The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-16
CHINA

Who can unravel the Chinese compH-
cation? who can tell why lurid reports
Of the slaughter of the ministers were
circulated? Who can tell why the min
listers were not allowed to commune
cate with their respective governments,
and why at length they were? 1t does
not seem as if it We're possible to an
swer these questions. Certainly it is
impossible to answer them now, but
should the ministers escape, which is
extremely doubtful, they may be able to
furnish the world with a clue.
As to what is now going on in Picking
the outer world knows nothing. The
ministers are still besieged, and still
send a most heart rendering appeal for
help. Conger in his despatch says that
they have small supply of ammunition
or food The order to leave Picking he
regards as a sentence of death. 1t is
significant that he says the rifle fire
against the intrenched position occu-
pied by the ministers and their guards
is carried on by the Imperial troops.
These rufians would make most eff
cient guards for the ministers on their
march to Tientsin.
on the faith of the Chinese Govern
ment not the slightest dependence can
be placed. 1t is tricky, it is bitterly
opposed to all Western Improvement,
and it is utterly Enthusiastically. When
1t has the upper hand it is arrogant
and cruel. when it is beaten it is mean
and trucking as a whipped hound.
died is very evident The allied force in
its advance has fought one pitched
battle and to obtain it's success has lost
heavily. The fight occurred about nine
miles from Tientsin The dispatches
are jubilant over the fact that the Chi
nese are in full retreat, but however
they may be retreating they have man
aged to carry their artillery along with
them, so that they We're not so badly
beaten after all. As to loss inflicted
upon Chinese troops, that is a mere
bagatele The Chinese can afford to
lose q hundred men to every one Of
the allies and still hold winning cards
in their hands.
Many people on the Mainland think
that the defeat suffered by the Chinese
will serve to give them lesson and
that they will disintegrate and allow
the force to march upon Picking. But
these people fail to grasp the situation.
The allied force of 10000 men, even
though armed with the best modern
weapons is not in any too good a posi-
ton. 1t cannot advance without keep
ing its line of communication open, and
that line is liable to be cut at any time
by an overwhelming force of Chinese.
In Tientsin there are but 1000 troops,
and these are threatened by force Of
1900 Chinese.
The relief force will find that every
few miles of the road to Picking will
be contested, and it will keep growing
weaker and weaker as it advances into
the country while the Chinese force, no
matter what losses may be inflicted on
it, will KEEP constantly getting strong
er. The relief force has no walk over
before it but the very hardest kind of
fighting in a country destitute or roads
and filed with swampy rice fields
which have been specially flooded for
the campaign.
allied forces there can be no doubt, and
of their determination to reach Picking
or die in the attempt there can also be
no doubt, but there is a limit to human
ability and vast hordes of fanatics can
and have before now overwhelmed the
best disciplined military organizations.
Another great difficulty Of the allies
is the gathering of accurate infOrma-
ton. 1t will be next to impossible to
locate the various hordes hanging on
the skirts of the force as it advances
In this way the advance must in a great
measure be a blind advance, and the
whole force may fall into a trap. TO
make a permanent impression upon the
Chinese the allied powers will have to
put a very much larger force into the
field than they now have. After a re-
verse or so, they viii probably put forth
that strength.
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