Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-08-30
London Thinks
Outlook Dreary


the Tribune from London says.
There Il again revival of some.
thlng like passion In official aud pollti.
cal circles here, or In the scanty REM
nants OF them lefs In London by the
rayages OF the holiday season. After
the eXhiliratlon caused by the first
news Of the entry of the allies into
Picking there has come a rebound. The
cessation of direct communication with
the allied commanders at the front
IL not at all liked. nor does Admiral
BruCe's telegram stating that the for
hidden city was entered on the 18th do
much to console the doubters. In the
first place 1t is pointed out that the
admiral does not profess to have heard
his news officially from Gen. Gaselee,
but only gives 1t ON the authority Of
reports current at Taku, and we know
by this time what reports n Chinese
towns are worth.
Secondly, even II the authentic news
Is four days old-and much may have
happened since then-the silence of the
generals lends color to u Shanghai
statement that the wires to Tientsin
are cut and may also help to explain
| the hurried march OF the German and
| Italian reinforcements to Peking.
Assuming that even the sacred city
and the palace are captured, the diff
culties of the allies are by no means
at an end. Their force is, of course
more than sufficient to repel any at
| tack which might be made on them,
whether by Boxers or by Imperial
| troops, but when 1t Is remembered that
they have to police the great struggling
city of Picking, with its million inhabi-
tants, and to keep open the line of com
munication to the coast, their strength
| is by no means excessive, even II II is
sufficient for the work in hand.
Besides. the allied generals, like Lord
Roberts in South Africa, may have ad-
vanced too fast effectively to occupy
the country behind them. The speed O.
their march was rendered necessary
| by the position of the legations, fol
II the relief column had taken three
or four days longer on the journey II
might have come too late. Still, IL the
| Chinese troops defeated at Pei Tsang
and Yang Tsun should form up again
/ between the capital and Tientsin the
allies will either have to march back
1 10 dispense them or to wait till that
task Is performed by reinforcements
from the coast, and meanwhile may
/ find themselves virtually besieged in
Picking.
The pessimists, too, are additionally
| depressed by Minister Conger's testi-
mOny as to the conduct of the Chinese
| government, and his opinion that the
whole movement was gotten up by the
Imperial authorities and that the Box
ers were a mere pretence. On the
other hand, it is admitted that if the
empress and the Manchu princes. and
particularly Tuan, have been captured
! the outlook is much more hopeful
since it will be possible to find re-
spOnsible Chinese authorities on whom
new arrangements can be imposed
| The action of the Southern viceroys
too, shows that the campaign in the
North has had an excellent effect in
checking the further spread OF anti
foreign agitation.
The Chinese minister here has hand
ed to the foreign office for transmits
sion to Lord Salisbury, Ii Hunt
Chang's note sug -esting that pleni'
potentiary should be appointed to ne
gotiate with him. His communication
Is couched in tone OF cool assump.
ton, which eXcites a certain amount
of Indignation. The Times and Other
papers had articles angrily denouncing
Ii and suggesting that no notice should
be taken OF him. The aged viceroy is
profoundly disturbed by what may be
| called the Anglo-Chinese colony here