, 1900-07-28
MINISTERS LEAVE
EN- ROUTE TO TEN TSIN. ESCORT
ED BY JUNG LUIS
TROOPS.
Macdonald Writes Again-lIe Says
But For the Fact That the Rebels
Have No Organized Plan of Attack
the Ministers Would Have Per
ished Already.

lterate the allegation that the surviv-
ing members of tn. diplomatic corps
have already left Picking on their way
TO . Tsin and adds that the foreign
ers are being escorted by troops of Jung
Lu, commander-in-chief Of the Chinese
forces.
This move is stated to be the out
come of very stormy interviews be
tween Ii Hung Chang and the foreign
cOnsuls, and have been taken in the
hope of abating the wrath of the pow
ers and delaying the advance of the al
lies toward Picking.
Advices received from the same
sources state that half Of the foreign
ers in Picking have been killed or
wounded or have died as the result of
the privations they had Undergone.
Simultaneously comes a cable dispatch
to the Daily Mail from Shanghai. an
nOuncing that a letter had been reCeiv-
ed from Sir Claude Macdonald. British
ihiSA w Shlhdt ulhtI idlt u fth-
ing, July 6, saying the legations were
under constant fire and hat three were
still standing, but hat the foreigners
were receiving no assistance from the
authorities. Owing to the cowardice of
the Chinese, Sir Claude wrote. it was
hoped the legations would be able to
hold out for a fortnight. but if they
were pressed their resistance could not
last more than four days at the utmost.
The text of the Shanghai dispatch to
the Daily Mail follows:
Shanghai, July PA letter just re-
ceived here from Sir Claude MacDon-
aid, dated Picking, July 6, follows:
I'VE are receiving no assistance
from the authorities. Three legations
are still standing, including the British.
We also hold part of the city walls.
The Chinese are Smelling us from the
city with a three-inch gun and some
may be annihilated any day. Ammuni-
ton and food are short.
We would have persisted by this
time only the Chinese are towards and
have no organized plan Of attack. If
We are not pressed we may hold out a
fortnight longer; otherwise four days
at the utmost.
-" anticipate only slight resistance
to the relief force
Sir Claude concludes by advising the
relief force to approach by the eastern
gate or by way of the river.
The losses of the foreigners in Pc
king up to July 6 were forty killed and
eighty wounded"
Some of the statements above are
strikingly similar to the published YER
sion Of Sir Claude MacDsnald's letter
of July A.. If not the same letter the
Chinese artillery woul' appear to be
strangely ineffective. as the casualties
were the anne according to the letters
of both dates. AS lending color to the
that the communications are
Identical, it may be stated hat the Bel
gian foreign office this morning reciev-
ed a dispatch from Shanghai under to-
days date, mentioning the receipt of
a letter from Sir Claude Macdonald
dated July 4, in which it was stated
that the besieged foreigners in Picking
were reduced to horse flesh. The Bel
gian consul at Shanghai also reported
that a servant of the German minister,
who left Picking July 8, states that
the British legation was only attacked
at night and if re-supplled he believed
could hold out.
The alleged departure of the minis
tiers from Picking has led to a reasser-
ton of the belief that the story is part
of a deep laid plan by China to conceal
the date Of the massacre at Picking, the
suggestion being that Chinese officials
will claim that the ministers left Pc
hiking under a strong guard, but were
ambushed and massacred by Boxers en-
route to Tien Tsin. However, although
it is still believed a massacre has oc-
Cured of the foreign colony at Picking,
the disposition now is to think the min
listers were somehow rescued from a
tragic fate.