The Worthington advance., 1901-03-22
! SITUATION. STILL CRAVE.


{ IlentSln, March 1S.--Ihe situation
here could not be more serious. The
Chinese are enjoying the spectacle Of
Russian and British troops drawn up
In hostile array, with the possibility
Of bloodshed at any minute. Saturday
the British railway authorities put
men to work building asiding near the
station. The Russians drove them OF
tor trespassing on their new conces-
sion. The laborers, who were rough
" handled, returned, supported by
several hundred British troops. The
Russiansresponded by calling out their
whole force and preparing for battle.
Upon seeing this the British desisted
from their purpose of bringing back
the laborers to work by force. Gen.
Campbell, commanding the British,
and Gen. Wogack, commander of the
Russian force, had a conference, and
both sides agreed not to break the
peace for "a hours. Information re-
garding the situation has been cabled
to London and st. Petersburg. Intense
anxiety as to the outcome of the af-
falr prevails here. The Russians are
1ntrenching themselves in their con-
cession.
London. March 1s. The British
press calls on the government to main
tain its prestige in China even if it.
may be necessary to call out all the
resources of the empire: The Standard
warns Russia that Great Britain's
rights at Tientsin will be maintained.
Great Britain, Germany and Japan are
said to have warned Russia not to seize
Manchuria.
The gravity of the dispatches, from
Tientsin were such that the marquis
OF Lansdowne, the foreign minister,
and Lord Salisbury were in frequent
communication Saturday and both re-
mained in town Sunday. A telegram
from Tientsin says:
The Russians and British are occupying
long trenches only Is yards apart. These
are filled with troops. :,ut the English out
comber the Russians twenty to one. Un-
less tne st. Petersburg government takes
concillatory view Of the dispute the Rus
sans Will attempt to drive out the British
every possible influence has been brought
70 bear with the view to arriving at a
friendly solution"
Tientsin, March 18.-There is no
change in the situation developed by
the Anglo-Russian railway dispute
here. The Russian and British forces
are still represented by small detach-
ments with officers, encamped on op-
Posite sides of the railway siding.
The utmost friendliness is exhibited
toward each other by the opposing
parties; but as measure of precau-
ton the guards have been reduced to
27 on each side in order to prevent
any possible collision during the ne
gotiations. A Russian general arrived
from Peking Saturday evening. Ow-
ing to the persistent rowdyism of
French soldiers in the British con-
cession, the British authorities have
been~reluctantly compelled to forbid
the French to enter the concession
unless on duty.
Peking, March 1S-The health of
Ii Hung Chang is again a matter of
grave consideration to the ministers
of the powers. Mr.. Rockhill, the
American special commissioner, who
visited Earl Ii Saturday, says he is
a physical wreck and apparently in a
state of utter collapse, although
mentally as brilliant as ever. Mr..
Rockhill would not be surprised to
hear of his death at any moment.
London, March 1s.-Dr. Morrison,
wiring to the Times from Peking says:
Russia, by her refusal to support the
powers in their demands for the pun
ishment of guilty officials, has finally
thrown off the mask. A plea for
leniency is hardly serious coming from
power whose troops last summer
were guilty of reprisals upon the Chi
nese scarcely less ferocious than the
acts of the 'Boxers" themselves. Rus
sia's action is only explicable as the
fulfillment of a private compact with
Ii Hung Chang to throw the concert
overheard in return for concessions
securing her separate interests.
DR.. Morrison proceeds to protest en-
ergetically against any further sacri-
fees Of their interests on the part Of
the powers to secure an outward
union of action. He. thinks that even
France can hardly follow her ally in
this instance.
TO CONFER WITH DEWET.