Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-23
10000 FRENCH TROOPS
TO Be Taken from China. in May. -Rcpor
Causes Uncasiness.

commander of the French trocps i,
China. has informed Gen. Chaffec tina,
10000 French soldiers will leave China
next May.
Ii Hung Chang believes that III,
ChlneSe troops under Gen. Liu, will be
WITHDRAWN over the boundary markinr
the territory defined by Field Marshal
Won N3ldcretc, as t.. sphere of op,ri
tons for the allies. as the governor of
Shan-Si province received tclesraphic
instructions nearly week ago order
ing their withdrawal. The governor
could have conveyed these orders IN
the troops i'll question by last Friday
by the latest.
The majority of the French and
German newspaper correspondents ac-
campaigning the expedition directed
against Gen. Liu and which has been
modified at Pao Ting Flu, returned to
Pekin, today, believing that the cxpcdi-
ton would be called off.
Hsi LANG, formerly governor of the
province of Shan 81. has been appoint
ed governor of the province of Hupet
The foreign CousulS at Hankow, capt.
tai of the province of Hankow. and
have sent a telegram advising him to
delay proceedings in the matter of Hsi
Liang's appointment.
The numerous appointments of
Cinnamon with pronounced anti-for-
eign tendencies is causing comment at
Pekin. Even the foreign ministers ad-
NIT that so many appointments of this
character are ill advised. while the
missionaries and other civilians arc
alarmed for the future
1t is the opinion of Mr.. Rockhill, the
American special commissioner, that
the foreign troops may now commence
leaving China with perfect safety and
on the other hand the announcement
that 10000 French troops are to leave
in May causes fear among the French
residents and this fear is greater
among the French native converts to
Christianity. who inform the priests
that they are daily threatened with
what will happen to them when the
foreigners leave.
The views of the foreign ministers on
the withdrawal of the troops is not
shared by the great majority of the
foreign residents. The ministers aver
that some of these latter have business
reasons and that others would have to
vacate the fine buildings they are now
occupying rent free when the troops go.
"A parsonage from Sian Flu who is
closely connected with the court, denies
that Gen. Tung Fuh Slang is in state
of open rebellion. The person in ques-
ton thinks that the missionaries who
reported. that he was in rebellion must
have heard accounts of his harsh treat
.ment of bandits falling into his hands.
INTung Fuh Slang has frequently dis
obeyed the orders of the court. When
500 troops were withdrawn from his
command last January. he should have
returned their rifles and ammunition
This he failed to do. Before he left for
Kan-Su he obtained an audience with
the Dowager Empress of China Upon
this occasion TunS Fuh Slang said TO
to the Empress: "All that your servant
has done has been TO obey the orders
of the court He will die upon the bat
tletield in your service. If because OF
the commands of the foreigners your
servant committed to death, he would
die unwillinsly."
To this the Empress replied: Let
YOUR heart be at peace. | would rather
lose my rivers and mountains than
you. l will surely devise plan Tor
your protection"
Lu Chang Ian, Il notorious reaction
ary and president of the board of trade
argues in favor OF subduins the bar
barians. while others advise delay in
returning to Pekin. Only Weng NehS
Shao and Sun CHA Mai urge immedi-
ate acceptance of the terms offered pfi-
vate,v. Two OF the foreign powers
have separately agreed to extend TO
the court the full protection. should
necessity arise, Of every soldier tney
have. :,
At recent meeting of the council
both the Emperor and the Empress
went frequently. The Dowager Ell
press said that each day OF absence
was a day when she could neither cat
nor sleep in peace. The Emperor sald
that pckin was the home of his ances-
tors and that he could not bear 10
abandon it.
Sir Robert Harris plan for the IN
crc,sc of the revenue of China wouid
bring in 20. 600 600 tacls annually. out
the foreigners and business men Oh
China object to this plan already say
ing that under it the foreign DuSliic9a
houses will pay the greater portion Vi
the indemnity.
BcrIjn. April EFT is believed ~.
German official circles that Russia WEI
take I'D negotiations with CHINA aga"
regarding the Manchurian convehtio"
after the general China question
settled. 1t is also believed ofhciaus
that the Chinese regular army is az
ready retreating before the expedi.io,,
which is under way and that the a','eu
commanders are now discussing WIFI
troops they can send home.
Washington, April 22.-F1gures
ceived at the state department eo
pilcd by J. w. Stevenson, directoi y.
the Chinese Inland Mission, snow .N''
the total number of foreign missio''
aries killed in China during the TO-
dist,rba including the chlio
was 1856 OF these IS adults ana
dren were Americans.