The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-01
DOUBT GIVES WAY
TO CERTAINTY
The Legationers Were Alive
On July 22nd.
AND PROBABLY ALIVE NOW
Is the Chinese Government in Sympa-
thy With the Boxers or Not?
THIS QUESTION PERPLExEs THE POWERS
Il is Proposed to Test, by Proposing For the
Chinese to Assist the Allied Powers
in Stamping Out the
lncurroni;on
lnsurrection.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
London August 1.-(Wednesday, 4
a. MA sensational Shanghai cor
respondent still hints that the Chinese
are juggling with dates; but in face
of the constantly accumulating evil
dence that the ministers were safe on
July 22d. and despite the omission
from all the dispatches of anxiously
desired information regarding the real
situation, political and otherwise, at
Pekin, there are very few in London
who do not believe the dispatches
genuine and reliable.
The allies now confront most diff
ficult and dangerous problem. With
out doubt the ministers are held by
the Chinese as hostages; and the out
come of the advance on Pellin, which
in all probability has already begun,
will be waited with intense anxiety.
Today's dispatches show that the
allies, notably the Japanese, have
been pushing their preparations with
feverish haste, organizing a service
of pack carts, trains and junks. 1t
is reported from Berlin that Lieuten-
ant General Won Lessel, commanding
the German forces in China, whom
Emperor William has just promoted
to the rank of General commanding
an army corps, has been selected as
commander-in-chief of the allied
forces.
The Chinese are strongly entrench-
ed at Wang Tsun, from which posi-
ton, however, it is believed they can
be iected without great diffiuclty. The
danger is that, if defeated there, the
Chinese will retire on Pekin and put
the remainder of the Europeans to
death.
1t is also reported that the advance
of the allies will be the signal for
the Chinese authorities to compel all
foreigners to quit the capital in which
event they might become the prey of
the fanatical Boxers.
The feeling of the newspapers here
is that nothing whatever should not
delay the advance and that no negotia-
tions of any kind should be counte-
nanced until the allied troops reach
Pekin and assure themselves regard
ing the fate Of the foreigners.
Il.
Washington, July 31.-Doubt has given
way to a feeling akin to certainty that
the legationers at Pekin and the gallant
marines who managed to reach the Chi
nese capital just in the nick of time,
were not only alive on July 22nd, but,
In all probability, are still alive and
likely to remain SO until they are re-
leased from their state of siege. The
officials here feel certain that the at
tack by the Chinese on the legations will
not be renewed They are convinced that
the counsels of the viceroys in the great
Southern and central provinces, and the
advice of Lii Hung Chang have a defect
and that whoever is in power in Pegin,
whether Emperor, Empress, Ching, Tuan
or Tung, now has been made to see the
necessity for the preservation of the le-
cations. The officials here, while anxious
that the movement on Pekin begin at
once, do not attach credence to the ru-
NOR mentioned by General Chaffee that
that the forward march was to begin to
day. There are two reasons for their in
creduility. In the first place Chaffee's S
force, his splendid cavalry and his battery
of artillery are what are exactly neces-
sary to strengthen a weak spot in the
international column In the second place
(and information on this point comes
through European channels) some of the
foreign commanders are still of the opin
ion that they cannot begin the campaign
before the last week in August at the
earliest. The United States Government
never has acceded to this view and is re-
laxing no effort to bring about a change
of plans on this point. But our represen-
tations have been met by the almost un-
answerable argument that the decision
be left to the military commanders on the
spot who must bear the responsibility
for the outcome of the expedition.
A rather startling proposition was adj
vanced today which, if adopted, might put
at once to the test the Chinese profess
sion that the Boxers and not the Chi
nese Government are responsible for
what has happened in Pekin. This was
to the effect that the Chinese Govern
ment should be informed that the inter-
national force was prepared to take that
Government at it's word and to join forces
with it in crushing out the insurrection
The kernel of just such a proposition is
10 be found in the last condition laid
down by the President in his reply to the
appeal fthe Emperor Kwang Su, and
there may be a development in that
direction shortly.
Secretary Root says that nothing that