The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-16

Pekin Virtually Prisoners-litntsters
Unable to Communicate with the Re-
lief Column Russian Duplic,ty
Charged-TaIk of selzing Taku Forts
England May Draw Troops from
South Africa.
London, June 16.-This is the situa-
tion in China as it apears to the Sbang-
hal correspondent Of the Daily Express.
cabled last evening: 1T is really
state of yelled war. The members of
the foreign legations in Pekin are vir-
tually prisoners; and the Chinese troops
are only restrained from attacking
them by fear of the legation guards.
meanwhile the ministers are alto
gether unable to communicate with the
which is making an enforced and iso-
lated halt between Tien Tsin and Pc
kin The walls of the capital are guard
ed by 100000 imperial troops. The
gates are heavily defended with modern
guns. General Tung, acting under or
ders from the empress dowager, says
that no more foreign troops shall enter
the sacred city.
"On Monday the ministers sent de-
mand to the Tsung Lii Yamen that the
gates be opened, declaring that other
wise the foreign troops would enter for
chilly. To this no reply was given. A
second message went unanswered, or
had not been answered when the latest
news left Pekin.
''Sir Claude MacDonald's latest mes
sage says that the legations are capa-
BILE of sustaining an effective defense,
unless attacked in force. Russia, the
correspondent asserts, Notwithstanding
assurances to the contrary, sides with
China. Some foreign troops are already
reported to be in the environs of Pekin,
and the attitude of the Chinese troops is
increasingly menacing.
1.-The streets of Pekn," continues the
correspondent, are supposed to be seeth-
ing with anti-foreign mobs, clamoring
for the destruction of the legations and
the death of the foreign ministers. Even
were the Tsung Ii Yamen disposed to
restrain the violence Of the reaction
aries. it is considered highly improba-
BILE that they will be able TO hold them
in check. For the foreign ministers the
crisis will arise when the relief column
comes IN sight of Pekin. 1t is still felt
here that the foreign force is wholly in
adequate to battle With the hordes of
Chinese troops massed outside the
gates, which now include the imperial
troops from Shan Hai-Kwan.'
A disquieting element In the situation
is the fact that although the Russo
Chinese telegraph line from Pekin, via
Kia Khta eastern Siberia) is working
again, the transmission of English mes
sages Is rigidly refused. From Tien
Tsin it is reported that the foreign
forces in the harbor will attack the
Taku forts, and If necessary lombard
them.
An internal tional column appears to
be still at Lang Fang, engaged in slow
ly repairing the railway which, accord
ing to a dispatch from Tien Tsin to the
Daily Mail, dated June IA, cannot be
effected for weeks, The force is short |
Of provisions, and as it is without field |
transport it must stick to the railway. |
That the mixed forces will seize Taku |
forts is taken to mean that the foreign |
commanders expect no aid from the |
Chinese government in repressng the |
disorders and are determined to make /
Taku secure as a base from which to
operate.
The British government is considering
a substantial force should not |
be sent to China from South Africa 1t
is thought unofffcially that Lord Rob-
erts could spare a brigade or two, and
the necessary transports are now in
South African waters. The commander
of the expedition, it is said, would prob
ably be General Wir William Nichol-
son.
IL