THE TROUBLE IN CHINA.

Evening Star, Issue 11296, 18 July 1900, Page 4

THE TROUBLE IN CHINA.

THE QUEEN MOURNS, 7 EUROPE UKAraOUS TO AVEME. AMERICA. SENDS 10,000 MEN. ALLIES’ VICTORY AT TIENTSIN CONFIRMED BOXERS RECEIVE LARGE ACCESSIONS. EUROPEANS IN GRAVE DANGER. '20,000 NATIVE CONVERTS MASSACRED-. •PUT TO DEATH WITH AWFUL TORTURE. PEKIN’S VICTIMS TO CHINESE HATE. .

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. THE QUEEN MOURNS'WITH HER PEOPLE. LONDON. July 17. (Received July ti’, at 9.3 a.m.) The Queen ia greatly distressed at the Pekin massacre. EUROPE DETERMINED, LONDON, July 17. Europe is , unanimous as to the imperative necessity for urgency in dealing out retribution to the Chinese Imperial authorities for the slaughter of the Pekin Legations, and the murder of Europeans and Christian converts in other parts of the Empire. UNITY, NOT DIVISION. . LONDON, July 17. The absolute need of unity in connection with the Allied forces is recognised by tho various Powers, not only before Tientsin but elsewhere, in order to prevent any reverse to their arms. MR BRODRICK’S STATEMENT. LONDON, July 17. Mr Brodrick, speaking in the House of Commons, said that he hardly dared to hope that the massacre was untrue. Ho had also learned .from a reliable Chinese source that the object of the massacre was the creation of an irreparable breach with the foreigners. (Received July IS, at 9.12 a. in.) He added that Sir Claude Mac Donald had on tho 4th of Juno asked that concerted measures be taken for tho relief of the Legations, and two days after (the 6tb) Adm.iral Seymour had been given unfettered discretion by tho Powers. The Powers, he continued were now consulting, with a view to the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief. No proposal had yet been made to appoint a Japanese commander. Admiral Seymour had returned to his ship at Taku, leaving sufficient bluejackets to work the gnus at Tientsin, where he (Mr Brodrick) believed that the Allies had captured all the forts except one.

A NATIONAL REQUIEM. LONDON, July 17. At St, Paul's Cathedral a requiem service for those who were massacred m Pekin will shortly be observed. [Bt Colonel Moßatß.| It would appear that tie message from Hongkong reporting that the Allies had been badly repulsed in their attack upon tile native city of Tientsin was only partially correct, for this morning we have a cable which concludes as follows 1 The assault lasted all day. Finally the Allies, under the Japanese commandant, captured the citadel mid town.” It would seem that the fire of the Chinese from the native city of Tientsin was so destructive that the -■lilies were compelled to attack, which they did on Friday, the Russians on the right flank and the Americans on the left. The defenders were Chinese Imperial troops, who fought desperately, whilst their Ere was surprisingly accurate and deadly, and they killed 255 of the Allies, the suffering heavily. It is evident that this heavy loss was the cause of the unsatisfactory message received yesterday. Part of the assaulting party were probably driven back—possibly the Russians on the right flank, seeing that they lost 100 killed, ineluding an artillery colonel. The Japs, however, were not to be denied, and although they also had sixty killed, including a colonel, they succeeded in taking the citadel and town. This is a inbst important capture, as it will relieve the European quarter of the galling fire from the town, which had become unbearable. We have also a few brief details of the fighting on the 7th and llth. , On the 7th the Allies, chiefly Japanese and Americans, ejected the enemy and their guns from the" westward of the Tientsin settlement. The BritishChiuese (that is, the Wei-hai-wei Regiment) cscortingjhe guns behaved splendidly. On the llth 300 of the Allies, composed equally of British, French, and Japanese, defended a station, killing 500 of the enemy. The British casualties were nineteen, but, as we were told yesterday, the total casualties were 150, or 50 per cent, of the defending force. As this attack on the station originated with tlie Chinese, we may understand that it was Unexpected, and the small party o v 300 Allies which bore the btunl of it must have been. veiy hard pressed, the ca.tiialiieo showing that much. It was, in fact, K« beating off of an attack by vastly superior number? by a small outpost, and in ;Uch affairs the proportion of casualties to the number of defenders is always Very great. The Chinese at Tientsin are said to be displaying great military resource, and tftiir overpowering weight of artillery renders it difficult for the Allies to maintain their position. We may hope that this is tuW modified by the Capture of the native City, r. Lieu gave the Chinese guns a commanding position, but the Unexpected military resources of the enemy are surprising. It has hitherto been supposed that the Ciilmvo were a contemptible foe. The easy victory of the Japanese over them only live years bgc led us to this conclusion. The IvsviU then taught them has evidently not been lost, and they have profited by it to the extent of buying large stocks of the latest weapons and ammunition, and have also availed themselves' of the tuition afforded by foreign officers to train and mill their troops. As was the case with the Boers in the Transvaal, it was Only when they considered themselves strong enough to throw over the foreign yoke that they rose in arms. The outcome in both cases has been that the unexpected preparedness of the enemy has talien the Powers by surprise, with the result that in the early stages of the war the Allies’ advance has been checked. Of course such check will only rouse the Powers to greater efforts, Which in the end eaunot fail to subdue the Chinese Government. Unfortunately, the first result of such check—the repulse of Admiral Seymour’s advance on Pekin—determined the fate of the unfortunate Ministers and others shut up in Pekin.

