THE WAR IN CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11795, 26 July 1900, Page 5

THE WAR IN CHINA.

CHINESE OFFICIAL

REPORTS,

MINISTERS ALLEGED TO BE

ALIVE,

THE EFFECTS OF AN ADVANCE

ON PEKIN

3000 RUSSIAN TROOPS

LAND.

CONFRONTED BY 10,000

CHINESE

A NEW SOUTH WALES

CONTINGENT,

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

THE FATE OF THE LEGATIONS.

AN ASSURANCE FROM THE GOVER

NOR OF SHANTUNG.

LONDON, July 24. (Received July 25, at 9 a.m.)

' In the House of Commons Mr Brodrick stated that the Governor of Shantung had assured Mr P. L. Warren, the British consul at Hankow, that there was no telegraphic communication with Pekin, and he was unable to explain Sir Claude MacDonald's silence. There is, he assured Mr Warren, no cause for anxiety, as he (the Governor) had received several reliable messages stating that the Ministers and all the foreigners were living and unharmed.

Mr Balfour, commenting upon these statemeets, said that the British Government declined to credit any statement or decree attributed to the Chinese Government unless such statements were fortified by letters signed i^nd dated by Sir Claude Mac Donald or a British official, or by a tele gram written in the British richer

STATEMENT BY THE AMBASSADOR

IN LONDON.

LONDON, July 24. (Received July 25, at 9.15 a.m.)

The Chinese Minister in London asserts that a Tsung-li-Yamen official, on the 18th inst., saw the ambassadors at Pekin, and that they were all well. He intends to memoralise the Throne 'to have them sent to Tientsin. ,

A TAINTED SOURCE.

LONDON, July 24. (Received July 25, at 9,15 a.m.)

Mr J. Goodnow, the American consul at Shanghai, cables that the statement given currency by the Chinese Minister in London emanates from Prince Tuan, the leader of the Boxers.

OFFER OF A HOSPITAL SHIP,

BOMBAZ, July 24. (Received July 25, at 9.25 a.m.)

The Maharajah of Scindia has offered a ■hospital ship for China at a. cost of 20 lakhs of rupees. The offer has been- ac-

cepted,

THE ADVANCE ON PEKING.

MEANS DEATH TO FOREIGNERS. HONGKONG, July 24. .(Received July 26, at 0.20 a.m.) Li Hung Chang declares that if the allies advance on Peking it will probably mean the death of eveiy white man there.

A PROMISE OF JUSTICE.

HONGKONG, July 24. (Received July 25, at 0.20 a.m.)

An Imperial edict published promises that justice will be dealt out to Baron Ketteler's murderers, and compensation made for the losses of foreigners, except those arising out of the attack on Tient-

ARRIVAL OP RUSSIAN TROOPS.

July 24. (Received July 25, at 0.20 a.m.)

Three thousand Russian troops have arrived at Niuckwang. Ten thousand Chinese block their advance.

A NEW SOUTH WALES CON- ■ . TINGENT. SYDNEY, July 25. (Received July 26, at 0.30 a.m.)

In the Assembly, Sir W. J. Lyne moved a resolution in favour of sending a military contingent to China. He said tlse other colonies having offered, New South Wales could not stand out without loss of prestige. The Imperial Government would pay transport) expenses and the Imperial rate of paA r. The balance, about 5s 2d per day, would be paid 'by New South Wales. The Government estimated that if they sent 250 men for 12 mqnths the cost would be £15,000.

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Br Major Kennedy

The unanimous announcement of the Chinese Governors of provinces and of the Chinese Ambassadors to the various Courts, in which they state that the foreign Legations were safe on the 18th inst., seems peculiar if untrue, for it is difficult to understand why it is that the American Minister has been unable to advise his Government of his safety, and that China desires America to act her friend, and as1 sucji to prevent the disruption 'of the Empire. The failure of China to give ample assurances that the foreigners are safe is very strong evidence that they have been massacred. This is particularly so in view of the statements made by Chinamen that are recently direct from Poking. The reception given to Li Hung Chang at Shanghai indicates a feeling that the officials of the European Powers believe him to be a Boxer sympathiser, and that his mission to Canton and other places in the south of CMna, was for the purpose of organising the rebellion now in progress. The mounting of improved aruns of late design on the forts commanding the approaches to Canton plainly indicato that Li Hung Chang's visit to the South was to see to the defence of the Imperial interests in that quarter, and to recruit his Imperial's Majesty's army to the greatest possible degree.

The British forces at Wei-hai-wei defeated the Chinese and captured some of their rifles, thereby saving the place from complete destruction. It will be remembered that we were informed some days ago that Prince Tuau had ordered 40,000 of his followers to concentrate in the vicinity of Wei-hai-wei. This part of Prince Tuan's plans was no doubt caused by his knowklege of the weakness of the British garrison holding the town, and by the fact that a large number of the troops serving under the British colours at that place were Chinese, ond that consequently they might be induced to desert. It will also 1)0 "borne in mind that a Chinese regiment enlisted for the German army at Kiauchau deserted pome time ago, and it is probable that Prince Tivim counted on the support of the Wei-hai-woi regiment whenever his troops apneared in front of the British lines.

HOME, SWEET HOME.

The sweetest and most desirable thing for home ia health, and to preservo health one should use Wolfe's Schnapps.

CHANGES IN THE TSUNG-LI-YAMEN.' The following telegraphic news was received by members of the Reform party, Shanghai, on the 15th June: — ''Prince Ching and Liao Shouhang (preside.it of the Board of Rites) has been dismissed from the Tsung-li-Yamen as '" too timid " ; and although Prince Tuan, father of the heir apparent, was appointed the same day (10th hist.) to succeed Prince Ohing as President of the Yamen. he strongly declined to take the post. The Empress Dowager, however, stood firm, aud further appointed Prince Na Yen-tit, Oh'i Hsiu, and P'u Hsinp; members of tho Tsung-li-Yamen, in order to assist Prince Tuan in inaugurating the new policy. If (says the N.C. Daily News) what the telegram above noted says is rruo, and wo have no reason to doubt its accuracy, we can ea?ily. imagine what this "new policy" of tho Empress Dowagers Government will be—namely, that it will be moat reactionist and more antiforeign than any hitherto attempted by any Chinese Government, evon in its more conservative clays. The new President's " assistant." Na Yen-tu. is a. Mongol Prince of the Alat-sin tribe, who has always been a violent reactionist, and for this has been patronised by Prince Ching and others of the Empress Dowager's advisers, who lately got him pro- | moted to the rank of a Minister of the Presence, in order to get as many of their own people as possible aTOiuid the present usurper of the throne. Ch'i Hsiu (President of the Board of Rites) and P'u Hsiug. the other two •"assistants in the new policy." are Imperial clansmen who are groat friends of Kang Vi, aud who have lately come into greater prominence owing to their also being reactionists and violent anti-foreigners. P'u Hsing is a vice-president of one of the Six Boards, who, it will be remembered, was sent, to Shantung ] last year to investigate charges made against Chang Ju-mei, then Governor of Shantung, for bribing Li Hung Chang when tho latter went to that province to investigate the Yellow River. Chang Ju-mei was dismissed, but T/i Hung Chang escaped through the friendship of the Empress Dowager.