The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-08
Chinese Capital Under Control, but
the Native Masses Are i'm
an Excited State.
BOXERS NOT SUPPRESSED
PILLAGING TOWNS AND HOLDING
THE MAIN RAILWAY.
Battle I'm Which 500 Are Alleged to
Have Been Killcj-Interview
with Ministers Wu.

LONDON, June s. - The situation in
China. as measured by abundant unof-
| ficial telegrams, continues full of interest
ing possibilities, but apparently it has not
grown worse during the last twenty-four
hours, although the favorite adjectives of
London and continental commentators are
| ''perilous,'' grave" and dangerous"
The naval commanders in Chinese waters
have received identical instructions as to
procedure, the question of an emergency
being left to their discretion. No fear is
entertained for the safety of the legations
| at Peking. European residents. however,
are escaping from the capital to the coast.
| Pe>s.ng is still under control according to a
dispatch to the Morning Post dated yester-
day, but in very excited state. A thou
sand foreign guards were garrisoning the
legation houses. Six hundred international
troops are at Tien-Tsin. with six guns.
dispatch to the Daily Mail from Shang-
hal, dated June Z, takes a gloomy view of
| things. which are pictured as going from
bad to worse. The correspondent says:
THE authorities are displaying palpably
| guilty supineness in dealing with the Box
ers, and the powers are more and more
| taking matters into their own hands. The
Boxers revolt is spreading and is rapidly
| changing its character. The Boxers are
getting arms, preparing to meet force with
| force. There has been no communication
between Peking and Tien-Tsin since Tues
day, although one. miserable abortive at
| tempt has been made by Chinese soldiers to
| reach the capital. The troops were fired
! on and the train had to come back. An
other station has been burned on the line"
A SEVERE FIGHT.
A special dispatch from Shanghai dated
1880 o'clock last night says the dowager
Empress has ordered Gen. Neih 81 Chong.
with 5000 men. 10 protect the railroad at
Peking. A severe fight, 1t is added, has
occurred with the Boxers, whose ranks in
clude many soldiers from other generals
commands. When the battle ended 200rdead
were left on the field. The dispatch goes on
to say: Zone hundred and eighty British
marines. with machine gun, are about to
force passage from Tien-Tsin to Peking.
Altogether about 900 British have been
landed from the fleet a greater number
than has landed from the combined vessels
of the other powers. This evidence of Great
Britain's intention to assert her position
strongly gives great satisfaction here.
Telegraphing from Tien-Tsin, under date
of June 6. correspondent says: 'I left
Tien-Tsin this morning for Peking, accom-
panied by General Mich. supposed to be one
of the best of the Chinese generals We
proceeded to Lofa. distance of thirty-one
miles. We found the plate layers cabins
in flames and telegraph poles cut. and men
engaged in destroying others in villages
near the railway. where flags were seen
bearing the inscriptions: Kill all foreign
ers.' 1 saw smoke, evidently from burning
houses, In the distance, but General Nieh
refused to proceed farther being in NOR
tai fear of the Boxers though the foreign
ers endeavored to persuade him to disen-
train his troops, who are firmly convinced
that it is useless to fight the Boxers. They
say they have seen Boxers hit with bull
lets and afterward run away. There seems
to be little prospect of resumption of
traffic to Peking unless the foreign powers
assume control of the railway until the
Chinese government proves itself capable
of managing communications with its cap
ital."
news-agency dispatch from Tien-Tsin
dated yesterday says: THE Boxers are
still raiding and pillaging over a wide
area. They have wrecked and burned the
stations at Long-Fong and Lan-Goo. 1t
has been definitely ascertained that Nine.
Astier and Messrs. Ossent and Cades have
been murdered. General -Nieh claims to
have defeated the Boxers. killing 500.'
COMMENT OF THE PRESS.
The morning papers, in long editorials
dealing with the Chinese situation, refer
TO the possible course of the United States.
The Daily Mail, which goes beyond any
other in urging America to take the lead in
intervention. under the caption. ''McKin-
ley's Opportunity" says: "The United
States have secured definite pledges as to
the maintenance of the open door. and
their Intervention would not produce fric-
ton. danger OF which is to be anticipated
should either England or Russia act alone
We have no desire to provoke worldwide
conflict Yet our movements are regarded
with so much suspicion by many Russians
that serious complications might ensue
did we land a strong force near Peking
The came applies to Russia, face to face
with ourselves, but the United States have
traditions of friendship with Russia and a
community of interests with England
Their action would. therefore. assure the
hostility of neither power 1t need scarcely
be said that they would have the moral
support of the British people. and our ma
terial support also, II only the policy of
our government in the far East were
stronger than II Is. They would certainly
be assisted by Japan. In this way world
conflict. disastrous 10 the interests of all
great states. could best be avoided and at
the same time. the pledges which the skill
full negotiations of Mr. Hay have extracted
from the various powers would be vindi-
Gated. The opportunity for America has