The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-22
Forts and Redoubts Constructed
Along the River for n Dis
tance of Twenty Versts.
ONE TOWN ALREADY CAPTURED
AND THE RUSSO-CHINESE BANK
LOOTED By THE REBELS.
About $4,000 Russians Available for
Combating the Marauders in
Northern China.

Copyright, 1900, by the Associated Press.I
BERLIN, July 21-The Chinese situation
takes radically different shape from
news which has reached here from Russia.
What Europe hitherto knew about the
troubles in Manchuria was that the Rus
sian government chose to let pass. Now
number of reports, some of them Of
fetal, but majority private. have reached
here from st. Petersburg which tally in
the main, and paint the situation in Chi
nese Manchuria and along the 1,5OO kilo-
meters of borderland, on the Siberian side
of which the Amur river forms frontier,
as much more dangerous for Russia than
has hitherto been supposed.
The Associated Press correspondent has
obtained at the Russian embassy here a
partial, though cautious. confirmation of
the above statement. A military contrib
utor to the Tageblatt says official Russian
news showed that Chinese regular troops
aided by irregulars, in all numbering about
10000, are in open war against Russia
They not only demanded the withdrawal
of the Russians from Chinese territory, but
after the Russian refusal to withdraw they
assumed the offensive and drove off the
Russians from railroad construction and
are undertaking hostile demonstrations
against Harbin, Blagovestchensk and other
towns, shelling the last named place.
What makes the Chinese hostilities ex-
tremely dangerous, however. is the fact
that the Chinese. by a series of recently
constructed forts and redoubts, absolutely
command the navigation of the Amur river
for distance of twenty versts thus keep
ing Russian transports from the only
route open, at least until these fortifica-
tions shall have been taken by the Rus
slams.
Though the Russian censorship is again
most severe regarding kilograms, news
reached here to-day from st. Petersburg
that Bagovestchensk had been taken by
the Chinese. who seized large amounts of
money in the Russo Chinese bank there.
All reports agree that the Russian gov
,ernment now considers that Russia is
actually at war with China; that the dilly-
daily policy hitherto maintained will be
dropped that Russia is now 'hurriedly pre-
pairing for a serious campaign in north
China, separate from the other powers, and
that Russia will not be able nor willing
under these altered circumstances. to bear
an adequate share in the Tien-Tsin- Peking
campaign.
The Russian forces available along the
border and throughout north China are
stated to comprise twenty-six battalions of
the line, twenty-seven battalions of re-
serves, seventeen Cossack regiments and
seventeen field batteries, altogether about
7S, 900 men.
The Lloyd line steamer Sachsen, which
has arrived at Genoa, from China, reports
being fired upon by Chinese coast forts
and slightly damaged while going from
Yokohama hOmeward.
Dr. Mumm Won Schwartzenstein has gone
to China, nominally the German repre-
sentative for East Asia, because Germany
has not yet been officially informed of the
death of Baron Won Ketteler, nor who at
present represents the Chinese government,
If there is any. DR.. Mumm therefore goes,
not accreGlted to the Chinese government.
but empowered to negotiate with single or
joint viceroys or governors.
The United States ambassador, Mr.. An
drew D. White, received a dispatch from
Washington to-day, sent since the re-
ceipt of Minister Conger's dispatch to the
Department of State instructing him to
see the Foreign Office regarding the plans
for common steps for securing trust
worthy information from Peking and other
parts of China. Mr.. White, in compliance
with instructions, visited the German min
lister of foreign affairs, Count Won Buelow,
this morning. Minister Congers dispatch is
regarded here with skepticsm Doubts are
expressed at the American and British en-
bassies as well as at the imperial Foreign
Office. 1t is thought probable that it is an
old dispatch. hitherto withheld by the
Chinese authorities or a dispatch con-
cocted by the Chinese after the capture of
the official code. The Chinese Office here
has cable message from the Governor OF
Shan-Tung, saying that he had received
Minister Conger's dispatch from Chinese
runners and forwarded il to Washington.
| The Governor Of Shan-Tung, in this tele-
| gram, also denies ever having sent dis
| patch to Sheng, the administrator of tele-
graphs at Shanghai. saying that the am
| bassadors had been murdered.
The British ambassador. Lord Cough,
| told the Associated Press correspondent
| that all the cabinets were still acting upon
the assumption that the ministers were
| still alive.
The Foreign Office has taken no further
steps concerning the Chinese minister. on
| cials there say that If he leaves he will do
| so of his own volition- The Chinese minis
| ter has ordered all members Of the legation
to refuse to see newspaper correspondents.
The Chinese embassy here late to-day
communicated to the Foreign Once the de-
cree OF the reisning Emperor kwang su.
which decree the embassy received this
morning from the viceroy Of Nan King.
| The decree is lengthy document and was
| addressed to the viceroys. ordering them to
! suppress the Boxer movement and to pro-