Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-06
Indications That a Reign OF
Terror May Drench China
In Blood
OLD HATRED OF FOREIGNERS
Dowaeer Empress Seems to Have Re-
vived All Her Animosity Toward Al
lens and Has Entered Upon CRU
SADIE Against the Reformers-Many
Are Put to Death.


dications that China is on the eve of
a reign of terror that may drench tie
empire in blood. Scores of reformers
are under sentence of death, and scores
of others have fled to Japan and are
in hiding.
The dowager empress seems to have
recovered all her former animoslty
against the foreigners and has entered
upon crusade against the reformers
that recalls the dark days which pre-
ceded the boxer" revolt of 1900, when
the foreign legations were attacked and
only rescued after a difficult cam
paign by the allied armies OF the pow
ers.
Just now the venom of the aged dow
ager empress, backed by the anti-for
eign element at court, is directed
against the Chinese repormers, VINO
now, as in 1899, We're accused of con-
spiracy to bring China under the DOM
ination of the foreigners.
From the execution Of the reformers
to direct attacks on the foreigners, is
only a step. The foreign legations
will not, however, be caught unprepar-
ed, as they were in 1900.
The renewed crusade against the
reformers, is attracting especial no
tice OF the foreigners. The reformer,
Shen- Chen, already has been decapi-
tated, and the discovery was made that
forty Cinnamon in Pekin are under ac-
cusation by the censor for advocating
reforms, and are subject to immediate
arrest and are in danger Of summary
execution.
Six Chinese reform journalists at
Shanghai are under sentence of death,
but have been taken under the pro-
lection of the British flag. and the
English government refuses to surrend-
er them to certain death. The other
European powers show willingness TO
surrender reformers whenever demand
I ed OF them.
Scores of helpless reformers In Pc
kin and elsewhere are holding them
selves in readiness for martyrdom, be-
lieving themselves victims of treach-
erous despot.
Foreigners already are specializing as
to the length of time China will defy
the restrictions of the powers. as she
ha. recovered confidence enough in one
year to murder pro-foreign Chinese I'M
der the noses of ministers and recover
ed five years after the war With Japan
the confidence to defy the world in 1900,
The Chinese reformers, though mis-
guided, represent the best element III
the Chinese race. They are not to be
compared with anarchists, as they sell
dom employ assassination.
The direct responsibility of the dow
ager empress for the execution of the
reformers is fully established to the
satisfaction of both Chinese and for
eigners, except perhaps of the Ameri-
can legation, which is freely accused
of acting in selfish motives in defense
Of the dowager. The British legation
while judiciously avoiding direct i'm
parchment of the dowager aftirms that
the order for the death torture of Shen-
Chen came from the palace.
Marshal Su, who was summoned to
the capital to explain his failure to
crush the rebellion in southern China,
has had AN audience with the dowager
empress which is reported to have been
unsatisfactory to him. 1t is predicted
in official circles that Su will be in
Guided in the autumn list of those con-
demned to be executed.