The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 4, 1900, Page 1

This Paper not to be taken from the Library.++** VOLUME L '\\\ III \()7 76.).7 SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. MINISTERS STILL IN DANGER OF DEATH. MARCH OF ALLIES SHOULD BE HASTENED re Predmtmns and Endeavor e1t the RelleI Column From Reaching‘ Peking, Virtual Announcement That Diplomats at|: the Forbidden City W Hostages Unless Foreigners Agree to Check the Advance of the Allies. SUMMARY OF THE CHINESE SITUATION THERE is nothing to prevent an advance upon Peking and the overthrow of the imperial Gov- ernment, cables a correspondent at Chefu. Many indications are to hand that this is pre- cisely what the Chinese Government most dreads and what it is seeking to avoid. Announcements that all foreigners in Peking will be massacred if allies advance; that Li Fing Hong, the former Viceroy of Shantung, with an unenviable record, has jeined hands with Prince Tu 1: that two pro-foreign members of the Tsung li Yamen have been beheaded and that anarchy reigns in the capital, together with Li Hung Chang’s endeavor to open up negotia- tions through Consul Goodnow, read suspiciously like efforts to gain time and evade respon- sibility. While there is still a lack of definite news regarding an advance all the dispatches to hand ndicate that an immediate move was expected several days ago. An interesting light is thrown on what is expected to be the character of the campaign by measures taken at Washington to provide winter equipment for the American forces. s In the latest dispatch received from Minister Conger, dated June 25, he says that they can hold out for six days. It is reported that many missionaries of various nationalities in Shansi province have been massacred and fear is felt for Americans there, from whom no word has heen received for two months. : 4 A special cable dispatch to The Call from Hongkong says that all the missionaries from % Hainan have reached that port with the exeeption of four, who are at Hoihow, where a French cruiser is ready to bombard the town if the foreigners are imperiled. It is estimated in London that from ten to fifteen thousand defenseless Christians have been massacred outside of Pe- king by imperial troops. EE IN ADVANCE DECLARED CRIMINAL. DELAY ial Cable to The Call and New York Herald. Copyright, 1900, by the Herald Publishing Company. . 1.—There is every indication that the Chinese Government is awakening to oring to throw the responsibility for the outrages in Pe- 1gh diplomacy it is seeking to foment- international jealousies e of the troops on Peking, to escape lawful punishment and to patch up he Chinese Government is responsible for the chaos, and they to Li Hung Chang at Shanghai. It is the conviction of every There is nothing to prevent a march on Peking It is commonly asserted that if this is not done the i battery and General Gaselee have arrived. Any fur- 1 Peking will be crimin - HUNG CHANG AGAIN ORDERED NORTH. w York Herald. Copyright, 1900, by New York Herald Publishing Company. Republi- at is prohibited. All rights reserved in the United States and Great Britain. i LONDON, Aug. 4—The Daily Mail pnhll=hc< this dispatch from its special correspond- \ug. 2.—Li Fing Hong has arrived in Peking. This is the barbarian Vice- massacred more than a thousand converts on his way north. Peking is in hree urgent telegrams to-day commanding his immediate depar- an awkward dilemma, and is taking refuge in the excuse that uade Sheng to go north with him, but the latter declines. BEMRRAE:™S Saen THREATS THAT MINISTERS WILL BE SLAIN. SHANGHAI telegraphs and ture for the north he is very ill iu Kun Vi, Viceroy of Nanking, and Sheng, administrator of of Shanghai, have both declared officially that the foreign Min- isters are held by the will be killed. stated that only nment as hostages, and that if the allies march to Peking they "I(’ Russiz us from and Japanese, 23,000 strong, are starting for Peking. hanghai has commenced. It was caused by disquieting ru- the mative and some foreign newspapers. se exo« IN ON PORT ARTHUR. ., Aug 1.