The sun., 1900-07-28
DEFEAT FOR CHING.
Tien-tsin Dispatch Indicates That
EnvOys Were Alive Up to July 10.


London, July 2T.-The Belgian consul
at Shanghai reports that servant of the
GermaA minister who left Picking on Ju-
ly 8 states that the British legation was
only attacked at night and, if resupplied,
he believed could hold out.
A dispatch received in Berlin, dated
Tien-tsin, Tuesday July 24, says:
'A messenger who left peking on Sun
day, July Is, brought today to the GUS
toms officer here news that Prince Ching's
soldiers had been lighting Prince Tung's
lTuan's? troops and had been defeated.
'The foreigners were defending them
selves in the northern cathedral, near
the Forbidden City"
Reports from Shanghai reiterate the
allegation that the surviving members of
the diplomatic corps have already left
Peking on their way to Ticn-tsin and add
that the foreigners are being escorted by
troops of Jung-ilu, commander in chief
of the Chinese forces. This move is
stated to be the outcome OF very stormy
interviews between Ii Hung Chang and
the foreign consuls and to have been tax:
en- in the hope of abating the wrath Of
the powers and delaying the advance of
the allies toward Peking
The report of the departure of the min
listers from Peking had led to a reasser-
tion here of the belief that there is a
deep laid plan by China to conceal the
date of the massacre at Peking, the sug-
gestion being that Chinese officials will
claim that the ministers left Peking un-
der q strong escort, but were ambushed
and massacred by Boxers en- route to
Tien-tsin. However, although it is still
believed that massacre has occurred in
the foreign colony at Peking, the disposi-
tion now is to think the ministers them
selves were somehow rescued from
tragic fate.
Advices received from the same source
state that half the foreigners in Peking
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 letter had been received
from Sir Claude Macdonald, the British
minister to China, under date of Peking,
July g. The dispatch is as follows:
shanghai July PA letter just re-
ceived here from Sir Claude Macdonald,
dated Peking, July 8, is as follows:
"'We are receiving no assistance from
the authorities. Three legations are still
Tie IpTlIlSu. we ulsO
hold part Of the city walls. The Chinese
are shelling us from the city with a 3
inch gun and some smaller ones and are
sniping us. We may be annihilated any
day. Our ammunition and food are short.
1--WE would have perished by this time
only the Chinese are towards and have
no organized plan OF attack. If we are
not pressed, we may hold out fortnight
longer; otherwise four days at the ut
most. / 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.
1.-The losses of the foreigners in Peking
up to July 6 were 40 killed and 80
wounded"
Some of the statements above are strik-
ingly similar to the published version of
Sir Claude Macdonald's letter of July 4.
If not the same letter, the Chinese artiI-
lery would appear to be strangely inef-
fectiye, as the casualties were the same,
according to the letters Of both dates.
The hypothesis that this is the July 4
letter is strengthened by the fact that the
Belgian foreign office this morning re.
ceived dispatch from Shanghai under
today's date mentioning the receipt of a
letter from Sir Claude Macdonald dated
Iulv 4