The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-20
SCANDALOUs STORY
That the Gear Is in League With
Prince Tuan.

Prince Tuan.
New York, July 20.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from London, says:
The widest rumor in print is a story
that Russia has been secretly intlgu-
ing with Prince Tuan and that Ii Hung
Chang is behind these negotiations. The
Chinese camarilla which has defied the
civilized world 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 Gre
dulous enough to cable them to Europe
or America. The car reignS over Rus
STA 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
Ii Hung Chang7S journey nOrthWard at
ter a consultation with the British Off.
Gals at Hong Kong. He cannot be re-
garded as a friend of England for he
has dispatched black flag bandits and
ruffians to the nOrthward to disturb the
peace of the Yang Use region: nor is he
a trustworthy peacemaker, since he is
known to be bitter opponent of all for
elgn interests, yet he is allowed to pro-
coed on his journey to Taku and proba-
bly, will pass from the camp of the al
lies at Tien Tsin to the capital where he
Will assume the governorship of Pc Chi
Ii during the period of foreign inva-
sion. Practical men are asking wheth-
er he would not be a more useful peace
maker and negOtiatOr If he were detain-
ed 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 empress dowager and
Prince Tuan.
1t is not clear that anything is gain
ed by the shallow pretense that the civ
11zed powers are not at war with the
Chlnese government, which is either
openly directing the anti-foreign move
menI or IS utterly unable to control it.
There is every reason to believe that
the blood stained camerilla at Pekin has
ordered Ii Hung Chang to Pc Chi Ii in
order 10 employ him in setting one for
elgn power against another and in
breaking up concerted action He will
be a diplomatic accessory after the fact
ana Will be passed through the allied
heetS and camps to the capital where
his head will be cut off if he declines to
serve the government as assassination
Men who have passed many years in
emma are utterly hopeless in their com
ments upon the present situation. They
assert that the Manchu dynasty is
lighting for its life and power, and that
IL Will not spare any effort to set the
furious mobs in motion against the for
elgn concessions at Shanghai, Marking,
Han kOw, Che Foo and other places
Some of the best informed men favor
united action by the powers by which
Marking shall be proclaimed the cant
tai so that appeal can be made to the
Ch1nese themselves against the despotic
and arrogant Manchu race, but thew
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
1T permanently.
No power except Japan apparently
knows its own mind, and while bat
talions and naval brigades are going
out there is no settled policy, but gen
eral reluctance to substitute de lure for
Gle facto warfare and to break off diplo-
matte relations with a government
which has virtually decreed the expul-
sion of foreigners and the destruction
OF all alien interests.
Sheng is still giving out contradictory
messages respecting the legations and
there are highly ina ginatfve estimates
of the strength of the Chinese armies in
the field. The real trend of events is
disclosed by two facts-first, that the
Chinese government is forcing the for
eign powers to stand together and fight
by its own aggressive action and. sec
ond, that the powers, while banding to-
gether, have their eyes fixed upon
spheres of interest where each must
ultimately assume the responsibility of
administration. This was illustrated by
Mr.. Broderick's admission that the con-
sui general at Shanghai had been en-
powered to give assurances of British
support to the viceroys in the Yang Use