Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-07
s'r LONDON WAR NEWS.
IMPERIAL CHINA SILENT AS THE
GRAVE.
6e1d Out Nothing but Rumors-
Alarming Discussions Among
- Allied Forces.

ITDune from London says:
There is the usual tumble OF menaces
and surmises from China with no official
bulletins about the battle of Pei Tsang
ON Sunday and no APPARENT change in the
situation The Chinese Cammarilla with
the empress dOwager at its head is do
ing everything i'm it's power to prevent an
advance of the allied army on Pekin.
Heads are falling in order to convince
the powers that the legations have no
friends and are at the mercy of the en-
press dowager and of Prince Tuan.
Troops are massed between Tien Tsin
and the capital and are strongly in
trenched in order to warn the foreign
comma nder that they will be forced to
hgdht their way into the city.
The communication Of the ministers
that the governments are closed because
the empress dowager prefers to leave the
civilized world utterly in the dark, only
such report are allOWed to pass out to
the coast as the rumor that Lung Flu
Slang has stopped the further entrance
OF supplies into the British legation, or
confessions of terroMsm like the story
THAT Prince Tuan has put to death Yuan
Shih Kai and other vdceroys, or glitter
ing promises like the assurance that the
legation are under the escort of a strong
force and are jOurneying to the coast.
ALL these rumors are signs that the en-
press dowager lis determined to keep the
u
She ia convinced that If they once enter
the capital some Of them will not go out
until provinces have been ceded to them
In place of indemnities. The situation is
SO perplexing that it is not strange that
several powers are hesitating to sanction
the advance of the relief column, but it
is evident that the empress dowager is
strengthened by every day of inaction
and delay. The legations narrowly es-
capped destruction when Vice Admiral
Seymour hesbtated and ordered the first
column to retreat, and to them was final
ly accorded a respite in consequence Of
the defeat of the Chinese army at Tien
Tsin. The powers are now exposing them
through vacillatiOn to q renewal OF the
attack when their ammunition is well
nigh exhausted and they are dependent
upon the empress dowager for supplies
Of food while the generals and adnirals
are holding conferences and delaying an
advance, and the fighting is likely to be
more desperate and the situation OF the
legas.s ssns more crabtcal in consequence Of
the iosg halt and the intrigues which are
apparkntly in progress. The only alter
native Aor march to the capital Is nego-
taitions through LII Hung Chang for the
delivery of all the foreigners at Tien Tsin
and for the payment OF indemnities and
] 1t il douibtful whether the legations will
consent to abandon their position, or
whether any Chinese general could con-
duct them in safety to the coast. More
over, the delivery at Tien Tsin could not
b secured save under pledge that the
powers would not subsequently send an
army to the capital to effect their REIN
statement
Public opinion here strongly favocs an
advance of the allied army with all pos
sible dispatch after the empress has been
warned that she and her ministers will be
held responsible for the safety of the
legations.
The foreign Office remains silent, but
the MEASURES adopted for strengthening
the American contingent and protecting
British interests indicate clearly the
governments recognition of the grave
danger of a general revolt in middle
China.
There was no official confirmation here
at midnight of the Washington report
that q battle had been fought at Pei Sang
ON Sunday, in which the allied forces had
met with heavy losses, but had forced the
Chinese to retreat from a strong position
Mr. Broderick confessed that he had nc
information respecting the advance oi
the allies and at a late hour nothing was
known in parliament about the battle.
The press dispatches from Tien Tsin OF
an earlier date reported General Tung's
TROOPS in strength eight miles away and
/. the country is flooded through the open
i ting of the canal bank. II there had been
! q BATTLE the Chinese have probably
brought ON the fighting, for the allies
according to the most trustworthy press
! CORRESPONDENTS, were divided into two
| camps and were unable to agree upon
1 anv uaan of ODeratiOnS,