The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 29, 1900, Page 21

Dages 2 1o 3 e (] : $ : f Bttt + 4440 Pages 21 1030 AR a e e e e e e e e e a e s s ansad L R e as VOLUME LXXXVIII-NO, 59. SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JULY 29, 1900—FORTY PAGES. PRICE FIVE CE\ TS MESSENGER FROM PEKING REPORTS ATTACK BY BOXERS CEASED ON JULY 14 fefeledeetels LEGATIONS SAFE AND FOREIGNERS RECEIVING PROTECTION SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL e ) el bk NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER WALLED CITY foole oo cfelimivleiimiel] Jeofontect IENTSIN, July 24 (via Chefu and Shanghai July 28).—A Chinese student, who has been under the supervision of Missionary Wilder and who started for Peking two weeks ago, returned here late this afternoon. He reports that Chinese imperial troops completely surround the Tar- tar city. He was unable to deliver the messages with which he had been entrusted to the legations. through, but was told it was impossible—that they could not pass any representative of foreigners. On the afternoon of July 14, according to the messenger, the Chinese ceased the attack on the legations, and during the remainder of his stay everything was quiet. On July 18 an imperial edict was issued commanding all persons to protect foreigners. He begged the Chinese to let him go The messenger left Peking on that day. He saw no troops for sixty miles south of Peking, but in the vicinity of Yangtsun and Pietsung there were about 20,000. ThlS news is belleved to be trustworthy, as it corroborates other information received. BRIEF RESUME OF THE DAY'S FAR EASTERN DEVELOPMENTS PP G HILE in so far as definite knowledge of the fate of the legations in Peking is con-.~ cerned the world remains at a standstill, fears are increasing that the outcome of the general situation must inevitably be war. Even in Washington, where the most hopeful view might be expected to prevail, there is a growing conviction that the Chinese Government, even if not responsible for the anti-foreign movement, has ceased to oppose it and that'the time Is rapidly aoproaching when its policy of evasion and procrastination will be thrown aside for an open defiance of Western civilization. Various dispatches arriving from Chinese sources were made public in Europe and America yesterday. All repeat the statement of the safety of the legations and fail to con- nce. Similarly a report, ascribed to a Russian banker, of the probable massacre of for- iers in Peking was considered to lack authority. As for the cipher telegram signed “Conger,” which purported to have been sent from Peking by the United States Minister on July 18, Secretary Hay to-day informed Minister Wu n his opinion it was a forgery. The contents of the message, it is learned, were known before tt reached the State Department to both Yuan Shai Kai of Shantung and Taotai Sheng. a director of Chinese telegraphs, both of whom have been objects of peculiar suspi- 1 from the outset of the troubles, and the only inference is that they were acquainted th the State Department cipher. A parliamentary bluebook issued In London to-day contained documents showing an adroit appeal was made at the beginning of the month to Great Britain by the Chi- e Government to secure her support against the other powers. According to advices which reached Washington yesterday, but which require confir- mation, an imperial edict had been received by Li Hung Chang bidding him to hasten to the capital to take command of the imperial forces in Chili province and lead them against for- According to this report, foreign envoys were to be kept in durance as hostages. e i it e e et DR LITTLE HOPE THAT WAR CAN YET BE AVERTED Special Dispatch to the Call. ALL BUREAU, WELLINGTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, July 28 — War against h yesterday was believed to be only a possible outcome of the present condi- coming to be regarded as almost inevitable. . -!+-1-+-T-H-I-H«X-}~l-1—l-H~l—l~\!~v ) vi eign that i eigners. v Hay’s note was addressed to the powers it was on the theory that the in- re to aid the Chinese Government in bringing about the conditions set forth 3 nt would co-operate to secure. The conviction is being forced upon that the Chinese Government, if not originally responsible for the ceased to-oppose it, and that the safety of foreigners in the empire now only by guarantees obtained from the impe‘rial authorities at the 1ding to show that it is the Chinese Government rather than he treatment to which the Ministers have been subjected in ther than Boxers will resist the advance of the sinternational ive or dead, the treatment they have received in Peking, if o the imperial Government, would be sufficient justification for .43 DECLARES NO LEGATIONS WERE