—Forty thousand Chinese are occupying the heights near Tasheschau, and Moukden junction. There are only 5000 Russians at the junction. CHINESE CLOSING CHEFU The report is con- and Haitchen have been destroyed. Niuchwang is reckoned safe at Weihaiw ci —_—— FRENCH CRUISER LIES READY TO BOMBARD. Speecial Cable to The Call and New York Herald. Copyright, 1900, by the Herald Publishing Company. ( HONGKONG, ¥ nan. Others remain at Hoihow,iwhere the French cruiser Kersaint is lying under orders to bom- bard Gow in case of trouble affecting the safety of foreigners, - Aug. 3.—All the missionaries excepting four have arrived here from Hai- 11l Be Held as| oo &o@o@o@o}oo—»oo@o@ oo 0ee e e e S S S o +H~H—H—H~l+l—l—l—!—l‘ ettt A-H-H-H—I'. B I S S S S o-» HebeD ¢ ced e R e g e “DIE RACHE DER DEUTSCHEN” ve @ ee * L R o R B s (The Revenge of the Germans)-—German Marines Burning the Tsung Li Yamen in -Revenge for the Murder of Baron von Ketteler.-awm i reut soumans vy pRRERSERT] D R e A 2 A I e o cew veerLI eI e e e e soe e Q1200000000000 e eerve oo 436 36860-0065-00-¢0000>e CHINA PROBABLY PLAYING LAST CARD IN A BIG GAME OF BLUFF INGTON, Aug. 3.—China has responded to the allies’ advance on Peking by virtually announcing that This is the interpreta- CALL BUREAU, WELLINGTON HOTEL, WASH- she will hold the Ministers as hostages. tion which the administration officials put upon the dispatch re- ceived to-day from Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai. Goodnow’s message does not entirely agree with the dispatch re- ceived from the Governor of Shantung, transmitted by Consul Fowler at Chefu. The contradictions between the two mes- sages is explained here on the assumption that Yuan's advices left Peking before the news of the advance had reached there. At all events there is a disposition to attach moreimportance to Li Hung Chang than to Yuan. Some of the authorities still think the Imperial Government is playing its last card, and that if this announcement by Li Hung Chang does not stop the advance of the international col- umn it may be disavowed and that an effort may be made to soften the wrath of the powers by opening communication with the Ministers, an indispensable preliminary to any negotiations. This hope is very slender, however, in view of the fact that the anti-foreign faction is in control in Peking. There is even fear that the Ministers and other foreigners may yet be mur- dered. If Li Ping Hong is so firmly intrenched in power that he does not hesitate to cut off the heads of members of the Tsung li Yamen for merely urging the preservation of the Min- isters, it is feared that he might not hesitate long to kill all the inmates of the legations if the heroic marines are not able to hold out until the relief column reaches Peking. Li Hung Chang’s message only increases the necessity for a rapid advance on Peking if the Ministers and .other foreigners are to be rescued. At the same:time the administration sees nothing in the situation calling for a declaration of war. It is still felt that the object of the powers can be best accomplished without the formal declaration that a state of war exists. After the Cabinet meeting to-day one of those who participated made this statement for the administration: “Li Hung Chang’s threat does not affect our position. He stated that until we accept the proposition to stop the advance of the allied troops on condition of the removal of the Ministers to Tientsin he would cease all further negotiations. Evidently he has kept his word, for he now tells- the French Consul that no messagg will be delivered to the Ministers because the foreigners are advancing on Peking. Consul General Good- now's dispatch was given out simply as a matter of news, and too much attention should not be paid to it. Li Hung Chang has received our message. “Denial of communication with our Ministers is not neces- sarily cause for war. Nobody declares war unless it is for his advantage. We see no advantage in declaring the existence of a state of war, nor so far as we know does any other nation. So far as known, the allied troops are reasonably prepared for their march on Peking. We krow of no superior orders given any body of troops that will conflict in any way with thése which will be given by the officer in command of the advance mdvement.”