The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-12
CHINA'S NEW CAPITAL
ESTABLISHED 800 MILES FURTHER
IN THE INTERIOR
IN STRONGLY FORTIFIED CITY
The Imperial Family Refuses to Be-
turn 30 Pek1n-Fear of the Allied
Forces One of the Reasons Given.
American Forces Refuse to Part1c1-
pate I'm Further Military Expeditions.
The Question of Punishments Con-
sidered Disposed of.

" IL ~
induce the Chinese imperial court to re-
turn to Pekin has failed, after a weeks
persistent effort on the part Of the pow
ers. News to that effect was brought
to the state department today by the
Chinese minister, who received it via
St. Petersburg from Viceroys Liu Kun
Yin and Chang Chin Tung, under date
of October 4th. Minister WI received
the message last night. 1t was as fol-
Lows:
THE departure of their imperial
majesties for fShen 81 province was due
to distressing conditions at Tai Yuen
Fl. There is a scarcity of food supple.
lin the province of Shan ST on account
.1of long continued drought and the pro-
Vlnc1aI capital CTai Yuen) is almost de-
serted, the trades people having left
on account of the disturbances caused
and continued for months by the Boxer
rebels who had invaded that province
with the encouragement of Governor
Yu- Their majesties, therefore,. were
Obliged to proceed to Shen ST, where
Geographic communication with Shane-
hal and other parts of the empire Ia
$1,000 N~AAN "lIn
their majesties may, therefore, be car
rled on; the court and official bust
ness may be transacted more expedi-
tiously by their presence in Shen ST
rather than in Shan ST. The reasons
for the temporary p~ostponement of their
ma1esties return to Pekin are the pres
ence of the allied forces there, on ac-
count of which SolicitouS fear is, doubt
less, entertained, besides a dread of
the outbreak of epidemic diseases which
usually follow after great disturbances.
destruction of property and military
operations. 1t is hoped the powers will
be considerable in their judgment in this
matter"
The important feature of the mes
sage is the confession that the court
Is restrained by fear of the allied forces
from returning to Pekin. The move
ment k the emperor and empress
dowager about 300 miles further away
from Pekin, though, according to the
statements contained in the message,
by reason Of direct Geographic COM
munication with Shanghai, the court
practically will be nearer, for purposes
of negotiation, with the outside world
than it was at Tai Yuen. Minister WI
has been Informed also that Viceroy
Yu, of the province just vacated by
the court, has been impeached because
of his anti-fOreign tendencies, which
is the first step toward his degradation.
II Is Sdlu there are no boxers IN the
newly chosen locality, so that the court
will ave thrown off the hostile infu-
enc recently surrounding it.
The only disquieting feature of the
comes from Japanese advices,
stating that the new point of location
is strongly fortified, which is some in
dicatiOn that the imperial family is still
in flight and is seeking tronger de-
lenses, but the friendly viceroyS and
Minister WI do not share in this view.
The minister considers the question
of punishment practically disposed of
by the edict of the emperor and the
German II American notes exchanged
last week. The only difficulty he APP
prehendS is in case the foreign minis
tiers seek TO designate certain persons
who shall be punished in addition to
those which the government itself
marks for punishment. Such a course
by the ministers. he says, would be
ard to comply with, but he looks to the
sagacity of Lii Hung Chang and Prince
Ching to overcome any such difficulty.
ATTACKED BY TRIADS.
Hong Kong, October S.-The town OF
San Chun is quiet this morning and the
stores have e ~reopened. The rebels
who attacked Sal Wan, near San Chun,
Saturday, are believed to belong to tbs
force of TriadS which is proceeding
westward levying blackmail and re-
cruiting. The missions in the Hinter-
land are safe.
CAPTURE OF SHAN Hal KUAN
FORTS.
ST. Petersburg, October S.-Admiral
Alexieff, in reporting the occupation OF
Shan Hal Kuan on the gulf OF LaiC
Tung says: I'm accordance with ar
agreement of the admirals, the forts
nations. The town has not been occu-
pied. but the gates are guarded BY
artillery. The forts are nearly intact
n the whole route from Pong Ken t
Shan Hal kuan IS now occupied by the
Russians. After the occupation OF
Shan Hal Kuan the Americans refused
to further participate in the operations
Part of the Russian force is advancing
northward."
THE AMERICANS WILL NOT PAR
TTCIPATE.
Pekin, October 4, via Tien Tsin, DC
tober z, and Shanghai, October 9Th
American troops will not participate
in the expedition to a Ting Flu. Ger
.eral Chaffee has the assurance OF L
Hung Chang that If the allies desir'
Pao Ting Flu, the Chinese will surren
der the city. Ii Hung Chang has giver
the same assurance to the other gen
erals. The Americans believe that re
venge and military display are the onl!
objects Of the expedition and they holt
thai it will retard h restoration O
peace.
The Russians are understood 10 hav,
practically abandoned the railroad an
to have stopped it's reconstruction
General Chaffee avors h return o
the railroad to its owners and its re
construction and operation on q join
international basis. The first reinforce
ments Of German troops have arrive,
here.
General Yamaguchi will retain 1000
Japanese troops, 1000 OF them at Pc
kin and the others at Taku and alon'
the line OF communications. Eigh
thousand Germans will pass the w1nte
in Pekin and fifteen hundred Russian.
The number of British Il oops who wi
be retained has not been decided 81
Alfred Gaselee Will probably keep
brigade. The allies are storing SUP
plies for six months. Count Won wa
dersee's headquarters VIII De 20