The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-09
THEIR MAJESTIES
POLITELY DECLI me
All Efforts by the Powers
Prove Vain.
CAN'T BE TOLED TO PEKIN
China's Emperor and Empress Prefer
Stronger City.
ONE NOT UNDER CONTROL OF THE ALLIES
They viii, However, be in TeIegraphic Com
municaton With the World and Thus in
aPos;tion 10 Garry on Negotiations
With the Powers.
(By the Associated Press.l


Washington, Oct S.-The effort to in
duce the Chinese imperial court to re-
turn to Pekin has failed after a weeks
persistent work on the part of the pow
ers. News. to the effect was brought
to the State Department today by the
Chinese Minister, who received it via
ST. Petersburg from Viceroys Liu Kun
Yih and Chang Chih Tung, under date of
October 4th. Minister WI received the
message last night. 1t was as follows:
"The departure of their Imperial Majes-
ties for Shen ST province was due to dig
tressing condit&ags at Tai Yuen Fu.
There is a scarcity Of food supplies in
the Province of Shan 81 on account of
long continued drought and the provincial
capital (Tai Yuen) is almost deserted, the
trades people having left on account of
the disturbances caused and continued for
months by the Boxer rebels who had in
vaded that province with the encourage
ment of Governor Yu. Their Majesties
therefore were obliged to proceed to Shen
81, where telegraphic communication with
Shanghai and other parts of the EN-
pire is open and rapid communication
with Their Majesties may therefore -
carried on; thus court and official busi-
ness may be transacted more expeditions
ly by their presence in Shen 81 rather
than in Shan ST. The reasons for the
temporary postponement of Their Majes-
ties return to Pekin are the presence
of the allied forces there on account of
which solicitous fear is doubtless en-
tertained, besides a dread of the out
break of epidemic diseases which usually
follow after great disturbances, destruc-
tion of property and military operations.
1t is hoped the powers will be considerate
in their judgment in this NATTER
The important feature of the message
is the confession that the court is re-
strained by fear of the allied forces,
from returning to Pekin. The movement
takes the Emperor and Empress Dowager
about three hundred miles further away
from Pekin, though, according to the
statements contained in the message by
reason OF direct telegraphic communica-
tion with Shanghai, the court practically
will be nearer for purposes Of negotia-
tion with the outside world than it was
at Tai Yuen Minister Wu has also been
informed that Viceroy Yu. of the province
just vacated by the court has been i'm
peached because of his anti-foreign ten-
dencies, which is the first step toward
his degradation 1t is said there are no
Boxers in the newly chosen locality so
that the court will have thrown off the
hostile influences recently surrounding it.
The only disquieting feature of the
move comes from japanese advices stating
that the new point of location is strongly
fortified, which is some indication that
the imperial family is still in flight and
is seeking stronger defenses, but the
friendly viceroys and Minister WI do
not share in this view.
The Minister considers the question of
punishments practically disposed Of by
the edict of the Emperor and the German
and American notes exchanged last week.
The only difficulty he apprehends is in
case the foreign ministers seek to desig-
nate certain persons who shall be pun
ished in addition to those which the Gov
ernment itself marks for punishment.
Such a course by the ministers, he says,
would be hard to comply with but he
looks to the sagacity of Ii Hung Chang
and Prince Ching to overcome any such