ALLIES WIN AT TIENTSIN. THE VICTORY CONFIRMED. HONGKONG, July 17, Despite the earlier and temporary repulse of the Allies :; in their attack upon Tientsin, their ultimate victory is officially confirmed. . AMERICA’S DETERMINATION. 10,000 TROOPS TO EE SENT. WASHINGTON, July 17, (Received July IS at 9.3 a.m.) Thera is intense excitement throughout the country over the news of the Pekin massacre. President M'Kinley is hurrying forward the despatch of 10,000 troops, and if more are needed Congress will ba summoned. BOXERS ORDER EUROPEANS FROM CHEKIANG. HONGKONG, July 17. (Received July 18, at 9.12 a.m.) The Boxers compelled the British Consul and all Europeans to leave Chekiang three days ago. THE BOXERS GAIN STRENGTH. HONGKONG, July 17, The of Shansi and Honan have joined the Boxer movement. GUNS TRAINED ON CHEFOO. HONGKONG, July 17. The guns of the various warships were trained upon Chefoo on Sunday (the 15th) in expectation of a rising among the Chinese in that town. SHANGHAI IN DANGER. HONGKONG, July 17. Shanghai is imperilled, and the Consuls there are asking for additional warships. PRINCE TUAN’S MOVEMENTS. THREATS GROW BOLDER. ° HONGKONG, July 17. The Boxers threaten Chinghougho and all foreigners who are located in the central and southern districts of China. Prince Tuan is sending a number of troops and Boxers to the south. A TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER. NAMELESS TORTURES INFLICTED. HONGKONG, July 17. •A wholesale butchery of Native converts is reported to have been perpetrated in the provinces, of Hunan and Hupeb. Twenty thousand are said to have been killed, and their execution was accompanied with the most ghastly tortures. In every instance the massacre was followed by the circulation of Prince Tuan’s Edict. FOREIGNERS IN CHINA. HONGKONG, July 17. It is estimated that there are 12,000 Europeans in China, one-half of whom are English. THE PEKIN VICTIMS. HONGKONG, July 17. The victims at Pekin included twelve studept interpreters' attached to the British Legation ; Mr Conger, the American Ambassador, and his wife ; Baron De Ketteler and wife ; Sir Robert Hart, five of the Customs staff, seven of their assistants, and nine student interpreters attached to the Customs.

