THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

Otago Witness, 5 December 1900, Page 53

THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

BESCUE OE BESIEGED MISSIONARIES. TROOPS FOR PRINCE TUAN Russia Playing a Lone Hand. A GERMAN REVERSE. HONGKONG, November 26. The. Ministers at Peking. are awaiting instructions regarding the financial clauses | of the Peace treaty before continuing their negotiations. November 27. The South Australian gunboat Protector ( has sailed from Hongkong for Adelaide. [ The cause of the return is unknown. The Ministers are agreed that China must recast her commercial treaties with foreign nations and accept a measure of foreign control as a guarantee for tho payment of the indemnity, which at the I lowest estimate is already fixed at sixty million sterling. November 28. In connection with the German-Italian , force recently sent to Kalgan, it is now re- | r ported that the Germans have withdrawn ' | from Kalgan. Li Hung Chang,- writing to a friend at■Shanghai, said that he intended to keep quiet, sit tight, aiul do nothing, then the > foreign devils "will fight amongst themselves. I A French settlement at Tientsin has been largely extended. I Thirty French soldiers at Shanghai, in j revenge for some Britishers assaulting some I Frenchmen, created a disturbance in the { English settlement. They defied the police and bayoneted several civilians. November 29. Ten thousand Boxers and regular troops who were besieging 20 missionaries and 3000 Chinese converts in Eastern Mongolia were defeated, mainly through the splendid assistance of the Russiam bluejackets, with their quick-firers from Shan-hai-kwan. The granaries at Sian-fu, upon which the Imperial Court rely, contain only six weeks' food supply. The Allies have decided to abolish the wall round Tientsin. November 30. Missionary reports state that 10,000 of Tung Fuh Siang's tioops have entered Kcrasu province and joined Prince Tuan's rebellion against the Emperor. December 1, ,The Yang-tse Viceroys have refused to stop provisions for the Imperial Court at Si-ngan-fu. December 2. The Kalgan -expedition has experienced a reverse. A party of Germans were-^cut off, and compelled to abandon their dead and wounded. Count Yorck, the German commanding at Kalgan, was suffocated while sleeping in a Chinese hut by the fumes from the coal pans. December 3. Li Hung Chang learns that the Court has agreed to execute Yuhsiea..

