The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-21
ESCAPE OF PRINCE TUAN
The Empress and Possibly Others of
the Royal Family Gone.
THE CESSATION OF HosTILlTlEs BEGGED
The Request Preferred by Earl Ii. As China
Has Not Complied With Our Demands,
This Government is Not Disposed
to Grant II.
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington. Aug. 20.-T'he American
reply to China's latest appeal for a cessa-
tion of hostilities. received today from
Lii Hung Chang, has not yet been made
known, and it is likely that the matter
will be one Of the main subjects of consid-
GRAFTON at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
But there is reason to believe that the
overtures will be in effect rejected, on the
ground that the conditions laid down in
the American note of August 18th have
not been complied with, and until COM
piled with the Governments course must
proceed without reference to Chinas de-
sires for halt in the proceedings. The
dispatch of August 18th said specifically
that the United States was ready to enter
into an agreement between the powers
and the Chinese Government for cessa-
tion of hostilities on condition that the
relief forces should be permitted ito en-
ter Pekin unmolested." and escort the
iegationers therefrom, under such cir
cumStances as the commanding general
might lay down. But up to the present
time there is no evidence that the allied
forces are unmolested at Pekin, or have
received the sanction of the Imperial
Government to convey the legationers to
Tien Tsin without further trouble and
under the conditions laid down by he
commanding general. On the contrary,
all of the dispatches indicate that the al
lies are meeting stubborn resistance and
there is an entire lack of compliance
with the conditions laid down by the Uni
ted States in it's dispatch of August 18th.
As stated. however, the Government has
given no authority of it's purpose. in re-
ply to China's application of today and
there is still slight chance that complete
compliance with the demands of August
18th may be announced in the Pehi1 dis
patches before the final determination on
the reply is made. But the disposition
tonight is clearly in the line indicated.
China's latest application for peace ne
gotiations was received early today az
the Chinese Legation and was transmit
ted by Mr.. WI to the State Department.
Secretaries Hay and Root were out of the
city, but Acting Secretary of State Adee
went over the subject with the President.
Earl Lis request is that the United
States shall name Minister Conger, or
some other official, to act as peace envoy
for the cessation of hostilitics. He ex-
pressed his willingness to 60 to such point
as the powers may desire and under the
intimations made, it is thought that Pel,in
or Tien Tsin would be selected for the
negotiations. The Chinese ENJOY pro-
posed no terms as to the withdrawal of
troops and made no other suggestion as
to what was to come before the commits
sion, his sole anxiety being to secure the
cessation of hoStilties. The application
is understood also - have been, made to
the other powers in the hope that if ell
would name a comm ssioner. there would
be general council OF peace tetween Ii
Hung Chang on the o1c hand and the sew
eral representatives of the nations on
the other. Aside from the fact that the
conditions of August 18th have not yet
been complied with by China it is proba-
bic that this Government would desire to
take sufficient time to learn what the
other powers intend doing on the same
line, as all are acting in unison. More
over, there are some unexplained features
OF LII Hung Changs application, one of
them being that while he asks the allies
to cease hostilities he gives no assurance
that he has the power to make the Chi
nese ar-av and the rebellious Boxers
cease their hostilites.
The situation at Pekin was made more
clear today from many sources. The lat
est advice appears to be that from Con-
sui Fowler. at Che Foo. repeating a dis
patch received from Consul Ragsdale at
Tien Tsin. The latter reports "Chinese
troops surrounded in palace grounds"
The Japanese Legation received dis
patch of the same general tenor, but
more in detail, stating that the Chinese
troops retreated on the 18th within the
imperial palace and that they were sur
rounded there, with the Japanese military
headquarters located in the Japanese Le-
CATION. Admiral Remey also transmitted
an authentic report from Pekin on the
18th, saying: Troops moving on the I'm
perial city, These several dispatches
from different sources. establish clearly
that the imperial palace and grounds were
under siege. But not one of the dis
patches is clear as to how late this con-
dition cs affairs existed. The Fowler
dispatch is the latest to be received and
is dated the goth, but probably that is
the date on which it left Tien Tsin.
The Japanese dispatch also refers to the
Chinese taking refuge in the Imperial
Palace on the 18th, but does not bring
the situation beyond that day. So that
the latest information while showing the
Imperial city surrounded. does not dis