The Rev. T. H. Smith (a New Zealander) and the Rev. Thomas Biggin (who was recently appointed to succeed Mr Allardyce) were also among them. Besides these there was a total pf twentylive ladies and fourteen children,

Later. As was to be expected, the report of the massacre in Pekin has caused a deep sensation throughout the civilised world. The Queen is greatly distressed, and all Europe is unanimous as to the urgency of complete retribution, and the necessity for unity in the command of the allied forces at Tientsin and elsewhere. This is what I have pointed out more than once in these columns. Without a head to take supreme command, the Allies are but courting disaster. Mr Brodrick, in the House of Commons, said ‘ he hardly dare hope the report of the massacre was untrue.” In other words, he believed it was true. He also added that the object of the massacre was to create an irreparable breach with the foreigners. This, as I showed yesterday, was undoubtedly Prince Tuan’s object, and we shall shortly see that he has judged correctly. The Chinese now believe that there is no pardon for them, and they must of necessity kill every foreigner, wash out with the blood of the Native Christians every* sum of Christianity, and set themselves to fight to the death. Again addressing the House, Mr Brodrick stated that on the 4th Sir Claude Mac Donald asked for concerted measures of relief, and on the 6th Admiral Seymour was given unfettered discretion by the Powers. This, of course, refers to the 4th and 6th June, as no communication had been received from Sir Claude for many days before the massacre, which, indeed, probably took place on the Ist July; and, further. Admiral Seymour made his advance from Tientsin on the 10th, or four days after he was entrusted with full discretionary powers. It is also stated that the Powers are concerting with a view to the appointment of a commander-in-chief, and it is added that no proposal has been made to appoint a Japanese commander. To my mind a Japanese would be preferable to a Russian, especially in the light of the good work done by the Japs already. Admiral Seymour has returned to his sh'ip, leaving sufficient ‘ bluejackets to man the guns at Tientsin. It is to be hoped that this is not due to friction with the other commanders, but I must confess it looks like it The admiral believes that the Allies have captured all the forts at Tientsin but one. Now follow some of the inevitable results of the massacre. “ The Boxers have compelled the British Consul and all Europeans to leave Chekiang in three davs.” Chekiang is the province of that name, the capital of which is Hanchau, or, as sometimes spelt, Hankow, situated on Hanchau Bay, just south of Shanghai. The treaty ports in this province are Ning-po and Wenchau, quite in the south-east of China, showing how far south the Boxer movement has spread. " The Governors of Shansi and Honan have joined the Boxers.” These two provinces, as I said yesterday, are situated at Shansi, on the west, and Honan, on the south of the province of Chili,, and, as the nearest to Pekin, were certain to be the first to join with the Pekin Government. “The guns of our warships were trained upon Chefoo on Sunday, as a rising was expected.” Chefoo is a treaty port in the Shantung province, and not forty miles from Wei-hai-wei, “ Shanghai is imperilled, and

the_ Consuls ask for more warships,” and- “ The Boxers threaten Chinghdngho and lhe foreigners in central and southern China, whilst Prince TUan is sending a number of troops southward. ’ ’ The Boxer movement, 'we thins See, is rapidly spreading, and byen cities so well known and largely occupied by Europeans aS Chefbo, Shanghai, and Hankow, are being seriously threatened. . Great excitement was felt In America on hearing of the Pekin massacre. President is hurrying up the despatch of 10,000 troops, and if more,are needed Congress will be summohed. Prince Tuan will find that the policy he has token in a general massacre of till Europeans, although it may teem for the moment to unite the Chinese Empire in resisting the Powers, will eventually materially assist in its destruction. The Universal feeling of horror and rage which he has raised will bring a hornet’s nest about his ears,'as the Whole civilised world is in arins to avenge tub slaughter 'of so many thousand innocent lives.' To keep out wrath still burning, we now hear of butcheries in of Honan and Hupeh, where dO,OOO Native converts hate been killed with ghastly tortures. • These massacres everywhere have followed Prince Tuan’s Edict. It js curious how completely the Empress iahd her Government seem to have fallen, mlothe background, and it ite only of Prince Tuan and his orders that we hear. The last table with the significant statement there ate in China twelve thousand Europeans, bf whom bnc-half are English ! Eteiy one of thfese lives is hbw in jeopardy, if indeed they have not already been killed.