Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-13
Grave Danger in China Through
Attacks on Foreign Officials.
KILLING OF JAPANESE CHANCELLOR
Movements of Our Ships Toward
Danger Points.
THE EMPRESS ADVISERS

the State Department from Minister Con-
ger at Pekin dated yesterday. The min
lister reports that Prince Tuan, father of
the heir apparent to the Chinese throne.
has been appointed president of Tsung Lii
Yamen. Three other new ministers have
also been appointed. and all of them are
affiliated with the party most opposed to
the foreigners. On the whole, the situation
is not materially improved. Guards are
repairing the railway leading to Pekin,
and as soon as they arrive at Pekin. 1T is
Mr.. Conser's opinion. the safety of the
foreigners there will be assured.
1t appears that the movement of the
Yorktown from Shanghai to Chefoo was
not directed from Washington, and it is
assumed that the order was issued by
Admiral Kempf. the senior officer of the
United States squadron in Chinese waters.
AT Chefoo the Yorktown will be within a
days sail of the admiral's flagship at Taku.
She should arrive at Chefoo Friday or Sat
urday of this week. Meanwhile the Cas-
tine remains at Shanghai. Her condition
is not known at the Navy Department but
ii Is understood that Admiral kempff is
In touch with her commander by the coast
cable. and If the situation at Chinkiang
becomes more acute he will order the
ship up the Yangtse to that point If she is
able TO move. Otherwise marine guard
will be dispatched up the river in the ships
boats.
RiOtinS In Pekin.
Official dispatches received in diplomatic
quarters in Washington show that the riot
ing in Pekin has reached an acute stage.
with the rioters directing number of their
assaults against members of the different
foreign legations there. One of these dis
patches states that the secretary of the
Belgian legation was attacked two success
sive times on Monday, and escaped after
being badly maltreated by the mob. On
the same day two officials of the British
legation, serving as student interpreters,
Were attacked by large crowd of roughs.
The young Englishmen held the attacking
party back, but when the mob threatened
To close in on them they drew revolvers,
and by a show of force made their retreat
without bodily injury. About the same
time the British summer quarters. fourteen
miles from Pekin, were burned down
These quarters We're quite extensive and
mad Just been completed. They belonged to
the British government. and not to Sir
Claud Macdonald. the British minister at
Pekin, which fact gives added significance
TO the depreciation. The killing of the
chancellor of the Japanese legation at Pc
kin, SuSiyama Akira, is not referred to in
the official dispatches received here, but
full credit Is given to this report by the
japanese officials, who are personally ac-
quainted with Mr.. Akira and with many of
the circumstances detailed.
Attacks officials.
iAt hiiiLiIE VI d OF the OlpIOrndt1C
body and the assaults upon the officials of
foreign countries are regarded as present.
ing the most serious phase of the Chinese
situation that has thus far arisen. The
japanese charge d'affaires in Washington
Mr.. keizro Nabeshima, said today:
We have no official confirmation of the
killing of our chancellor at Pekin. but there
appears to be no doubt of the fact, and it
presents a most serious condition. The
chief offense is against Japan, but aside from
that II Is against the entire diplomatic body
al Pekin, for if any one of them is subject
to such assault they all share in the same
danger l was personally very well ac
qualnted with Mr.. Akira, as he served
under me in the foreign office at Toxic
while ] was chief of the division of proto-
coils He was a bright young man, about
thirty-eisht years old. with a wife and four
children. He was one of the most expert
photographers in Japan, and this gained
him the post OF chancellor at Pekin, where
he went about three years ago"
Mr.. Nabeshima said the Japanese govern
n.ent had pursued the utmost reserve I'D
to this time not wishing to be open to any
suspicious. but he felt that if this tragedy
had occurred there would be energetic ac-
ton taken. One of the most significant
features of the affair. in his judgment was
that the killing was reported to have been
done by the troops of the empress dowager
and not by a lawless mob. While there
might be some excuse for mob depreda-
toEs, MIR. Nabeshima said it would be diff
cult to take any favorable view of an st.
tack by Chinese soldiers on the officials OF
foreign governments.
The burning of the British summer quar-
tsrs Is considered another attack upon an
official institution. which is quite different
1rt m an attack upon a private citizen or
private property. For some time there has
been difficulty in securing the necessary
permit to put up summer quarters in the
hills outside of Pekin, but that was finally
granted, and the quarters were made large
enough to accommodate the entire British
establishment in China. These included the
minister and his staff of secretaries and at
had gone out from England to learn Chinese
and fit themselves for the post of inter-
prefers, besides servants. The buildings
would have been occupied within the next
fcw days. and during the summer would
have constituted the British legation.
Outbreak at CheefOO.
Information has been received at the
State Department that trouble has occurred
at Cheefoo. and that report is accepted as
an explanation of the dispatch of the gun
boat Yorktown from Shanghai to that port
Secretary Long said today that he had no
word from Admiral Kempf on the subject
and did not know why the movement was
made. II was a fair inference however
that her presence was believed TO be more
necessary at Cheefoo than at Chnkiang on
the fanetse. where it was reported that
the cruiser was needed because of the
threatening attitude Of the Boxers who had