New-York tribune., 1900-07-16
CHINA'S DOWNFALL CERTAIN
PROVINCES TO FALL INTO THE HANDS
OF FOREIGNERS.
Copyright: 1900: By Tie New-York Tribune.l
(By CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l

Copyright: 1900: BY Tie New-York Tribune.l
my CABLE TO THE rRIBUNE.l
London, July 16, l a. m.-Admralty and
| press dispatches from Tien-Tsin cover weeks OF
| news, but are silent respecting the awful mys-
| terry at Pekng. Incessant artillery practice was
maintained by the Chinese from July 3 to July Q
upon the foreign quarter and four unsuccessful
assaults made upon the positions of the
| allies.
| The British and Americans made futile efforts
! to capture the Chinese guns and this sortie was
! followed by a vigorous night attack by the be-
| siegers 1t became necessary the Chinese
were receiving reinforcements from Peking and
bringing up heavy guns, for the allies to make a
| strong counter attack. This was done July
8. After two days bombardment the Japanese
troops turned the Chinese position, drove out
the enemy and captured four guns, while the
remaining allied forces destroyed the western
arsenal and took two guns
The Chinese attacked the railway station early
on the morning of July IL. and were repused
after desperate fight The casualties Of the
allies In the first engagement were light but
$50 were killed and wounded in the second
battle.
The official record ends on July II, when !, 800
fresh American troops arrived at Tien-Tsin
Dispatches in Fleet Street last night indicated
that the allies were holding their ground, but
were in need of large reinforcements.
The Japanese onset upon the Chinese positions
irresistible, but the enemy had quickly
rallied and delivered a we'll planned night at
tack
A great war has opened in China, with the
japanese in the front line and with the heaviest
reserves Immediately available. Three Amer
lean battaliOns and about thirteen thousand
japanese troops have reached Tien-Tsln since
these two battles were fought, so that the allied
forces now exceed twenty-five thousand men,
with contingents slowly dribbling into Taku.
War has not been formally declared. but it is
in progress, with every indication that 1t will
continue indefinitely until the Government now
in power is overthrown and the empire broken
up into series of European and Japanese prov
inces and protectorates.
The retreat of the allied forces from Tien-Tsin
would be followed by outbreaks against the
foreigners in all the provinces. They are com
PEELED to halt where they are and to hold their
ground by hard fighting, and a campaign begun
with other motive than that of securing
vengeance and reparaton for the massacre of
the legations will involve sacrifices and expendi-
lures for which territorial cessions are indis-
pensable.
This may not be the American view. but the
Russians, japanese. Germans, Italians and
French already have their eyes fixed upon future
provinces and conquests. and the English will
find another Indiasin Central Asia.
The Governor of Shan-Tung has either re-
vealed or invented another detail Of the defence
of the legations. This is a sorte of the Euro
pean troops by which two hundred Boxers were
killed. This incident is said to have been fol-
lowed by the mounting of two guns which could
command the legations.
The Chinese Minister at Toxic has also re-
ceved a dispatch from official sources which !
leads him to impute the responsibility for the |
murder OF the German Minister and the other |
foreigners to Vice-AdmiraI Seymour's march and |
the Taku bombardment.
There are other dark hints from Chinese |
sources but there is decisive information re- |
specting the fate of the legations. Nothing less
than cipher dispatch from Minister Conger re- |
ceived at Washington would be accepted here |
as evidence that miracle had been wrought |
and that an appalling catastrophe involving the |
ultimate destruction Of the empire had been |
averted.
Nobody was looking for that sequel when I |
made my midnight round and what men were |
talking about some practical form of ven |
geance for a crime without a parallel Some |
that Peking should be burned to the |
ground, and others that the Imperial Palace and |
the temple should be destroyed. INF