Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-07-19

Reported Mnssncre-Report That
China Has Declared War Against
RuSsIa-Li Hung Chang Interview
ed shortly Before Leaving Canton
For the Chinese Capital.
London, July 18.-The foreign office
informs the press that a telegram iden-
teal with the one handed to Secretary
Hay at Washington by Minister WI
Ting Fang has been delivered to it by
the Chinese minister here, which was
sent by Sdeng, the administrator OF
telegraphs at Shanghai. The foreign
Office points out, however, that the date
July - mentioned in the telegram
probably applies to the Chinese calen-
dar, and is equivalent to July 5, accord
ing to the Gregorian reckoning.
There is little further news from
China this morning The attack upon
the native city of Tien Tsin was fol-
lowed up so swiftly by the allies on the
morning of July II that the Chinese
never had time to TeorganiZe, and,
once their lines were broken, their re-
treat rapidly became a rout. The al
lies took possession of the native city
and its defenses. The total losses Of
the allies in the engagements of Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday were about
800 killed or wounded. The casualties
were greatest among the Russians and
Japanese.
The news of the Manchuria disturb
ances is not regarded as justifying the
serious view attributed by The Daily
Nails advices. Amur is boundary ter
ritory between eastern Siberia and
Manchuria. The district has been the
scene of local disturbances for a long
time, owing to the provocative conduct
fthe COssacks toward the $4,000 Chi
nese employed in the construction of
the Russo-M -Manchuria railway.
Several serious collisions have Oc-
Cured between the COssacks and the
Chinese troops. One happened several
weeks ago, when two Russian officers
and sixteen men were killed. The eX-
tension of the Boxer movement to
Manchuria has resulted in a great
destruction of the railway, compelling
the Russians to withdraw their Of
ficials. The Chinese tried to stop the
Russian steamer Michael, carrying
ullllIOI anu AIt SltdIIlNA oSlth91,
with the Russian frontier commission
on board, from passing up the Amur
at Aigun. They fired on the steamers,
wounding an officer and a few men,
but the steamers reached Blagove-
schensk. The local Chinese COM
mander at Aigun seems to have sent
the Russians a sort of ultimatum to
quit ManChuria.
The Chinese, according to The Daily
Mails St Petersburg correspondent,
have thrown up Notifications and plac-
ed 40 guns at point Y miles from
Aigun to dispute the progress of the
Russians. The official Russian advices
leave the inference that Blagove
schensk is still in Russian hands, the
Russian losses during the lombard
ment being only three killed and five
wounded.
The Amur military district was mob
ilized fortnight ago on a war footing
and it is believed that the Russian
forces there are 1000 men and 112
guns. The governor general has now
ordered the troops on the frontier to
form a Gordon. The Russian papers
demand severe retribution for Chinese
audacity in Manchuria, but they hold
to the view that Russian must perse-
we're in her resolution to avoid war.
The Daily Mail publishes a sensa-
tional dispatch from St. Petersburg,
dated Monday, which asserts that there
is no doubt that China has declared
war against Russia,
THE Russian press" says the cor
he
lication Of official details, and the pub
lication of many dispatches from the
front has been prohibited. hear,
however, from a reliable source that
the Chinese troops and the Boxers seiz-
ed Russian transport vessel laden
with munitions near Aigun (on the
Amur river, about IS miles from the
Russian frontier), killing almost the
entire Russian escort. They next sud-
denly attacked and bombarded the
town Of Blagovechensk Capital of the
Amur government, on the Amur river).
The garrison held out bravely, but was
finally overwhelmed. Nearly all per-
ished, and the town was burned"
The Daily Telegraph has the fol-
lowing from Canton, dated July 16
shortly before his departure for Pekin:
I'm an interview with the foreign
consuls today Ii Hung Chang said
that his mission to Pekin was two
fold-to save the lives of the foreign
ministers and to arrange the best posz
sible terms of peace with the allied
powers. The American and French
consuls, while CONTEMPLATING him upon
these commendable purposes, remind
ed him of lis pledges to protect for
eigners and to preserve peace in south
ern and central China.
Earl Ii replied that he must obey