Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-08-11
HAYS REQUEST REFUSED.


---
Tsung III Yamen Declines 20 De-
liver Messages TO Ministers.
Washington, Aug. THE state de-
partment has issued the following:
Minister WI this morning handed
to the acting secretary of state g copy
of a telegram from the taotai of
Shanghai, dated August 2. 1t con-
firms the message of the governor OF
Shan Tung to Consul Fowler, purport-
ing TO communicate the same tele-
gram of the both from the tsung Ii
yamen, but contains a passage from
the governors message, that as fight
ing was going On at Tien Tsin it was
inexpedient to send a cipher telegram
to the foreign ministers in Picking.
In this particular the present tele-
, gram agreed with the consufs report
received yesterday that Lii Hung
Chang had told the French consul at
Hang Hal, on the Sd, that no message
would be delivered to the ministers
because the foreigners were advanc-
ing on Peking."
China's Unique Position.
Taken in connection with what pre-
coded them, today's cablegrams from
China place the Chinese government
in the unique position Of denying LA
bility for what Chinese troops have
done at Picking, while assuming re-
sponsibility for what they are now
doing in the neighborhood of Tien
Tsin. The point sought to be made
is automatically regarded here as of
the utmost Importance in the future
settlement. The tsung Ii yanien's po-
lite intimation that il is inexpedient
TO allow communication between Il
government and it's minister because
fighting is going on near Tien Tsin,
leaves little doubt as TO who is re-
sponsible for the resistance being Of
fered to the progress of the interna-
tional forces. The emperor himself,
by edict, already has indicated that
while reparation might be afforded
the power for injuries sustained by
their citizens before the attack on the
Taku forts, the Chinese government
will not responsibility icr
what has happened or will happen as
a result of military operations fol-
lowing that event. OF course this no.
tice from the tsung Ii yamen can be
construed as an answer to Secretary
HAYS demand upon Ii Hung Chang
that free communication be opened
with the ministers at Picking and
their own governments, and in conse-
uuence the negotiations which were
about TO be instituted, had the re-
quest been complied with, may be re-
garded as indefinitely postponed.
Pressure on Tsung Ill Iamen.
Meanwhile the Chinese ministers in
Europe and Mr.. WI in the United
States are still making a last combined
effort to make plain to the imperial
government the faulty of the course
now being followed by the tsung IL
yamen respecting the continued isola-
ton of the foreign ministers, and IL
may be that their representations VIII
meet with q favorable response; IL
not now, then certainly after the first
decisive victory achieved by the inter
national column.
Strict censorship, strongly rein
forced by the immense difficulties III
the way of speedy communication be-
tween Tien Tsin and the outer world,
still surrounds with mystery the prog
ress Of the international column to-
ward Picking. The state department.
officials have nothing from their own
agents bearing on the movements OF
the column, and while the war depart
ment has heard recently from Chat
fee, the officials will not make public,
his dispatch and refuse to say whether
or not they themselves know the
movement has begun. 1t is known the
Chinese government is in a way to
quickly take advantage of any inform
alton that may be published respect
ing the international column and IT is,
deemed bad strategy to afford the
Chinese any assistance of this kind.
There are signs that all is not well
with Chaffee and hat he is meeting,
with greater difficulties than had
been expected in getting his troops
debarked and ready for the start to-
ward Picking. But the war depart
ment has given him unlimited power
in the matter of financial
and Is doing all it can to help him
from this end. There was a renewal
of the m this morning of some
thing occurring at Shan Hal Kwan, at
the eastern end of the great wall,
which will surprise the Chinese. There
is n military road from this point to-
Picking over high and dry ground, and
although the distance is nearly twice
that from Tien Tsin to Picking, it's
physical advantages may make this
route practically much shorter in
point of time. 1t is believed here that
q strong Russian column will be land
ed at that point to converge on Pc
king simultaneously with the inter
national column and thus divide the
Chinese opposing force.