The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-06

PEKIN, Dec. 5-(9:35 p. m.l.-Li Hung
Chang received an imperial ediet today
announcing that General Tung tu Hsiang
had been stripped Of all his honors and Of
fees, but was allowed to retain the COM
mand Of his army and had been ordered to
Kansu with 5000 Of his men.
This is the most important edict that
has yet been issued by the eouIz- It has
been explained in these dispatches that
since the fight of the court from: Pekin,
the Empress Dowager and Emperor
Kwang Hsu have been absolutely IN the
power of Tung Flu Hsiang. He command
ed the army which surrounded the court,
and as these troops were the only ones
at the command Of the Empress Dowager
and the Emperor. if Tung Flu Hsiang said
that they could not return to Pekin they
had no redress, even If they were willing
to come back to the capital
In their original proposition the Minis
ters demanded the head Of Tung Fu
Hsiang, but, under the circumstances, it
was impossible for the court to agree to
this
It is probable that there Will be con-
siderable trouble over the severity of The
punishment of Chinese officials demanded
by the foreign ministers This is the
point which has so far delayed the open
ing of the peace negotiations.
The action OF the court in regard to
TuHg Flu Hsisng improves the chances of
the return of the Empress Dowager and
the Emperor TO Pekin. but TO what ex-
tent it is impossible to say at this time.
The latest edict will undoubtedly result
in representations to the ministers by Ii
Hung Chang and Prince Ching, the Chi
nese Peace Plenipotentiaries, who are
now sounding the Dowager Empress on
the proposition that the court shall re-
turn on the basis Of a guarantee for pro
lection and an understanding from her
that she viii not interfere IN any way
with the Government which sbalI be
under control of the Emperor
Dispatches were received here today,
confirming officially the statement made IN
these dispatches on December / that the
Empress Dowager was willing TO inf1ict
the death penalty On Yu-hsien, the noto-
Tious anti-foreign Governor Of Shansi. who
was responsible for the massacre of mis-
sionaries and native Christians in that
province.
In a previous ediet it had been decreed
that Yu-h-ien should be banished to the
extreme borders Of the Empire where he
was TO be put at work n the reads. This
was rot satisfactory to the ministers, who
thought this man Of al others should be
put TO death.
The Empress Dowager in the latest
ecict promises that this viii be done soon,
but the decree does not state IN what man
ner Yu-hsien Is to meet his death It
is believed that this action of the En-
press Oowager, taken in connection with
the banishment of Tung Flu Hsiang TO
Kansu viii help the situation materially
Advfees have been received from Chi
nese sources to tie effect that Prince
Tuan, the notorious anti-foreigner and
father of the heir apparent, has gone to
Kansu to visit relative Tuan's Son
was married to General Tung Flu Hsiang's
daughter last spring. While the informa-
tion comes from a source which has hith-
erto been reliable, 1t must be taken for
what it is worth.
If the report is true. it is probable that
Tuan and Tung Flu Hsiang went 10 Kansu
together and that the two worst offenders
during the Boxer troubles, If not dead. are
at least out of the way for the time being.
They can be dealt with very easily later on.
The funeral OF Colonel Yorek, the COM
mander Of the German expedition to Kali
gan who died Of asphyxiation took place
today. All the commanders with their
staffs attended. The foreign ministers
were also present.
Nh. Conger. the American Minister. has
forwarded the text Of the note decided on
by the ministers TO Washington