Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-10-11
An EFFORT THAT FAILED.
The Chinese Imperial Court De-
clines for the Present to
Return to Pekin.
HAS DEPARTED FOR sHEN 81 PROVINCE.
Restrained From Returning to Pc
kin by Fear of the Allied Forces
and the Dread of the Outbreak of
Epidemics which Usually Follow
Great Disturbances.

Washington, Oct. s.-The efforA to
Induce the Chinese imperial court TO
return to PelSin has failed, after a
weeks persistent effort on the part
of the powers. News to that effect
was brought to the state department
by the Chinese minister, who received
it via st. Petersburg from Viceroys
Liu Kun Yih and Chang Chin Tung,
under date of October 4. Minister WI
received the message Sunday night. 1t
was as follows:
Text of the Message.
1.-THE departure of their imperial
majesties for Shen 81 (province) was
due to distressing conditions at Tai
Yuen Flu. There is 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 con-
tinued for months by TIE Boxers
rebels, who had invaded that province
with the encouragement of Gov. Yu.
Their majesties, therefore, were
obliged to proceed to Shen 81, where
telegraphis communication with
Shanghai and other parts of the en-
pire is opened, and rapid communica-
ton with their majesties may, there
fore, be carried on and thus court and
official business may be transacted
more expeditiously by their presence
in Shen 81 rather than in Shan 81.
The Imperial Reasons.
The reasons for the temporary
postponement of their majesties' re-
turn 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 disturb
ances, destruction of property and
military operations. 1t is hoped the
powers will be considerate in their
Judgment in this matter"
An Important Feature.
The important feature of the mes
sage is the confession that the court
is restrained by fear of the allied
forces from returning to PelSin. The
movement takes the emperor and en-
press dowager about 800 miles further
away from Pekin, though, according
to the statements contained in the
message, by reason of direct tele-
graphic communication with Shang-
hal, the court practically will be
nearer for purposes of negotiation
with the outside world than it was
at Tai Yuen. Minister WI has been
informed, also, that Viceroy Yu of
the province just vacated by the court
has been impeached because of his
anti-foreign tendencies, which is the
first step toward his degradation.
No Boxers in Shen 81.
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 minister considers the question
of punishments practically disposed
of by the edict of the emperor and
the German and American notes ex-
changed last week. The only difficult
ty he apprehends is in case the for
eign ministers seek to designate GER
tain persons who shall be punished,
an addition to those which the gov
eminent itself marks for punish
ment. Such a course by the ministers,
he says, would be hard to comply
with, but he looks to the sagacity of
Iii Hung Chang and Prince Ching to
overcome any difficulty.