed July u. macdonald
Doubt has given way to feeling akin
to certainty at Washington that the
legationers at Pekin and the gallant
marines who managed to reach the
Chinese capital just in the nick of time,
were not only alive, July %, but in all
probability are still alive and likely to
remain so until they are released from
their stage of siege
The commander of the Italian cruiser
Elba, at Ten Tsn, received the follow,
ing telegram from the japanese military