The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-20

ter turn to the International situation. l,
furnishes Russia with a separate casus bell
which there is no room for doubt will be
acted upon immediately by means u an
Independent. expedition against Pekin from
the north. There is report, which we
accept with some reserve rs uosslbly pre-
mature. that the Car has handed his pass
ports to the Chinese Minister at St Pc
tersburg and requested him to leave the
country.
Up to the present time Russia has APP
.peared to be acting in harmony with the
otter powers, and has accepted the con-
vanient fiction that China, officially consid-
cred. is not at war with anybody, but that
the Government CT the Empire has beer
subverted by rebels who are engaged in
.hostiiities agains; their own authorities as
well as all foreigners. OF. course. except
for the purposes of diplomacy, this theory
is and always has been plainly nonsense.
The evidence is complete that the Chinese
Government has been preparing for ex-
actiy the present state of affairs for four
years. 1t Is now announced in Europe that,
within that time, various manufacturers d
known to have sold to China not less than
nine hundred thousand rifles OF the latest
patterns, and many hundreds CT guns, in
tluding modern siege and field artillery
and machine guns. During the same Pc
Rod the regular Chinese Army has been
constantly under drill and instruction by
German, Russian, and Danish officers, and
today is a weli-organized, well-trained, and
equipped force. under leaders who already
have displayed military ability.
1t is reported from Shanghai and Chefoo
that Prince Tuan, commander-in chief has
been able to mobilize force Of nine hun
dred and fifty thousand regulars. Grant
that this may be an exaggeration! 1t still
remains true that, considering arms which
China may have bought in the United
States or which have been turned out from
the Chinese arsenals, there are rifles in
the country for an army Of one million in
fantry. Long before the massacre in Pc
Min the Chinese regular forces were in
process OF mobilization; ostensibly in view
OF the Boxer movement; really in connec-
tisn with it and with the object which has
oauSC AS'Siofscu. 4ac cfiu 1ONCt nMSul .
innocence Of connection with the Boxer
outbreak is the innocence OF the Hanna
Administration Of any connection with the
trusts whose money supports it.
The Empress Dowager and the Manchu
princes of the imperial clan, who. to-
gether. form the Government at Pekin,
have been quietly but steadily preparing
for what has happened within the past two
months, ever since the close of the Chino
Japanese war. BY last autumn the Chi
nese Government thought itself strong and
ready enough to begin a hostile movement,
provided it could secure an alliance with
Japan against the remaining civilized pow
press Dowager proposed to the Mikado that
they should join hands. expel Russia from
Manchuria and the Amur country, Eng
land from Hongkong and the Yangtse VAL
ley. Germany from Kiao- Chou, and France
from Tonllin, and massacre all the Euro
pean and American dfplomatists, consuls
merchants, missionaries, women and chill
dren. and native Christians throughout the
empire. This news is a decided offset to
the Ii Hung Chang, sheng. and wu>stories
alleging the earnest desire of the Empress
Dowager to protect foreigners.
The proof is conclusive that the Impe-
rial Government deliberately organized the
Boxer movement and gave to 1t the anti
foreign direction it las taken, with a fiend-
ishly shrewd end in view. Hitherto there
has always been a widespread native Chi
nese opposition to the Manchu dynasty,
which has ruled in Pekin since the seven
teenth century. Manchu Tartars and Mon
golians have had but one sentiment in
common namely, hatred of foreigners and
particularly Of missionaries. A crusade
against foreigners under the cry Of China
for the Chinese" would unite all factions,
and the organization Of such q holy war
was made easy by the territorial agrees
siors OF Western powers. which convinced
the Cinnamon that their country was in
danger Of being stolen, and the sacred
graves Of their ancestors desecrated Thus
the Pekin Government skillfully protected
itself in advance against native rebellion,
OF. the utilization by the powers of any sur
viving antipathy to Manchu control of the
Country.
In every automatically reported case
since the nrst gun was fired in China, the
Boxers have co-operated with the regular
troops, obeying orders from the imperial
generals. But the actual nghting against
the allies has been admost entirely con-
med to regulars. It was regulars who
bombarded the legations with Krupp and
Cfeusot guns. assaulted them with infan-
tn In orderly tactical formation, and then
massacred. every man. woman, and child
surviving. A regularly organized Chinese
ARMY under apparently able commanders.
ana equipped with well-served artillery Is
operating at Tientsin. The authority OF
the central power at Pekin is everywhere
evident in the movements, dispositions. and
provisioning Of the military There is
NOT the slightest Indication Of division
Ct scounsels. nnr 81 clash Of factions. The
stsries a. q civil var bstween Tuan ana
Ching may ~ sst dowa - eoupietsly
apocsyphx1. LSlu M legation saIety lies
hey ~ adhered for he purpose e dslay.
n tAs g. that delay nay lead u. 1lsun-
~ 49, Ne allies.
II "a ~ foesGoins were. ~ sunlcient
q sstaos,6n ~ MT q = lsn4 e -, =.
a. mobtiixation d u ca111se 0eet rs !
ma ssu1o1a. n ~ u scsleA- !
- M - = o. Rl11s - i.ysiaea