Evening star., 1900-06-09
FRIEND TO BOXERS
OowageT Empress Shows
Her Synnpathies'
OEN0UNCES GEN. N|EH-S|-S0NG
Says the Rebels BE Killed
Were Good Citizens.
ORDERS TEE OFFICER TO RETREAT
Situation Has Suddenly Become
Much More Dangerous.
ORDERS TEE OFFICER TO RETREAT
POWERS TO ACT AT ONCE

TEN TSIN. Friday. June SIN view Of
the conclusive confirmation of imperial con-
. nivance in the Boxer movement furnished
by an edict published today denouncing
General Nieh- ST. Chong for killing some of
the rioters. the strongest possible action of
the powers. II is asserted here. can alone
remedy the situation. which has assumed
the gravest aspect. The edct is couched in
such terms that 1t leaves no doubt of the
deep sympathy of the throne with the
Boxers. who are described as good cti-
zens." Besides denouncing General Nieh
for killing the Boxers the edict orders him
to return with his troops to Ioopai. eighty
miles from the scene of the disturbance.
1t is claimed here that the first step of
the powers for the preservation of foreign
life and property ought to be the assump
tfon of control of the railroad to Pekin.
Russian Troops About to Land.
SHANGHAI. June "a dispatch from
Tien Tsin. dated Friday. June S, says 800
Russian troops are about 10 land there.
The dispatch adds that FungChow has
been burned. but that the missionaries are
safe
Another Warship for kempH.
1t is understood at the Navy Department
that the gunboat Nashville has been dis
patched to Taku by Admiral Remey in
place of the Helena. which was originally
selected for that purpose but was probably
unavailable. absent from Manila. The
Nashville is in some respects less suitable
than the Helena for the service in view, for
She draws nearly two feet more water than
the latter. While of the size. and
with precisely the same battery, she lacks
the Helena's carrying capacity. The Hell
ena. being built with flush decks. is in some
Ike
Of the naval officers just detached from
her says that she took the entire personnel
of the Charleston aboard upon the occasion
of the wreck of that vessel. in addition to
her own crew, without showing any sign
of being overcrowded. The Nashville has
point of advantage, however. being a
knot faster than the Helena. rating at 1920
knots. Having sailed from Cavite yester-
day. she should be at Taku about the lat
ter part of next week. Admiral Remey $
dispatch announcing the departure of the
vessel reads as follows:
"CAVITE. June 8, 1900
Secretary of the Navy, Washington:
THE Nashville leaves today for Taku,
with thirty marines and two lieutenants,
according TO your telegram of June g. The
Newark has twenty-five marines from the
Oregon, and is authorized to draw upon the
ships at Shanghai for more.
'.REMEY."
ReinfOrcements Available at Shang-
hal.
In view of the length of time required
by the Nashville to make the trip to Taku
1t is fort dnate that the Navy Department
has other reinforcements nearer at hand
in the shape of vessels at Shanghai This
force is only about three days distant from
Taku. and only about half the time would
be required for the vessels at Shanghai to
make the trip to Tien Tsin that would be
consumed by the Nashville The Navy De-
partment has already sent instructions to
the commander of the Monocacy at Shang-
hal to report to Admiral kempff at Taku
and the vessel is already her way
Though old ship, the Monocacy is ad-
mirably adapted to this kind of service
drawing only nine feet of water and car
rying very good secondary battery Her
personnel is - officers and 146 men. There
il also at Shanghai the Castine and York
town. which be drawn upon. accord
ing to Admiral Remey's dispatch. by Ad-
miral Kempn II he wants more men
These vessels are of 1000 and 1 100 tons
displacement. respectively, with batteries
about the same as the Nashville. The Cas-
tines personnel Is IL officers and 1i2 men;
the forktown's IA officers and Isl men.
Minister Conger's daily report was even
less encouraging than usual. In his cable
gram TO Secretary Hay this morning he
said that the situation in China was unim-
prov ed; that the burning of railroad plants
continues, and that owing to the inertness
Of the Chinese troops It will be necessary
To employ foreign troops to protect the
The State Department has not deemed 1t
necessary to send any specific authorization
10 Mr. Conger to employ the United States
naval forces ashore at Tien Tsin and Pekin
In guarding the Chinese railways, and he
is free to exercise his own discretion in
that respect.
The State Department officials feel that
the action taken by the Navy Department
in the dispatch of naval vessels to the
scene of trouble and the landing of naval
forces. represents all that can be done, or
al least all that should be done by the
United States at this moment The de-
partment remains mistaken in its attitude
and while willing to work on parallel lines
with the other powers to restore peace in
China. insist on retaining its independence
of action.
When attention directed to the prob
ability that the United States naval forces
ashore at Tien Ts!n might be called upon
To join with the foreign naval contingents
in the defense of the town the railroad
II was pointed out that that action would
he purely military. and would not consti-
tute joint action from political point Of
view.
Local Legations Interested.
The foreign embassies and legations in
Washington are intensely interested in the
developments in China, and applications
are frequent at the State Department from
them for the latest news as to what is
going on. There is also = strong desire on