Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-02-07
aHistsllameul&s 8eading.
BOXERS ACTIVE IN CHINA.

BOXERS ACTIVE IN CHINA.
Shanghai Alarmed By a New Anti
| Foreign Agitation.
All who are interested in the reform
movement in China, says a Shanghai
letter to the New York Sun, are watch
/ ing with much anxiety the develop
ments in far-away Shensi, which seems
to have been selected as the scene OF
another Boxer movement more formid-
able than the one which led to the
capture and looting Of Pekin, and the
saddling on China Of heavy indem-
nifty. From Shensi come reports that
are extremely disquieting.
It seems that Tung Fu-hsiang, who
was one Of the principal fomenters OF
the first Boxer uprising, Is in Kansu,
the adjoining province to Shensi, Or
ganizing a large force Of soldiers. He
is in constant communication with
Yung-Lu and Prince Tuan, the two
powers behind the throne. and common
rumor has it in Shensi that these
troops are to drive out all foreigners
in the provinces Of Kansu and Shensi.
Kansu in the most northwestern prov
ince in China and runs into the Des-
ert Of Cobb, and Shensi is 80 remote
that few travellers penetrate it. Mr.
Nichols book, Through Hidden Shen-
81" gives a good idea Of this far away
province where the customs and pref
udices Of hundreds Of years ago still
survive in nearly all their original
force.
A missionary who has spent many
years in Shensi and knows the country
intimately has just sent letter to
Shanghai which has caused great un-
easiness here. He says that Tung Flu
hsiang is at Heichengtze, little place
ninety II northwest of Kuyuan in Kan
su. There he has established great
barracks and is arming and drilling
100 900 soldiers.
Many Of these men were in the Box
er war and are well-drilled soldiers who
understand the use Of the rifle. He Is
also buying large quantities Of grain
and of fodder for horses, and his
agents appear to be literally supplied
with money.
The provincial military commander
in Kuyuan is powerless to do anything
to prevent this assembling Of big
military force in his province, as only
recently he disbanded his army at A.
900 men by order from Pekin. Scarcely
had he released this large force from
the imperial army when the whole
body Joined Tung's command, as he
paws better wages than the empire.
From many remote missionary sta
tions in Kansu come reports OF grow
ing insolence on the part Of the COM
mon people and persistent rumors that
Tung Is acting under the authority OF
the Empress Dowager, though sne
will refuse to sanction any Of his acts
and will deny giving him money or
commands. In fact the situation In
both Kansu and Shensi is exactly the
same as it was in Chihli, Hupeh and
Honan prior to the recent Boxer up
rising. All that is needed to set the
two provinces in a blaze is some out
rage on a foreign missionary or trader.
When blood has once been spilled
nothing can save any foreigner in the
two provinces, but speedy flight to
treaty. settlement. What makes the
situation graver is that officials friend
ly to the foreign missionaries are ad-
yisine them to leave at once before
the trouble comes to a head. These
officials confess that they dare not
send reports to Pekin about the army
that is being massed in Kansu, as
they have secret advices that Young
Lu is back of that movement and that
the old Empress Dowager is also CIV
ing this anti-foreign agitation her
strong support.
It seems strange to one who does
not know the Chinese that a new re-
volt against foreigners should be plan
ned before the debt entailed by the
Boxer insurrection is paid; but the
Chinese never learn anything. The
fanatical anti-foreign leaders seem to
believe that the only way to stem the
tide of reform and the adoption or
European customs Is to show that the
interior provinces repudiate the for
eigner and will not tolerate him on
their soil.
1t had been known for some time
that all through the great province OF
Szechuan Boxer emissaries have been
preaching a crusade against foreign
ers. The same old calumnies that STIR
red the fanaticism in the men who
believed they were immune to foreign
bullets are being spread. The mission
aries are being accused of killing
young children to secure their eyes
and hearts for medicine; the old lies
about the desecration of graves are
being repeated.
ANYTHING more horrible than the
literature and the pictures that are
circulated in this attack on Christian
ity It would be difficult to conceive.
The foulest libels against the foreign
missionaries are openly circulated IN
Kansu, Shensi and even in Szechuan.
In the last province the Boxer ennis
saries have so corrupted the people
that Tsen, the newly appointed vice.
roy, is anxious to resign. He Is an
able man who has shown great force
as an administrator and he has been
fa;r m foreieners: but he sees clearly
that he will secire no aid except emp
ty promise from Pekin in his EFFORTS
to suppress the Boxers.
Foreigners have watched with much