The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-24
MYSTERY OF PEKIN
CONTRADICTORY STORIES FROM
CHINESE CAPITAL.
ARE MINISTERS DEAD OR NOT?
ONE REPORT STATES THEY WE'RE
ALIVE ON JULY Is.

Cninese Minister to England Said an
Effort Would BE Made to Have
Them Sent to Tien Tsin-Another
Communication Says Every For
eiSner in Pekin Was NiIled-Czar
Quoted Against Conquest OF
China.
London, July "a. a. m.-The Chinese
minister, Chih Chen Lo Feng Luh, has
communicated to the press the following
dispatch from Sheng, director general of
Chinese railways and telegraphs, dated
Shanghai, July %:
Information from Pekin, dated July IS,
says that the Tsung deputed
Won Jul. an under secretary of the de-
partment, to see the foreign ministers, and
he found everyone WELL without any miss
ing. the German minister excepted.
Gen. Yung Lu is going to memorialize
the throne to send them all under escort
to Tien Tsin, in the hope that the military
operations will then be stopped"
The Shanghai correspondent of the
Daily Mail, telegraphing July %, says:
"A letter from a Chinese official in
Shan Tung has been received by a native
functionary here, containing the following
passage:
AT the beginning of the month the
foreign missionaries (?) made several at
tempts to send messages out of Pekin
but, thanks to the strict watch kept on
the city, the bearers were all caught and
executed. On the 4th instant only 400 for
eigners. much exhausted, were left alive
in Pekin. and one night, when the big
guns were necessarily fired, it was known
that all the legations and the foreigners
were finished, although pretended tele-
grams contradict this fact"
Where Russia Stands.
The st. Petersburg correspondent of the
Daily Mail asserts that there are dit-
ferences of opinion in the Russian coun-
ell of war. The minister of war. Gen
Kouropatkn, wishes to send 100000 men
to clear the rebels out of Manchuria On
the other hand. according to this corre-
spondent, Emperor Nicholas wishes the
operations limited to the defense and pac-
i6cation of the frontier districts lie,
two strong armies. one of the allies in the
south and the other of the Russians In
the north, confront the. Chinese, and the
rising-so the Czar is said to argue-would
be bound TO collapse.
We want no conquests," he is report
ed to have declared at the conclusion of
a sitting of the council. What we de-
sire is to protect our frontiers and to
steer into smooth waters the Chinese ship
of state, now buffeted by the waves OF
civil war" 7z4s,atat
Wires to Pekin Arc Wanted.
There is nothing further this morning
that throws any light upon the mysterious
situation. Two urgent dispatches were ad-
dressed yesterday by the Chinese minister
to the Pekin government and to the direc-
tor of telegraph administration strongly
advocating the necessity of restoring tele-
graphic communica ton with a view of
enabling the Powers to obtain proof of
the safety of the foreign ministers. Until
such proofs are secured no one here is in
clned to alter the opinion that the Chi
nese are merely juggling to gain time.
Rumor circulates briskly around the
personality of Ii Hung Chang. He is
credited with a mission to offer to cede to
the allied Powers two provinces as in
demnity for the Pekin outrages and also
to offer to restore order and 10 give fa-
cilities for trade with the outside world
on condition of the surrender of Kiao
Chou, Wei Hal Wei and Manchuria by
the Powers and the withdrawal of all
missionaries. Little attention, however
need be paid 10 any of these rumors.
In a private message from Shanghai it
is asserted that Ii Hung Chang avows
that the object of his journey is to place
the regular Chinese army In line with the
allied troops for the suppression of the
Boxers. III
LII Hung Chang's Game.
The Times editorially suggests that Ii
Hung Chang is playing the old game of
the Sublime Porte by putting forward
proposals which win appear in different
degrees and ways to different Powers. 1t
says
president Mckinley has been asked to
mediate, and the request is facilitated by
the care which has been taken in Wash
ington not to commit the United States to
Indian troops are daily arriving at
Hong Kong. sThree transports reached
there yesterday, and two others have left
Hong Kong for Taku.
Reports from Canton say the city is
outwardly quiet, but chat there is strong
undercurrent of unrest among the Chi
nese. Only few European ladies have
left, many still remaining.
st. Petersburg dispatches represent the
situation in Manchuria as far more seri-
Gus than had been supposed Ia Is as
serted that the Chinese have occupied
Hailar, where the Russian railway staff
is surrounded and in desperate straits.
According to the st. Petersburg corre-
spondent of the Times, Gen Kouropatkln.
the Russian Minister of War. will prob