Widnes Examiner. — 1900-08-03 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

PRESENTS. SKELTON'S LIMITED, HORS EMARKET STREET, WARRINGTON.  THE relief on hearing that the, The Truce at Pekin. foreign Ministers at Pekin  have hitherto escaped massacre, though they are still besieged in the Legations, is so considerable that there is a tendency to underestimate the gravity of the situation. What has been arranged is a kind of truce. The small force in the Legations,which has been materially reduced by the siege, has been vigorously attacking the investors, and has been requested to desist from its attacks. A cordon Of Chinese soldiers hes been placed between the Legations and the Boxers, and so far all is well • Probably provisions may be allowed to paso through. It is now quite evident that an attempt has been made to use the Ministers and refugees as hostages, and to make terms as the price of their safety. We take this to be the aim Of Li HIINCI OHANG's mission. He has ni with so much discouragement that he is unwilling to go to Pekin, and he recommends the EMPRESS to send the Ministers under safe escort to Tientsin, and to prevent at all costs the murder of missionaries and converts. His foreaer threat, that the Ministers would be murdered If the Allied troops advanced on Pekin, has been abandoned, and we may infer that a pause has occurred, in which there is some confusion In Chinese counsels. The fall of Tientsin and the arrival of more troops has induced the ENcrEzos ts exert herself and to shew some authority where there had been complete passivity and indifference before. There are some Chinese Christians in the cathedral at Pekin, and they have been holdingent against the Boxers, though they could hardly have done so if the Chinese troops had been helping the insurgents as they did in the first instance. Thor° is now a fear on the part of the Boxers that theY may be caught between two fires—attacked .bY the Chinese troops and attacked by the Allies They have heard of the capture of Tientsi° and the severe losses of their comrades in It 3 defence. They are wavering. We hope they will continue to waver, and end by being Paci.u,e. But we cannot say what may happen outsif Pekin when the Allies advance, or what DlaY 1E43 the mood of the revolutionists in the city Whet) they see the" foreign devils " coming along, NI armed, to Finish them for their misdeeds, Itt. ne may fear inquiry, and they may once more Pre`—i to fight, aid do their hest to influence a par . the Chinese troops to throw in their lot with thee:l" Until the foreign ministers are either safe I'l Tientsin or actually rescued by the Allies vie shall be wrong to take a placid view of tliel situation. The Chinese character forbids loVes explanation. The hope is, however, that 00 EMPRESS and her advisers may be thoroughly esir vinced of the imperative importance of resisto% the revolution, of trying to save the dynasty/ $ll4 of rendering what assistance they can in the Os' toration of order and peace. The Cainese ars° is sn awkward factor in the situation. Where PRINCE TITAN is we do not know, and whether 12° has been substantially reinforced or not cannot 130 ascertained. Happily, the Ministers are alive, htlt' beyond that all is dark and uncertain. 0111 advance from Tientsin should not now be log delayed.  THE heart of Engls)24 The Duke of Saxe- has received another Coburg and Gotha. shock. It is some 3sisrsA since a breach was made in the Rayal Family our beloved OMEN was called upon to remember that she is not exempt from the sorrow and eels's" ity that assail ordinary human beings. Yesterds/ she heard with pain and grief ef the death of 0,11 Duke of