New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
YANGTSE vICEROYS REASSURED.
BRITISH OFFERS TO PROTECT THEM FROM
REMOVAL BY THE EMPRESS.

London. Sept I'm the absence of definite.
trustworthy news from China Shanghai is again
distributing a crop of rumors. According to
reports from that city Great Britain has fur
nished Lu Kun Yih, the Viceroy of Marking,
and Chang Chih Tung, the Viceroy of HankOw,
with strong guarantees against the reported in
tention of the Dowager Empress to supersede
them on account of their alleged pro-foreign
tendencies. The guarantees are also said to in
clude opposition to all attempts to dismember
China
The Imperial Court it is reported, remains at
Tai-Yuan-Fu, capital of the Province of Shan
Sc afraid to move, owing to stories that the
Chinese troops are ravaging the country far and
wide, and even numbering Imperial Off
cials who have been trying to join the fugitive
Imperial Court.
The dispatches further assert that German
Legation will be established at Shanghai, at
least pending the arrival in China of Field Mar
shall Won Waldersee.
The Shanghai correspondent of "The London
Times. telegraphing under date of August 80. said
a report was current that Imperial edict
recently issued ordering Chauao shu Chiao, Com
missioner of the Railway and Mining Bureau and
Hsu Tung, guardian OF the Heir Apparent. TO pro-
ceed south to investigate the conduct of the Yang
tse Viceroys. and that they had already started
from Pao-Ting-Fu The correspondent added that
this rumor If confirmed, was undoubtedly serious
Lu Kun Yih, the Viceroy of Nanking and one of
the rulers over the Yangtse Valley territory, is
about sixty-two years old, and IS looked upon
possessing considerable energy. With Chang Chih
Tung. for nearly twenty-five years he has ruled
over the greater part of the Yangtse Valley. He
has an army Of 10000 well trained nd well armed
men, as well as a small feet generally known
the Nanking Flotilla- Liu Kun Yih, although looked
upon strong supporter Of the Empress Dow
ager is supposed to be well disposed toward Great
Britain, and at an early stage of the Boxer dis
turbances declared his intention of protecting trade
and maintaining good relations with Great Britain.
The Viceroy entered the service of his country in
1861 and from 1875 to 1879 he first held the Vice
royalty OF the two Kiangs, where he was dis
graced in an official sense, but not in dishonor-
able sense.
Chang Chih Tung the Viceroy of Hankow. is
an old and highly respected man. snd at times has
been an open opponent of Ii Hung Chang. His
administration has been characterized by honesty
and efficiency In 1897 he published a volume Of
Essays on Exhortations to Study in which he
demonstrated the imperative necessity for China to
her methods, and the work made a great
forty copies Of it with his hands. 1t is said
that this the first impulse the Emperor re-
ceived to induce him to take up the question OF
reform but Chang Chih Tungs military reforms
have been limited and he does not possess troops
sufficient take any active part in restoring order
yond challenge there Besides this, Chang Chlh
Tung is strongly prejudiced against foreigners for
encora ging the traffic in opium declaring that 1t
debases the Chinese people.