STANDING ON JULY 7 ONDON, anker 1 35, says that Peking all the legations had been destroyed and all the foreigners murdered. e Ministers, seeing death inevitable, shot their families. Sir Robert Hart, the banker adds, 1 le in despair. The full text of the Daily Mail's telegram is as follows: A\NGHAI, July 28—Newspapers here publish a statement by an influential banker, r the British legation, who arrived in Shanghai, having left Peking on July he legations were then destroyed. All the foreigners had disappeared, and ly state if they had been murdered, as he was too frightened to inquire.” s correspondent proceeds: prove this information is July 28 —The Daily Mail's Shan};rhax correspondent telegraphs that a Russian reliable. The banker in question has gone to s will not disclose his name, fearing that to do so would cause him to Igse his ’ - 1e Russian bank of Shanghai has received a letter from the bank’s Niu- 1at one of its Chinese representatives from Peking, who had just arrived, rt of the Peking massacre. He states that all the foreign Ministers were mur- 1 was inevitable, as the Chinese swarmed into the legations, the Ministers at the last moment. Sir Robert Hart. in despair, committed suicide.” dez B T T e o 1 T B et T e O e e e B o B e e ol et ool o o e el el el ool THE FAMILIES LUSTRATION DURIN |+ BY THE RIOTOUS BOXERS ON @t et COSTOF WAR WILH CHINA One Tnousand Dol}ars a Year| for Each Soldier Sent fo- the Front. SR 'l Special Dispatch to The Call. ALL BUREAU, WELLINGTON HO- TEL, WASHINGTON, July 28.—Sec- retary Gage is ready to meet any de- tregsury for the support of 3 larger army the present force of the United States will have to be strengthened. If the army is to be increased and it will be necessary for the President to call an extra session of Congress to authorize the enlistment of extra men and the formation mand that may be made upon the | in China if it should become apparent that | -+PW’%W++WPH—H+++WW il ARE THEY LIVING OR DEAD? TH of more regiments it will not be hampered by lack of funds to meet expenses. Ameri- a nsive than those on an averags can soldiers are more of any other nation, about $1000 apiece for be necessary to put T: 0 m')xg men in the field the additional charge upon the treas- ury would be about $50,000.60) a year, sr‘d | an increase of 100,000 would increase the | expense $100,000,00 a year. S OF THl PORLIG\ MINISTERS AT THE RACECOURSE, PEKING. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN FOR L'IL- 3 GRANDSTAND, ON THE STEPS OF WHICH THE PARTY IS GROUFED, JUNE 12, THL }IKST OPEN ACT OF HOSTILITY TO THE FOREIGNERS. ek feoforforgorfrefrefeefonlesinfomimfmferieior SHENG HOLDS . If it should | Secretary Gege said this afternoon that if the army should be increased by 75.000 | more men the additional expense could ba met out of the ordimary receipts of th | treasury without drawing on the cash balance at all. It is the present policy of + the Republicans to reduce the war revenue taxes early in the next session, and Sec- retary Gage has advocated this. But 1f the need should arise to increase ex- penses on account of the war in China the reduction of war taxes would have to be deferred. RUSSIANS BUB.N A VILLAGE. | ST. PFTERSBLRG July 28.—An nm- SECRET CODE Chmese Enabled to Learn Con- tents of Messages From Conger. —_—— Spectal Dispatch to The Call. ALL BUREAU, WELLINGTON HO- TEL, WASHINGTON, July 28.—Sec- retary Hay is satisfied beyond the shadow of a doubt that the contents clal dispatch from Prejenchensk, dated | Of the Conger cipher message were known Friday, July 27, says Sherwin detach- ment, en route to reinforce Blagovest- chensk, captured and burned the \mage Chinese official in Shanghai at the time | to Yuan and Sheng at the time the mes- | sage passed through their hands for trans- | mission to Washington. Shen wrote to a o e o M x I o I I WAS BURNED As to how the Chinese obtain | code opinions differ. ment is less circ code than are yet the code every Minister and ot a copy' of it is en that the safety of th | destruction in_time of some other pa State Dep: s are very reti- cent about cnce of the code book and W trom whag legation the book was stolen cr where it i3 sup- posed to be further than to inti that it is supposed to be in the pos: profess to be certain that no copy of the code book ever got into the hands of the Chinese unless they lave succeeded in some way in securing Minister Conger’s copy. However this may be, Secretary Hay, of Moche, opposite the Russian port of | the message must have been Dassing | who was the strongest defender of th Ignaschina, on the Amur River. The in- habitaats fled. l through his hands giving practically the exact phraseology of the message. | Fenutneness of the alleged Conger dish | patch, has come to have little faith in it.