WAR IN CHINA.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4082, 21 June 1900, Page 5

WAR IN CHINA.

REASONS FOR THE OPERATIONS. A LARGE AMERICAN FORCE. MOVEMENTS OF BRITISH WARSHIPS. RUSSIAN TROOPS IN THE NORTH. PARIS, June 20. M. Delcasse, Minister for Foreign Affairs, states that with all the Powers now- co-operating for the restoration ot order in China, and especially with Russia, there is no question of conquest. Their only desire ,is to enforce respect for” the existing treaties. LONDON, June 19. Three American regiments, comprising five thousand men, have been ordered from Manila to Tientsin. The British Admiral has sent a gunboat to every port on the Yang-tse river where the Viceroys declare that they can (? cannot) maintain order. Two .British torpedo-boat destroyers—the Fame (300 tons) and the Whiting (360 tons) —took part in the engagement with the Taku Forts. They captured four Chinese torpeclo-ooat destroy-

Reports have been received of an outbreak in the extensive province of Szuchan. on the Thibet China frontier, north of,Yun-nan and of the Yang-tse river, , , ' Tire “Standard” states that forty thousand .Russian troops, with fortytwo guns 1 , have been massed at Kiakhta, a Russian town in the Northern Chinese frontier. " This force, it is added, has been ordered to occupy Maimaitchin, which is witnin Chinese territory just across the'bolder,' and also Urga, about two hundred iniles further south. LI HUNG CHANG. (Received Juno 21, 0.40 a.m.) . HONGKONG, June 20. Li Hung’ Chang, the famous Chinese Viceroy,., hfis been hastily summoned to Pekin. The officials at Shanghai interpret this to mean that the Manchu party intend to negotiate with the Powers. . , TROOPS SENT FROM INDIA. (Received June 21, 0.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 20. The First Bengal Lancers, the . First Madras ( Pioneers, the Twenty-second Bombay and' Twenty-fourth Punjauli Infantry, the Madras Sappers and a battery of , artillery have’ been ordered to China. JAPANESE IMi-iCIiSBIONS. ■ (Received June 21, 0.40 a.m.) HONGKONG, June 21. :■ Japanese statesmen are convinced that China will disavow the action of her troops in firing on the foreign men-o’-war from the Taku forts. T,’,'On .the other hand", .‘the troops which were stationed at Shantung have' been ordered to Pekin. ■ ■ ’ INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ■ , ADMIRAL. ’ ’ (Received June 21, 0.45 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 20." ■ Admiral Kerapff, the United States commander in the East, has been given the widest discretion ,to protect life and conserve American . interests in China. : His instructions imply, if necessary, the prevention of any usurpation or curtailment by other Powers of the trade privileges now enjoyed by America. ADMIRAL- SEYMOUR’S FORCE. DOUBTS AS TO ITS WHEREABOUTS. CONFLICTING INFORMATION. (Received June 21, 0.40 a.m.) LONDON, June 20. . ■ The announcement made in tlft House of Lords by Lord Salisbury respecting the Withdrawal to Tientsin of Vice-Ad-miral Seymour’s expeditionary force | vps founded on information derived from a Japanese gunboat. Despatches received by the Admiralty do not confirm the retreat. According to the “Daily News” and “Dmily Mail” Admiral Seymour’s force is . surrounded in the middle of an arid plain. Only Chinese messages reach the coast fixnn Pekin. One of these declares that the British flag was flying at the south gate of the capital on Monday. 1 The natives at Shanghai interpret (this to mean that Admiral Seymour has a rrived at Pekin. I The Telegraph Department notifies : Chinese’ administration advise that cablegrams for Tientsin and Taku, with'full address in clear language, will he sent by post from Che-Foo at the risk of sender,,. A journalistic steamship service is maintained between He-Foo and Tientsin.!