Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-06-14

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 13-Off1-
cial dispatches received in diplomatic
quarters in Washington show that the
rioting in Pckin has reached an acute
stage. with e rioters directing num-
Der of their assaults against members
Of the different foreign legations there.
One OF these dispatches states that the
secretary of the Belgian legation was
attacked two successive times on Mon
day, and escaped after being maltreated
by the mob. On the same day two off,
ials OF the British legation, serving as
student interpreters, were attacked by
large crowd of roughs. the young
Englishmen held the attacking party
back for a time, but when the mob
threatened to close in on them, drew
revolvers and by show of force, made
their retreat without bodily injury.
About the same time the British sum-
fer quarters, fourteen miles from Pekin,
were burned down. These quarters
were quite extensive and had just been
completed. They belonged to the Brit
ish government and not to Sir Claude
Macdonald, the British minister at
Pekin, which gives added significance
to the depreciation. The killing of the
chancellor of the Japanese legation at
Pekin, Sugiyama Akira, is not referred
to in the official dispatches received
here, but full credit is given to this by
the Japanese officials who
Are Personally Acquainted
with Mr.. Akira, and with many of the
circumstances detailed.
The killing of member Of the dip
lomatic body, and the foregoing as
saults upon the officials OF foreign
countries are regarded as presenting
the most serious phase of the situation
that has thus far occurred.
The Japanse Charge d'Affaires in
Washington, Mr.. Keiziro Nabeshima,
said to-day:
I'VE have nc official confirmation of
the killing of our chancellor at Pekin.
but there appears to be no doubt of the
fact and it presents a most serious
condition The chief offense is against
Japan, but aside from that, it is against
the entire diplomatic body at Pekin,
for If any Of them is subject to such
assault, they all share in the same dan
ger. | was personally acquainted with
Mr.. Akira, as he served under me in
the foreign Office at Toxic, while |
was chief of the division of protocols
He was bright young man, about 80
years old, and had wife and four
children. He was one of the most
expert photographers in Japan, and
this gained him the post of chancel-
tor at Pekin, where he went about three
years ago.
Mr.. Nabeshima said the Japanese
government had pursued the utmost
reserve up to this time, not wishing
to be open to any suspicious, but he
felt that If this tragedy had occurred
Energetic Action Would be Taken.
One of the most significant features
of the affair, in his judgment, was that
the killing was reported to have been
done by the troops of the Empress
Dowager and not by any lawless mob.
While there might be some excuse for
mob depredations Mr.. Nabeshima said
it would be difficult to take amy favor
able view of an attack by Chinese SOL
diers on the officials of foreign gov
ernments.
The burning of the British summer
quarters is considered another attack
upon an official institution, which is
quite different from an attack upon 4
private citizen. For some time there
has been difficulty in securing the
necessary permit to put up summer
quarters in the hills outside Pekin,
but this finally was granted and the
quarters were made large enough to
accommodate the entire British estab-
lishment in China. These included
the minister and his staff of secretar-
les and attaches; also seven student in
terpreters who had gone out from
England to learn Chinese and fit
themselves for the post of interpreters,
besides servants. The buildings would
have been occupied within the next
few days, and during the summer
would have constituted tie British
legation.