The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-18
Foreigners and Christians In
Dire Peril.

London, June 1S.-There is not cabi-
net in Europe, apparently, that knows
what has been transpiring in Pekin for
five days or in Tien Tsin for three days.
Nor is there any that knows with what
difficulties the small and inadequately
equipped international column is con-
tending between these cities.
The German foreign Office upon learn
ing of the report of the murder of Baron
Won Ketteler, the German minister at
Pekin, sent telegraphic inquiry to st.
Petersburg, the Russian government,
because it's wires to Manchuria, being
supposedly In better position than the
other governments to obtain direct news.
In reply the German foreign Office was
informed that nothing whatever was
known on the subject as communication
with PeKln was interrupted. The re-
port spread world wide from Shanghai
that the legations had been attacked and
that one minister, probably the Ger
man, had been murdered has been traced
to the Tao Tai Sheng, who, for few
days, as the Empress Dowager's agent,
has been censoring kilograms Shan
ghai. The Shanghai correspondent Of
the Daily Express says;
"Sheng, as head of the telegraph ad-
mini stration, pretended that the line
connecting Shanghai with Pekin had
been down since June 0 and that the
wires to Tien Tsin were cut on June 15.
Nevertheless 1t is notorious that con-
slant communications have been passing
from Shanghai to Pekin over this north
ern and western routes, although Sheng
has refused both ministers and consults
the privilege of using the lines.
1t is known that last Friday Sheng
received message from either Pekin or
Tien Tsin. This despatch said that Gen.
Tung Fuh Siang's
TROOPS AIDED THE BOXERS
in an organized attack ON the foreign le-
cations and that in the course of the at
tack some Of the legations buildings were
reduced to ruins and one foreign min
lister sliced to pieces"
Why, in the cables 1t should have been
added that the murdered minister was
Baron Won Ketteler is not explained.
According to another telegram from
Shanghai dated June II at 1926 p. m,
Sheng fled, fearing that the foreign au-
thorities were about to arrest him be-
cause of his stoppage of kilograms. A
third cablegram asserts that the reports
of the murder of the German minister
emanating from London are quite un'
confirmed and discredited at Shanghai.
. 1.-THE German minister has been cap
| tured' is the announcement to the
Morning Post from Pekin, in a despatch
dated June l3, . p. m, via Tien Tsini
June 10. This is the latest press message
known to have left Pekin. 1t continues
as follows;
"a crowd of Boxers occupies Lega'
tion street, cutting off communication
between the buildings. A few Boxers
are parading in the city. Their super
sition in regard to foreign armies il
pitiable. The Boxers hold the officials
Of Tung Chau for redemption, Anarch,
reigns at that place. The Americans il
the interior of the two neighboring prov
inces have been advised to leave, but sew
eral have no means of doing so.
'Unless a relief force is sent, there Il
danger of a massacre of native Chris
tians. A large Chinese army is ready t
oppose the relief column on the way
here. The Chinese government oanno
decide whether to adopt the policy o
rigidly suppressing the Boxers or that o
defying the world. The decision rest
with the Dowager Empress"
During the isolation OF Pekin and Tier
Tsin, Shangai is supplying bewilder
ing bunch of reports and conjectures
most of them picturesque and threaten
ing. Here is one:
Miscellaneous armed crowds hav
been in progress north for some week
and the hordes around Pekin are beini