ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TROOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11430, 21 July 1900, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TROOPS.

18,000 JAPANESE Wim: J ~ BRITISH FORCE 39 ? "; '^ WEI-HAI-WEI. London, July 19. •*. The Daily Telegraph states that 18,000 Japanese troops have been landed at Shan-hai-kuan, for Tientan. w Several transports, with troops 1 from India aboard, which arrived at Hongkong, have been ordered to Wei-hai-wei.

THE INVASION OF SIBERIA.

AMUR DISTRICT DENUDED OF TROOPS.

RUSSIAN VIEW OF THE OUT

BREAK.

London, July 19.

The Times states that Russia has denuded the Amur district of troops for Port Arthur, and that she must now act on the defensive ponding the arrival of reinforcements.

The Chinese have thrown up 13 miles of embankments on the bank of the Amur.

St. Petersburg, July 19.

The Russian authorities profess to regard the incursion into Siheria as purely a local outbreak, although officials report widespread trouble and interruptions to communications.

A NECESSARY PRECAUTION Berlin, July 19.

Count Von Bulow, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has forbidden the Chinese Minister in Berlin to telegraph to his Government in cypher, and has ordered him to submit plain despatches for approval.

TROOPS PROM NEW SOUTH WALES,

Stontjv, July 20. The colony will probably send two companics of infantry to China.

THE, VICTORIAN CONTINGENT.

MIMOUIWE, July 20.

A Bill, appropriating £20,000, for th« equipment expenses of the naval contingent for China, has passed the Legislative Assembly.

AUCKLANriERS IN SHANGHAI.

There are several Ancklanders at present in Shanghai. Roth the South British and New Zealand Insurance Companies have their China head offices there. Mr. W. Cox (whose wife is a Wellington lady) is malinger of the former company, and his assistant is Mr, J. M. Brigham, jun., son of Mr. J. M. Brigham, secretary of the Auckland Harbour Board. Miss Cos, sister of the manager, is also in Shanghai, on a visit. Mr. Hudson is manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, and his chief clerk is Mr. E. E. Parsons, son of Mr. E. B. Parsons, secretary of the Auckland Gas Company. Mrs. Hudson is a daughter of Mr. P. J. Moss, of Parnell, Information in the possession of Mr. David Craig, general manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, dated January, 1898, states that there are 4684 foreigners in the city, of whom about 50 per cent, are Britishers and 293,000 Chinese. As there is a large amount of shipping at Shanghai,! there should be no difficulty in placing the women and children of the foreign quarter in a place of safety at a few hours' notice. Both Mr. James Kirker, general manager of the South British, and Mr. Craig, have cabled to their respectivi offices in the city, asking them to reply at to the position of affairs.

THE FRENCH MINISTER AT PEKIN.

The Consul for Prance in New Zealand (Count de Courte) is, we are informed, deeply affected by the sad news from Pekin, as the French Minister in China, who, it is to be feared, was massacred with his colleagues on June 30, was a particular friend of his. M. Pichon, a prominent member of the Chamber of Deputies, and a remarkable orator, was appointed Minister for France, at Hayti, in 1894. He succeeded in reestablishing the diplomatic relations with the Republic of San Domingo, after satisfactory compensations had' been obtained by the French subjects who had suffered illtreatment from the Dominican Government. M. Pichon was afterwards transferred to Ria Janeiro, in which post he was equally successful. In 1898 he was appointied Minister Plenipotentiary of the first-class in China, and made an officer of the Legion of Honour. He was considered as a'very able diplomat, and likely to be promoted before long to the rank of Ambassador. M. Pichon was only 43 years of age. SHANGHAI.' Shanghai is one of the most important trading cities in China. It is situated on the left bank of the River Wlmngpoo, 12 miles above the entrance. The average water on the bar at Woosnng, where the Chinese forte command the entrance to the river, is 19ft. There are, however, considerable fluctuations, and vessels, especially in the autumn months, are liable to be delayed. Shanghai consists of a British, American, and French settlement. The two former are governed by one Municipal Council, the latter by another. The Councils support a foreign and Chinese police force, a volunteer corps (370), and a fire brigade. The city is the centre of the shipping trade, and the distributing port for the northern part of the country. The imports in 1896 were £19,000,000, and exports £8,000,000. The chief business of the foreign firms is—shipping, insurance, silk, tea, piece goods, and mechanical engineering. The following steamship lines run into Shanghai :—P. and 0., Messagcrics Maritimes, North German Lloyd, Glen Line, Austrian Llovd, Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Occidental and Orient S.N. Company, Northern Pacific Company, Pacific Mail Company.

THE DEFENCE OP SHANGHAI

LETTER FROM AN EX-AUCKLANDER, An ex-Aucklander. now in Shanghai, writing to a gentleman in Auckland, under date of June 18, says "We have received a telegram stating that China has declared war against the allied Powers, but I doubt whether this is the action of the (Govern- . ment. However, it will bring the crisis to a head : some definite action will be taken. Here a good deal of uneasiness is felt. All arrangements are complete for resisting an outbreak. Upon the firebells sounding the alarm all women and children are to proceed to' certain points, which will be protected by volunteers, while the rest of the force will fall in to resist the main attack. Every volunteer's private address "is known, and when any of us go out at night we have to leave full instructions as to our whereabouts, so that we can be called if required. The -General for England last' week ad- ■ vised the Toilai that arms were about to be landed for the municipality, and received the reply that it would not be allowed. 1M - ; s ; Consul replied that he only informed the fe Toilai as a matter of courtesy, and that they would be landed. The Chinese retort ms% that one of their men-o'-war would prevent g it, and in reply we told them that befog doing so they would have to meet the &g* lish cruiser off Shanghai. The arms wee -, landed yesterday. .We are being.called out >, suddenly for guard duty jo pSSSBm .pat* .with the .settlenjigmi defence, **»' '"""