Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-11
IS RECEIVED At WASHINGTON AND DESCRIBES CONDITIONS IN
PEkN AND CAUSES LEADING TO THE REVOLT.
D|SCLA|MS ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY
HOW BARON Won KETTELER NET DEATHSAYS THAT THE AS
SAULT By THE POWERS ON THE FORTS PREclPITAT-
ED THE TR0UBLE-MAKES STRONG SHOWING.

Washington, July 11.-An imperial de-
| cree, dated third day of sixth moon (June
29), was received by telegraph today by
| Minister WI from the taotai of Shang-
hal, transmitted on July l from the
treasurer of the Chih Ii province, who
] received it by special courier on June 30
| from the board of war; who in turn re-
ceived it from the privy council in Pc
| kin. The decree is as follows:
THE circumstances which led to the
commencement of fighting between Chi
nese and foreigners We're or such a COM
plex, confusing and unfortunate char
acter as to be entirely unexpected.
Our diplomatic representatives
abroad, owing to their distance from the
| scene of action, have had no means of
| knowing the true state of things and, ac-
| cordingly, cannot lay the views of the
government before the ministers for
foreign affairs of the respective powers
to which they are accredited. Now we
take this opportunity of going fully into
the matter for the information of our
representatives aforesaid.
In the first place there rose in the
provinces of Chill and Shan Tung band
or rebellious subjects who had been in
the habit of practicing boxing and fenc-
ing In their respective villages and at the
! same time clothing their doings with
spiritual and strange rites. The local
authorities failed to take due notice of
, them at the time. Accordingly the in
fection spread with astonishing rapidity.
Within the space of a month it seemed
to make Its appearance everywhere and
finally even reached the capital itself.
Everyone looked upon the movement as
/, supernatural and strange and many
joined it.
''Then there were lawless and treach-
erous persons who sounded the cry Of
down with Christianity About the mid
die of the fifth moon. these persons be-
gan to create disturbances without warn
ing. Churches were burned and converts
We're killed. The whole city was in a
ferment. A situation was created which
! could not be brought under control. At
| first the foreign powers requested that
| foreign troops be allowed to enter the
capital for the protection of the lega-
tions. The imperial government hav-
ing in view the comparative urgency of
the occasion, granted the request as an
extraordinary mark of courtesy beyond
course. Over 500 foreign troops were
! sent to Pekin. This shows clearly how
much care China exercised in the main-
tenance of friendly relations with ether
countries. The legations at the capital
never had much to do with the people.
But from the time foreign troops en-
tered the city the guards did not devote
! themselves exclusively to the protection
| of their respective Legations. They some
times fired their guns on the top of the
| city walls and sometimes patrolled the
of persons. being hit by stray bullets.
Moreover, they stroled about the city
| without restraint, and even attempted
to enter the tsung hua gaze (the western
gate of the palace ground). They only
desisted when advance was positively
forbidden. On this account both the SOL
diers and the people We're provoked to
resentment and voiced their indignation
with one accord. Lawless persons then
! took advantage Of the situation to do
mischief and became bolder than ever
in burning and killing Christian converts.
The powers thereupOn attempted to re-
inforce the foreign troops In Pekin, but
| the reinforcementS encountered resist
ance and defeat at the hands of the in
surgents on the way, and have not yet
. been able to proceed. The insurgents of
the two provinces of Chill and Shan
! Tung had by this time effected COM
plete union and could not be separated.
The imperial government was by no
| means reluctant to issue orders for the
!; entire suppression of this insurgent ele-
ment. But as the trouble was so near at
hand there was great fear that due
protection might not be assured to the
legations, If the anarchists should be
! driven to e1tremitfes, thus bringing on
national Gi1amity.e There also was a
/ fear that ,DEangA might occur in the
| provinces 81 seMM 8n1 Shap Tung at the