Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-06-09
THE CRISIS IN CHINA
Events Demanding the Speedy At
tention Of the Powers.
RUssIA's OFFER AS PBAoEMAKER

The Cznr's Government Willing ia
Send Troops to QueII the Boxers,
hut Chinese Deny, Despite Contrary
Evidence, That the Offer Was Made.
London, June IA special dispatch
from Shanghai dated June 6 says the
members of the majority of the lega-
lions at Pekin, including the members
of the British legation, are sending
their families away. 1t is also said
that several prominent Chinese resi-
dents are leaving the city.
There is an unconfirmed report that
two Russian engineers have been muir
dered at Yu Chow Flu, northwest Of
Port Arthur, after their wives had been
outraged.
The total damage done to the Chi
nese railroads by the Boxers is now
estimated at S5,000,000
The United States government yes
terday sent a cablegram to Admiral
Remey, at Manila, directing him TO
dispatch at once to Admiral Kempff 8
command the gunSoat Helena, or if
that craft is not at Manila and ready
for immediate service, then some craft
of correspondingly light draft and
power.
The situation is growing steadily
worse at Pekin. Events move with
such rapidity and affairs, owing to the
excitement of the natives, are SO
critical that the foreign ministers held
frequent meetings. They feel the need
of free hand for energetic action,
without a perpetual reference to the
home governments.
Sir Claude Macdonald, the British
minister, is wiring for rs more ma
rines.
Native employees who have returned
from Feng Tai say they left the Box
ers openly drilling in the adjacent viii
lage.
A strong imperial edict, issued last
evening, censures the "cowardliness of
the imperial troops" and orders the
viceroy of Pc Chi Lii and Gen. Jung Lu
Immediately to suppress the Boxers.
The Pekin correspondent of The
Times telegraphs: mo train either
/ left or arrived at Pekin Tuesday. Fur
1 Their damage to railways is reported.
The Boxer movement is spreading I'M
checked throughout the province. Not
one Boxer has yet been arrested or
punished Anxiety is increasing re-
garding the fate of the missionaries at
the various stations. At the meeting
! of the tsung-li-yamen Tuesday the
! Japanese minister discussed the offer
1 of M. De Giers, Russian minister, to
! give the assistance of the Russian
/ troops in quelling disturbances. The
/ tsung-li-yamen denied that the offer
/ had been made, but Russia did make
it, and the Chinese government is
/ quite capable of accepting such assist
ance."
The Morning Post has the follow
ing dispatch from Pekin, dated yester-
day: Report says that the court
party is collecting inside the city.
Consequently there is increased I'M
easiness."
1t is generally considered that in
tervention in some form is necessary.
That affairs in China are gradually
working up crisis of the first magni-
tude is everywhere acknowledged. The
morning papers think that the British
squadron is recognized as inferior in
strength to the Russian, as well as to
the Japanese.
The Daily Telegraph says: I'VE re-
greet that Great Britain is too much oc
cupied in South Africa to settle the
Chinese business with a strong hand"
The Daily Chronicle says 1.-THE
foreign Office ought to publish the dis
patches of Sir Claude Macdonald
british minister at Pekin), following
the course of the United States in
publishing Mr.. Conger's."
Rev. Mr.. Sowerby, who has worked
for 20 years in China and who has just
reached London from PaO Ting Flu.
said to press correspondent:
THE Boxers are the scum of the
population. They have no uniform or
ganiZation, nor any official leaders.
! Formerly they carried broadswords,
but now they have well managed mod
ern weapons. undoubtedly supplied by
the imperial family. Before drilling
they throw themselves on the ground,
| work themselves into a frenzy and
then believe themselves invulnerable.
| The empress dOwager has fOstered an
otherwise unimportant movement be-
cause of the wholesale desertions from
her army under Gen. Tung, the i'm
perial troops believing that war with
some foreign power is imminent.
THE empress dowager, who be-
comes more intensely anti-foreign as
time passes, has been greatly annoyed
by the work of the Germans at Kiao
| Chou She desires to use force to
stop the reform movement and is ready
to defy the European powers. If the
Boxers are permitted to invade Pekin
the result will undoubtedly be disas-
trous to foreign missions, which are
isolated and spread over large area"
Indianapolis, June There is a
mysterious package in the postofice at
Muneie that the government officers
here are trying to get possession of.
1t is addressed to Charles F. w. Nicely,
care of Union National bank, Muncie,
and bears the postmark of San Jose,
Costa Rica. The parcel reached Mum