Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-09-06
KEEPING AN EYE ON RUSSIANS,

London, Sept. Six months ra-
tions for the British forces" says the
Tien Tsin correspondent of The Stand
ard wiring Aug. II, "are being for
warded to Pekin. Newspaper CORE
spondents are seriously handicapped
by the bad arrangement of the Chi
nese telegraphs. Messages have been
obtained and tampered with, and
nothing has been safe unless mailed to
Shanghai A good deal of curiosity
is felt here regarding the fate of the
mail bag containing official and press
dispatches describing the entry into
Pekin, which was sent by an admiral
to Chefoo in a Russian gunboat and
is reported not to have been receiv-
ed there.
THE proceedings of the Russians in
and around Pekin are watched with
some anxiety. The situation threatens
to develop many complications. 1t is
said that the Russians intend to take
Shan n-Hai-Kwan. They have assumed
complete possession of the Haiku
arsenal at Tien Tsin and allow admis-
sion to none but Russians. The ar
senal still contains thousands of
"The Russians are charged with
cutting the wire between this point
and Pekin and with committing vari-
Gus other petty annoyances."
Regarding the evacuation of Pekin,
says the correspondent of The Times
at Toxic, the Japanese government will
pursue the course approved by ma
jority of the powers.
One reason for the delay in getting
news from Pekin doubtless is the
anxiety of the Chinese authorities to
procure the evacuation of the capital.
No effort is being spared by them to
bring this about. Their idea is that,
should the foreign ministers in Pekin
be allowed free communication with
the governments, the full extent of the
completely of the Chinese government
in the anti-foreign outrages would be
revealed and would lead the allies to
decide to remain until retribution had
been eXacted
According to Shanghai advices, Ii
Hung Chang wired the Chinese min
lister in London, Sir Chi Shen Lofeng-
luh, as follows: "Our St. Petersburg
minister has persuaded Russia to leave
Pekin. You are useless if you cannot
persuade England"
1t is asserted that Earl Ii has prom
ised Russia three Manchurian prov
inces If she secures the withdrawal of
the allied forces from Pekin and fa-
vorable peace terms from the powers.
Both the empress dowager and Ii
Hung Chang are said to be lavishing
money to attain these objects.
There is no sign as yet of any de-
cision on the part Of the powers re-
garding the Russian proposals. The
Japanese papers unreservedly condemn
the idea of evacuating Pekin. and hint
that there is secret compact between
Germany and Russia to the detriment
of Great Britain and Japan.
The empress dowager's anti-foreign
frenzy in June, according to a special
dispatch from Shanghai, was due to the
presentation to her by Prince Tuan of
an ultimatum, which Is now known to
have been forged, In which the powers
demanded her abdication in favor of
Emperor Kwang Su, the removal of the
seat of government from Pekin, the
placing of Chinese finances under Eu-
concessions.
Ii Hung Chang, Yung Lu, Hsu Tung
and Prince Ching, whom an imperial
edict has appointed peace commits
sioners, constitute a radically anti
foreign commission. Hsu Tung, guar
dian of the heir apparent, is especially
obnoxious. Three of the commission
ers are manchus.
The American association, whose
membership includes all the foremost
business men at Shanghai, met yes
terday and adopted protest against
the evacuation of Pekin until a final
settlement has been reached. The
meeting also resolved to urge President
Mckinley to insist upon the appoint
ment of satisfactory commissioners
and the recognition of the emperor as
sovereign.