I The astronomical instruments erected by the Jesuits on the walls of Peking have I been removed, half of them being destined for Paris, and half for Berlin. This vandalism is excused on the ground that the Court is unlikely to return to Peking, and that the instruments are endangered by the populace. LONDON", November 28. Miss Chapman (Adelaide) and Miss Way (Melbourne), of the China Inland Mission, I sometime ago reported as having been murj dered in Shansi province, are now .reported to have reached Tai-yueii-fu safely. November 30. The Times Peking correspondent states that M. de Giers, Russian Minister, has withdrawn consent to the death penalty on high officials and princes. He is pressing Ministers to only insist that they be punished in a manner acceptable to the Powers, and emphasises Russia's friendship with CLina. BERLIN, November 29. The press, imply that the Powers are hesitating to formally demand the execution of the high Chinese officials, on the grounds that it is politically not expedient to adopt such an extreme course. ST. PETERSBURG. NovemW 30. A Russian Imperial statement- is pub- , lished to the effect that Japan originated ' j weakening the Powers' ultimatum to j j^China, she having a closer knowledge- of what was obtainable in the way of con- , cessions. WASHINGTON, November 29. Mr Conger, the American Minister to China, has been instructed not to sign the Ministers' demands upon China until President M'Kinley has examined them. MELBOURNE, November 28. The secretary of the China Inland Mission received a cable from Shanghai confirming the safety of Misses Chapman and I Way. A MARVELLOUS FIGHTING FORCE. As a result of the experience gained in the present campaign (writes the Yokohama correspondent of the Daily Mail) some changes are likely to be made in the equipment of the Japanese troops. Rice as an article of food will give way to ordinary European provisions to a large extent. Rice is not convenient on emergencies because it has to be boiled, and in the recent campaign, when no water but that of the filthy Pei-lio, full of Chinese corpses, was to be had, the soldiers of Japan had often to fight on empty stomach?. Khaki will also probably displace the present white tunics as a fighting dress, j The present uniforms form an excellent mark for rifle fire.- The headgear- also affords no protection against the sun. Another curious point is mentioned by the correspondents. A European officer asked how Japanese soldiers passed their time in barracks — whether in order to inculcate the high spirit that was noticeable in the men they were encouraged to engage in games, and whether the officers joined them as in European armies. The reply had to be given that the only incentives were patriotism, loyalty, and education. In point of fact, the gulf between officers and men in Japan is vast, and such a thing as joining in sport together is never heard of. Japanese reports of the capture of Peking, while written in a spirit of scrupulous fairness, show how marvellously the troops were 1 equipped and how ingeniously they foiight. The officers were actually supplied with hand electric lights. During the night attack which preceded 1 the capture of the Tse-hwa Gate, the men J who led the forlorn hope Avith the euncotton i to blow up the masonry stripped off all their clothing to escape the enemy's notice. FIENDISH WORK OF A GOVERNOR. The following are a few particulars by an. ' eye-witness of the Tai-yuan-fu massacres. The missionaries were in the Governor's yam en in : that city. The Boxers, when sent out by the Governor. Yu Hsien, to attack the missionaries in the Shansi province, had no intention at first of bringing any of their victims to , the provincial capital, but to plaughter them ! wherever found. The Governor was, however, so anxious to be the first to wreak vengeance on his victims that he sent special orders to the Boxers to bring back the captives of Tai-yuan-fu for trial first and not harm them on the way. ! When the first batch was brought to Tai-yuan-fu Yu Hsien ordered them, to be brought i straight to his yamen and taken to the archery ! around in the rear and flogged, while standing a distance of a few feet from each other, j The sanguinary Governor then took off his I outer robe, mounted a horse, ready saddled, ' and, taking a long sword from an orderly, t cantered to the other end of the ground. As i he turned his horse towards his victims standing about 20ft away he started at full gallop towards them, swinging his long sword as he swept past them, and carrying off four or five heads. Then the horse baulked and would not go any further, so the Governor got off. The rest of the unhappy missionaries were then massacred by the Boxers and soldiers. This was the Governor's way of setting an example to Tis myrmidons. The rest of the massacres for many days were also held at the Governor's yamen in order to be sure that none escaped. In a few days from 400 to 500 were ruthlessly massacred, their heads being subsequently hung up at various gates at Tai-yuan-fu, while the uncoffined bodies were cast into a large pit outside the city and covered with earth. - When Yu Hsien's menioiHal bearing reference to his fiendish massarres was read before the Grand Council one member (Chill Shin), held up his thumb to indicate appreciation, and remarked loudly, " He is an excellent fellow." Chili Shin is now a prisoner to the Japanese. Before Yu Hsien arrived in the Shansi j>rovince' there was not a single Boxer in it. CAPTURE OF SHAN-HAI-KWAN. The German account of the capture of Shan-hai-kwan states that the forts v were occupied by the allied forces without a shot being fired. Vice-admiral Bet>demann, who was ordered' to attack the forts with the phips of different nationalities, sent' the British gunboat Pigmy on ahead from Taku to demand the surrender. On r.rrival at Shan-hai-kwan, the Chinese commander surrendered the f ox*t to the Allies without attenmpting any resistance. He said he had received instruc- i tion from Li Hung Chang to do so. The commander of the Pigmy immediately hoisted the British flag, giving notice to the chief of the squadron of what had happened. Thereupon the men-of-war of all nationality!*

left Taku to "take part in the formal occupation.

The Russian troops, who in the meantime had started to attack the forts by land, did not reach them until after the surrender.

Commenting on this account, the North 'China Daily News states: — "The report which reached us is a little different. We do. not see why Admiral Seymour, at Taku, or H.M.S. Pigmy, should take orders from Viceadmiral Bendemann. The true account is that the Pigmy was sent to leconncitre Shan-hai-kwan fort, and found i; evacuated, on which she landed an officer and 13 men, and hoisted the British flag on the fort, only about one hour before the Russian force of 3000 men arrived by rail. The reported evacuation was ai ranged between the Rusaians and Li Huisg Chang. The Pigmy steamed back immediately to Taku to report, when the torpedo boat destroyer Fame was sent, and brought back word that the Chine&e flag was still Hying on the fort ; whence the story arose that the Pigmy's party had been captured. The Chinese flag was not, however, on Shan-hai-kwan fort.

1 »— by the rest of the Australian colonies. ' Jts; the course of his evidence, