Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-12-06

protection of the legation, was with.
drawn at the earliest pra ctical moment
and all the pending questions were re-
mitted, as far as we were concerned, tC
the ordinary resorts of diplomatic inter
course.
The Chinese government proved, how
ever, unable to check the rising strength
of the Boxers and appeared to be a
prey to internal discussions. In the
unequal contest the anti-foreign infiu-
ences soon gained the a~scendancy under
the leadership of Prince Tuan. Organ
lied armies of Boxers, with which the
imperial armies affiliated, held the coun-
try between Pekin and the coast, pene-
trated into Manchuria up to the Russian
border, and through their emissaries
threatened a like rising throughout
northern China.
Attacks upon foreigners, destruction of
property and slaughter of native con-
verts were reported from all sides The
tsung-li-yamen, already permeated with
hostile sympathies, could make no eff
fective response to the appeals of the le-
cations. At this critical juncture, in the
early spring of this year, a proposal was
made by the other powers that a COM
bined fleet should be assembled in Chi
under cover of which to exact of the
Chinese government respect for foreign
treaty rights and the suppression of the
Boxers.
The United States, while not partici-
pating in the joint demonstration,
promptly sent from the Philippines all
ships that could be spared for service on
| the Chinese coast. A small force of ma
Pekin for the protection of the Americna
legation. Other powers took similar &C
ton until some 400 men were assembled
in the capital as legation guards.
Still the peril increased. The legations
reported the development of the seditiOus
! movement in Pekin and the need of in
creased provision for defense against 1t
While preparations were in progress for a
| larger aYn16ifinn tO strengthen the leOa-
ton guards and keep the w open
an attempt of the foreign ships to make
a landing at Taku was met by a fre from
the Chinese forts. The forts were there
upon shelled by the foreign vessels, the
American admiral taking no part in the
attack on the ground that we were not at
war with China and that a hostile dem
o~nStration might consolidate the anti
foreign elements and strengthen the Box
ers to oppose the relieving column. Two
days later the Taxi forts were captured
after a sanguinary conflict. Severance OF
communication with Pekin followed and
a combined force of additional guards,
which were advancing to Pekin by the
Pei Ho, was checked at Lang Fang. The
isolation of the legations was complete.
On June 10 the legations were cut of.
An identical note from the yamen or
dered each minister to leave Pekin, I'M
der a promised escort, within twenty
-four hours. To gain time, they replied,
asking p~rolongation of the time, which
was dllGIWdIu IdllCd dtIu LIE
an interview with the tsungli-yamen on
the following day. No reply being re-
ceived, IN the morning of the 10Th the
German minister, Baron von Ketteler set
out for the yamen to obtain a response,
and On the way was murdered.
An attempt by the legation guard to
recover his body was foiled by the Chi
nese. Armed forces turned out against
the legations. Their quarters were sur
rounded and attacked. The mission
compounds were abandoned, their inmate
taking refuge in the British legation,
where all the other legations and guards
gathered for more effective defense. Four
hundred persons were crowded IN It's
narrow compass. Two thousand native
converts were assembled in a nearby
palace under protection of the foreign
ers. Lines of defense were strengthened
trenches dug, ~barricadeS raised and prep
arations made to stand a siege, which
at once began. From JUNE 20 until July
IT, writes Minister Conger, there was
scarcely an hour during which there was
not firing upon some par or our INES
and into some of the legations, varying
from a single shot to a general and con-
tinuous attack along the whole line" Ar
tiIlery was placed around the legations
and on the overlooking palace walls, and
thousands of 3-inch shot and shell were
fired, destroying some buildings and dam
gazing all. So thickly did the balls rain
that, when the ammunition OF the De-
Sieged ran low, five quarts of Chinese
Al L
compound and recaSt.
Attempts were made to burn the lega-
tons by setting neighboring houses on
fire, but the flames We're successfully
gian, Italian and Dutch legations were
then and subsequently burned.
To save life and ammunition the be-
sieged sparingly returned the lncessant
fire of the Chinese soldiery, fighting only
to repel attack or make an occasional
successful sortie for strategic advantage,
such as that of ffty-fve Americans, Brit
ish and Russian Marines, led by Captain
Myers of the United States Marine corps,
which resulted in the capture of a for
midabIe barricade on the wall that grave
ly menaced the American position. 1t
was held to the last and proved an In
valuable acquisition, because commanding
the water gate through which the relief
column entered.
During the siege the defenders lost
sixty-fve killed, l35 wounded and seven
by disease-the last all children.
On July IA the besieged had their first
communication with the tsungli-yamen,
from whom a message came inviting to
a conference, which was declined. Cor
respondence, however, ensued and a sort
of armistice was agreed upon, which
stopped the bombardment and lessened
the rifle fire for a time. Even then no
protection whatever was atforded, nor any
aid given, ave to send to the legations
n small supply of fruit and three sacks
of flour.
Indeed, the only communication had
with the Chinese government related to
the occasional delivery or dispatch of a
telegram or to the demands of the ts1ng1
yamen for the withdrawal of the legation
TO the coast under escort. Not only are
the protestations of the Chinese govern
ment that it protected and Succored the
legations positively contradicted, but ir-
resistible proof accumulateS that the at
lacks upon them were made by imperial
troops, regularly uniformed, armed and
differed, belonging to the command or
jung Lu, the imperial commandments
chief. DEGREES encouraging the Boxers,
organizing them under prominent I'M
perial officers, provisioning them and even
granting them large sums in the name
of the empress dowager are known to
exist. Members of the tsungli-yamen VINO
counseled protection of the foreigners
were beheaded. Even in the distant prov
inces men suspected of foreign sympathy
were put to death, prominent among
these being Chang Yen Hooh, formerly
Chinese minister in Washington.
With the negotiation of the partial ar
mistice of July IA, a proceeding which was
doubtless promoted by the representations
of the Chinese envoy in Washington, the
Way was opened for the conveyance to
MI. Conger of a test message sent by
the secretary of state through the Kind
offices of Minister WI Ting Fang. Mr..
Conger's reply, dispatched from Pekin on
July IS through the same channel aftord-
ed to the outside world the first tidings
+ba+ +ha inmates of the legations were