TROUBLE IN CHINA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1974, 29 June 1900, Page 3

TROUBLE IN CHINA.

HONGKONG, June 21. The wounded of all nationalities in the recent engagement, Russian preponderating, have been sent to Japan for treatment. A Chinese report states that a secret edict has been issued giving orders to the troops to join the " Boxers." LONDON, June 21. The Foreign Office has received a telegram from Chefoo reporting that the " Boxers " have damaged the railway line north of Tientsin. They burned the Catholic chapel and many houses. The Chinese troops did not interfere. One hundred of the "Boxers" have beej killed during their recent attacks. A further detachment of foreign troops has been landed to protect Tientsin, the " Boxers" having paralysed Chinese authority. Rear-admiral Bruce, second in command on the China station, reports on the 18th that there was no news of Admiral Seymour's expedition, and nothing authentic since the Legation at Tientsin had been isolated. The admirals ore co-operating with the utmost harmony. The Japanese official report of the capture of the Taku forts states that the allies landed 1,200 men, intending to attack the' forts in the rear, whilst the admirals simultaneously were to attack them from the sea, at the expiration of the ultimatum, but the Chinese opening the attack prematurely defeated this plan. The Japanese captured the first fort on the north, the British the second, and the Germans and Russians the two southern forts. Admiral Bruce reports that the Chinese admiral was present during the bombardment of the Taku forts, and that the Chinese flag was flying on the Imperial cruisers during the action. The admiral also agreed to anchor with the allied fleet, meanwhile extinguishing his engine fires. The ' Daily Telegraph : states that after the burning of tho Catholic cathedral and the whole Christian quarter of Tientsin the "Boxers" invaded the railway station, and came within fifty yards of the Russian troops, who fired fifteen rounds from their big guns, killing 300 of them. Li Hung Chang declares that he is mediating for a cessation of hostilities. THE DOWAGER-EMPRESS OF CHINA. HER POWER AND HER PASSIONS. The following letter is from a member of the Reform party in Pekin, who got his information from an eye-witness, one of the Empress-Dowager's eunuchs. It is translated literally as follows by the ' North China Daily News, of March 8, which remarks that perfect reliance may be placed on the statements : To '"begin with the beginning." Previous to January 22 last Pekin was filled with disquieting' rumors, which gradually filtered into the Palace. Some declared that the Emperor had already been secretly deposed; others, again, stated that, the Emperor had been made away with by poison: but when the Empress-Dowager heard of them she simply smiled in that grim way of hers, which to the terrorised eyes of those around her meant that she had decided on some course which, even if it were paved with the blood of thousands, would not deter her from her subsequent goal. It is also significant of the woman that none—except, perhaps, her favorite eunuch Li Lien-Ying and Prince Clung—of those who daily attended on her knew exactly what the Empress-Dowager actually intended to do, although it was quite clear that some sort of a coup was on the tapis. But when the fateful January 24. 1900, came everyone knew that only a. few hours before the Emperor had been forced to sum his abdication, and a gloom spread over the capital like a pall, accentuated, as it was. by chilly, lowering skies. I was one of those "who stood around with ink slab and pen for the Emperor to use. while the Empress-Dowager herself held out the pen to him. Even then His Majesty hesitated to take it and si<;n the ready prenared " Imperial" decree of abdication held out to him, but an imperious stamp of the right foot and those piercing, menacing eyes of the Empress-Dowager frowning upon* him seemed to enthral and fascinate the Emperor, who immediately stretched forth a trembling hand, and the next moment, with a. groan and a gesture of despair, as it were, the fatal deed was done, and the Empress-Dowager triumphantly snatched the "decree" from her nephew's hand. Then a. sudden change occurred, which those around her were too accustomed to see to be startled or astonished at. The EmpressDowager's face became instantly suffused with smiles, her eyes became soft and benevolent, and she" was all kindness and motherly solicitude for her Imperial nephew. He. poor, fallen Majesty ! had sunken down on his chair after signing the fatal paper, while a, sudden deadly paleness manifested itself in his countenance, and a moment after he had dyed his robe and the carpet beneath with his life blood. His Majesty's excitement had been too much for his weak health, and it seemed that he had burst one of his lesser blood vessels. Very kindlv and uently the Empress-Dowager herself attended to the Emperor, and when he seemed to have somewhat recovered himself she supported him on one side, waving away the eunuch who had come forward to do so. and with a. surprising solicitude for his health and comfort arranged the pillows and cushions in His Majesty's sedan chair, which was to carry him back to his usual orison, the water-surrounded kiosk at the Southern Lake Palace, which is very near the Empress-Dowager's own residence of Eho Park. She herself escorted the Emperor to his place of retreat, called the YiiKV-t'ai, and, having seen him securely confined within its high walls and the drawbridge once more brought, over, her face resumed that hard look usual to it as she and her numerous retinue returned to Pekin. All the way from Pekin to his prison I heard the Emperor weeping at his hard fate. He was so utterly broken down and oppressed. Poor Majesty ! His meanest subiect amoiiff his 400.000,000 people would have refused to exchange places with him on that day. Many of us who escorted His Majesty dropped tears of sympathy, and I peeped at the author of all his evils to see how she took it. Her heart seemed to be of stone. There was that set. stern look in her eyes, but not the least sicn of softening. I can assure you that the Kmpress-Dowager had everything prepared for the crowning of the new Emperor on the first day of the new year (January 31), but on tile 27th of the month the Ts'ung-li-Yamen handed to her Kin lien-shan's memorial, praying that '"the Emperor be allowed to resume the reins of government, even in his illness, for that was the only way to satisfy His Majesty's millions of subjects throughout the Empire." Oil, the rage of the Kmpress-Dowager when she read that obnoxious telegram ! I have seen many of her displays of temper and anger, but none like this one -it surpassed even her rage at Kang Yu Wei and his reformers. We eunuchs, and even the Prince of Li, who brought the telegram, were simply terrified, and trembled lest her

anger should fall on anyone present. " Who dare send such a telegram?" at last came her question. "Kin Yuan-shan (Kin's official name), of Shanghai, and over one thousand others," was the Prince of Li's reply. " Very well. We'll show them how we deal I with traitors who cross our path." And the Prince of Li backed out of the presence with a sense of relief clearly depicted on his face. As a matter of fact, I really think if this had been the only protest sent the Empress-Dowager and her Advisers would have tried to brazen it out and have ignored the telegram ; but, unfortunately for their schemes, no less than forty-six protests of the same kind came to Pekin, one after the other, some a dozen in a day, until the Empress-Dowager believed that there was really something in it, and decided to defer her coup—mark me, did not give up her intentions, but merely deferred them. As a consequence, Kin Lien-shan is praised sky-high as a devoted patriot and supporter of the Emperor by almost everyone in Pekin, always excepting the Empress-Dowager, her Advisers, and her partisans ; but, on the other hand, these denounce Kin as the ringleader of rebellion, and I may give a.warning that the Empress-Dowager is determined to have his head even if it should cost her half the Empire. There will be nothing left undone in order to encompass her end, and I heard the Empress-Dowager say recently to Prince Ching, who as Grand Chamberlain can enter the Palace at all hours of the day and night to see the Ihnpress-Dowager, that " others of the Kank Yu Wei and Kin party must also be put out of the way before either she or the new Emperor will be able to rule the Empire quietly." Finally, you may not know that, ever since the fateful, enforced abdication of the Emperor. His Majesty lias four times attempted to commit suicide; his last attempt being the refusal of food and drink in order to starve himself to death. Pekin, March 2.—London 'Globe.'