The age-herald., 1900-10-09
MAKE MANY EXCUSES Real Cause is Fear of the AIIicd
 Forces. NO CHANGE IN THE SITUATION Minister Wu Gets Official Notice of the Departure of the Emperor and
 Empress Dowager for the
 Temporary Capital
lO CHANGE IN THE SITUATION

Washington, October S.-The effort to in. duce the Chinese imperial court to return to Pekin has failed after a week persistent effort on the part of the powers. News to that effect was brought to the State Dss partment by the Chinese minister, who res 1 ceived 1t via St. Petersbug from ViceroyS Liu Kun Yih and Chang Chih Tung, unde1 date of October 4. Mir Wu received the message last night. It was as followsi
 The departure of their mperial maJestiss for shen Si (province) was due to distresss ing conditions at Tai Yuen Ffn. There is a scarcity of food supplies In the province of Shen Si on account of long continued drought; and the provincial capital CTai Yuen) is almost deserted, the trades people having left on account of the disturbances caused and continued for months by the Boxers who had invaded that province.
 Their majesties, therefore, were obliged to proceed to Shen Si where telearaphia communication with Pekin and other points of the empire is opened, and rapid commu. nication with their majesties may there. fore be carried on; thus court and official business may be transacted more expedi. tiously by their presence in Shen ei rathep than In Shan Si. The reasons for the tenn. porary postponement of their majesties turn to Pekin are the presence of the allied forces there, on account of which soiicitous fear is doubtless entertained besides q dread of the outbreak of epidemic diseases which usually follow after great disturb- ances, destruction of property and military operations. It is hoped that the powers will be deliberate in their judgments In this matter"
 The important feature of this concession is that the court is restrained by fear of the allied forces returning to Pekin. The movement takes the Emperor and the Elm press Dowager about 300 miles further away from Pekin, though, according to the state- ments contained in the message. by reason of direct telegraphic communication with Shanghai, the court wiz be near for pur- poses of negotiation with the outside world while it Is at Tai Yuen. Minister Wu has been informed also that the viceroy, Yu, Of the province just vacated by the court, has been impeached because of his anti foreign tendencies, which is the first step toward his degradation.
 It is said that there are no Boxers in the newly chosen territory. As the dispatch is dated four days ago, 1t is taken that the trip of the imperial party began prior to that time. It will be slow and tedious, overland most of .--e way, with short stretch of river navigation.
 Singan was formerly the place of im- perial residence, and the ancient palaces are still there. The only disquieting feat ure Of the move comes by Spanish advices that the new point of location is strongly fortified, which Is some indication that the imperial family Is still in flight and is seeking stronger defense but the friendly Viceroys and Minister Wu do not share in this view. The minister considers the dues- tion Of punishments practically disposed of by the edict of the Emperor and the Ger man and American notes exchanged last week The only difficulty he apprehends is in case the foreign ministers seek to designate certain persons who shall be punished in addition to those which the government itself marks for punishment Such a course by the ministers, he says. would be hard to comply with, but he looks to the sagacity of u Hung Chang and Prince Ching to overcome any suah difficulty.