The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-16
CHINESE WILL RESIST.
PGkIn'S Volts Gu0Ided BY 100. 900
InpeIi0I Troops.
RUSSIA SIDES WITH CHINA.
Foreign Ministers Virtually Pris-
OnerS in Pekin.

only the Presence of the Foreign
Guards Prevents the Mob From
Attacking the Ministers-Empress
DOwager Says No More Troops
Shall Enter the Sacred City-For-
eisn Troops StiII DeIayed-United
States May Have to Send Troops
From the PhiIippines-Taku Forts
May Soon BE Seized.
Tien Tsin, June 15.-The mixed forces,
It is reported, will attempt to seize the
Taku forts tonight
Gen. Mich is moving 2,5OOO troops from
Lu Tai TO Chun Liza Cheng. Gen. Tung's
Shanghai troops are moving to Pekin.
London, June 16-This is the situation
in China as it appears to the Shanghai
correspondent of the Daily Express, cab
ling last evening:
1T is really state of veiied war The
members of the foreign legations in Pc
kin are virtually prisoners; and the Chi
nese troops are only restrained from at
tacking them by fear of the legation
guards
Meanwhile the ministers are altogether
unable to communicate with the officers
commanding the relief column, which is
making an enforced and isolated halt be-
tween Tien Tsin and Pekin. The walls of
the capital are guarded by 100000 imperial
troops. The gates are heavily defended
with modern guns Gen. Tung, acting un-
der orders from the Empress Dowager,
says that no more foreign troops shall en-
ter the sacred city.
"On Monday the ministers sent a de-
mand to the Tsung Ii Yamen that the
gates be opened, declaring that otherwise
the foreign troops would enter forcibly
To this no reply was given. A second
message went unanswered, or had not
been answered when the latest news left
Pekin
'Sir Claude MacDonalds latest message
says. that the legations are capable of
sustaining an effective defense. unless at
tackled in force
Russia Sides with China.
Russia, this correspondent asserts, not
withstanding assurances to the contrary,
are already reported to be in the environs
Of Pekin, and the attitude of the Chinese
troops is increasingly menacing.
The streets of Pekin," continues the
correspondent of the Daily Express, "are
reported to be seethng with anti-foreign
mobs, clamoring- for the destruction OF
the legations and the death of the foreign
ministers. Even were the Tsung Ii va
men disposed to restrain the violence Of
the reactionaries, it is considered highly
improbable that they will be able 20 hold
them in check. For the foreign ministers,
the crisis win arise when the relief col
umn comes in sight of Pekin.
1T is still felt here that the foreign force
is wholly inadequate to battle with the
hordes of Chinese troops massed outside
the gates, which now include the imperial
troops from Shan Hal Kwan.'
English Messages Refused.
A disquieting element in the situation is
the fact that, although the Russo-Chinese
telegraph line from PeIin. via Kiakhta
eastern Siberia) is working again, the
transmission of English messages is
rigidly refused.
From Tien Tsin it is reported that the
foreign forces in the harbor will attack
the Taku forts, and if necessary bombard
them.
The International column appears. to be
still al Lang Fang. engaged in slowly re-
pairing the railway, which, according to
a dispatch from Tien Tsin to the Daily
Mail, dated June IA, cannot be effe ,ted for
weeks. The force is short of provisions,
and. as it is without field transport, it
must stick to the railway
The report that the mixed forces will
seize the Taku forts is taken 70 mean that
the foreign commanders expect no aid
from the Chinese government in repress-
ing the disorders and are determined to
make Taku secure as a base from which
TO operate.
n