The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03
THE Chinese SITUATION
Natives Of the North Threatened
With Starvation.
Advices Received by Steamer Pro-
nounce Conditions as Critical.
warning From Correspondent
Respecting the Policy of With
drawing Troops From peIzin.

| VICTORIA. B. c.. Nov 3.-The latest ad-
vices. received by the steamer Queen AIDE
| iaide. from Pekin, are to the effect that the
| Chinese capital is now very quiet. In
| deed. save for the midday gun, no firing is
heard.
| The streets were gradually filling with
| Chinese. all of the coolie class returning
| and being engaged by the different troops.
Hawkers Of vegetables and fruits were de-
| ing thriving trade, and as they spread
| the news of good treatment they were in
ducing others to return. The country
around Pekin was deserted, the crops be-
| ing allowed to go to seed. This, says a
correspondent, is noticed all the way from
| Pekin TO TieHtsin. The misery during the
! winter among the poorer classes in Pekin
alone is too awful to anticipate. Legation
street was being daily blocked with traffic,
| chiefly provisions, which were arriving in
enormous quantities for the japanese They
were getting in stuff for the winter, as well
| as the Germans who expected to be re-
enforced considerably
The Pekin correspondent Of the "Narth
emma Daily News" throws out a warn
! ing He says: with troops leaving Pc
I'm and none entering and cut off from
| all communication in the depth of winter
! can lo,OC0 men hold such a large civ as it
! IS against a large invading force. should
one appear? Should the Government. if
enc appears. be accepted by the powers.
what security could it give that another
massacre would not occur and how will
the enormous indemnity be paid?''
The Tientsin correspondent Of the
Shanghai Mercury" says that as the -e-
suit OF ten months drought the DeopIe
! 81 that province would soon be dying like
lies, unless step were taken to relieve the
Inevitable distress of which Indications
were daily growing more and more in evil
deAce- Mr. Middleton had arrived in Tien-
| tsin on q very important mission in this
connection The Vtneroys of the Yaugtze
! through Director OF Railways and Tele-
/ graphs Sheng, had despatched him to the
consular body Of Tientsin to propose the
| immediate formation of relief commit
! tee and to offer for distributor the whole
| OF the tribute of rice now in the gOdOwns
! twarehouses) at Tientsin. and about 49,
/ coo bags and 10000 picuIs at Shanghai for
| distribution
| The Chinese viii, however, not give the
rice up TO military committee. and now
upward of four million people have star
yation staring them in the face but red
/ tape and childish subservisncs to the mill
/ tary etiquette viii not allow of succor
for the starving millions. Relief orks
are planned where the Iaborers Will get
20 OF 80 cents per day The consuIS how
{ ever. refuse TO fall in at all with the pro-
I posals of Mr.. Middleton, who says that,
while the authorities at Tientsin may is
sue pToclamauons promising food TO the
/ Chinese, there are many towns and VIII
| lagos where the natives will not go to
Tientsin to take advantage OF the prof
! fered food, preferring massacre or Ill
/ treatment at the hands OF the foreign
| troops.
| The correspondent says the famine
question is one that merits prompt atten-
] nv h - sS tIxa+ a
/ decision viii be arrived at which viii re-
/ dound TO the credit of the nations. I'm
| less there is a way out of the difficulty
| which has been oecasioned by the refusal
! of the eonsuIs to fall in with the phiIan-
| throfie proposal Of Mr.. Middleton it
means the extinction of these northern
/ people by starvation Something should
be done whereby this offer of one million
piculs of rice can be closed with while
there is time before the river freezes.
Something should be done, he says, for
the credit of Christendom.