The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-07-25
WILD RUMORS AFLOAT.
Russia Said to be Secretly Intriguing
with Prince Tuan.

London. July 20.-The widest rumor
in print is a story that Russia has been
secretly intriguing with Prince Tuan and
that Lii Hung Chang is behind these ne
gotiations. The Chinese Camarilla
which has defed the civilized powers will
be anxious to create discord among them.
Rumors Of this kind will be started
wherever there is a press writer at a
Chinese seabOard credulous enough to
cable them to Europe or America. The
Gar reignS over Russia and he cannot
have rushed into the embrace of a red
handed assassin like Prince Tuan.
The anomalous condition of de facto
warfare which has not been legalized by
a declaration of war is illustrated by Lii
Hung Changes journey northward after
a consultation with the British officials
at Hong Kong. He cannot be regarded
as friend of England for he has sent
Black Flag bandits and ruffians to the
northward to disturb the peace Of the
Yang-ISe region, nor is he a trustworthy
peacemaker, since he is known to be a
bitter opponent of all foreign interests
yet he is allowed to proceed on his Jour
ney to Taku, and probably will pass
from the camp of the allies al Tien Tsin
to the capital, where he will assume the
governorship of PeChi-Li during the pc
Rod of foreign invasion. Practical men
are asking whether he would not be
more useful peacemaker and negotiator
if he were detained on some vessel of
war, and whether the powers can afford
to allow him TO go inland, where he
would be compelled to act with the En-
press Dowager and Prince Tuan.
A Shallow Pretense.
1t is not clear that anything is gained
by the shallow pretense that the civilized
powers are not at war with the Chinese
government, which is either openly direct
ing the anti-fOreign movement or is ut
terly unable to control it.
There is every reason to believe that
the blood-stained Camarilla at Pekin has
ordered Ii Hung Chang to Pe-Chi-Li in
order to employ him III setting one foreign
power against another and in breaking
up concerted action. He will be a dip
lomatic accessory after the fact, and will
be passed through the allied fleets and
camps to the capital, where his head will
be cut off if he declines TO serve the gov
eminent of assassination.
Men who have passed many years in
China are utterly hopeless in their COM
ments upon the present situation. They
assert that the Manchu dynasty is fight
ing for IFS life and power, and that it will
not spare any effort to set the furious
mObs in motion against the foreign con-
cessiOns at Shanghai, Marking, Hankow,
ChefOo and other places. Some of the
best-informed men favor united action by
the powers by which Marking shall be-
proclaimed the capital, so that appeal
can be made to the Chinese themselves
against the despotic and arrogant Man
chu race, but they admit in the next
breath that this policy cannot be carried
out, since both Russia and Japan will not
consent to the degradation of Pekin
when each hopes ultimately to occupy
and to hold it permanently.
Japan Knows.
knows its own mind, and while bat
talions and naval brigades are going out
there is no settled policy, but Il general
reluctance to substitute de jure for de
facto warfare, and to break off diplomat
ic relations with a government which
has virtually decreed the expulsion Of
foreigners and the destruction of all alien
interests
Sheng is still giving out contradictory
messages respecting the legations and
there are highly imaginative estimates
Of the strength of the Chinese armies in
the field. The real trend of events is
disclosed by two facts-frst, that the
Chinese government is forcing the for
eign powers to stand together and fight
by its own aggressive action, and, second,
that the powers, while banding together,
have their'eyes fixed upon spheres of in
terest, where each must ultimately as
sumo the responsibilities of administra-
ton. This was illustrated by Mr. Brod-
erick's admission that the consul general
at Shanghai had been empowered to. give
assurances of British support to the
yiceroys in the Yang-Tse region.