Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-07-05
BRITISH ARE OPTIMISTIC
Believe Many Chinese Dispatches Are
Cheerful Lies.
That Representations Are Much Worse Than The
Fact Possible that DOyager Empress
Still Controls Situation.

New York, June PA dispatch to
the Tribune from London, dated June
9th. says:
The optimists who have been in the
background for a week have turned
out in force at the House Of Commons
and the political clubs are talking
cheerfully about China.
So marked was the reaction from de-
preston last night that men Of in
fluence did not hesitate to say that they
believed that the public had been de-
ceived by sensational newsmongers and
Chinese liars and that as soon as COM
munications were reoponed 1t would be
known that the foreigners had not been
murdered at Tien Tsin; that Admiral
Seymour's force had been blocked, but
not cut to pieces and that the legations
had not been attacked. One view which
found considerable support was that
the Empress by avoiding an open con-
fict with the Boxers and instructing
the generals to make common cause
with them had regained control Of the
situation and that the legations had
escaped attack in this way and that the
ministers had been escorted out of Pc
king and that Seymour's force had been
shut out of the capital but not been IN
serious danger. There was little evi-
dence in support of this theory, yet
many men of good judgment were dis
posed to credit II and to assume that
the Empress after making use of the
regular army in dispensing the Boxers
after sympathizing with them would
not oppose the entry of the foreign
forces but would appeal for Russian
support and depend upon speedy
breakup Of the concert through jeal-
ousies and intrlgues.
The British Admiralty is a slow GO
ing institution which has an idolatrous
love OF red tape. II was silent hour at
ter hour yesterday although the dis
patches Of the American Admiral had
been published in Washington and the
German Foreign Office had heard from
its Consulate at Chefoo that the third
relief column had entered Tien Tsin on
the way to Picking and that Admiral
Seymour was twelve and one-half miles
from that place with foreign Ministers.
Owing to the sluggishness Of the Adj
miralty In. giving out dispatches the
American press is able to get official
news from China In advance Of the
English public, sine enothing Is held
back by the Navy Department In
Washington.
Press dispatches available at mid,
night were meager. but It was fairiy
clear that the allied forces had been
greatly strengthened by French Ger.
man, Japanese and Russian troops;
that the march into Tien Tsin had no;
been attended with the serious loss anf
that the plight of the foreigners there
| ldN Hbl bttl 81 S'llDNS dS Hiu Dttl
supposed. 1t is not known with def
niteness here whether Admiral Ser'
mour's force marched into Picking ant
carried the Ministers and refugees out
with them or whether they were SEM
out under the scort Of their owl
guards, but the opinion prevailed al
midnight among well-informed mem
bers OF Parliament that catastroph,
had been averted and that the military
and naval forces, while not sufficient Il
secure permanent occupation at Pc
king, were adequate for the immediate
protection OF the foreigners in Tier
Tsin. Mr.. Broderick and Mr.. Balfoul
were closely questioned In the Hous'
Of Commons respecting China but thei
information was apparently secon'
hand. The present Government wa
evidently unprepared for the crisi
which had arisen, but has pulled itsei
together and is hunting in the dark 70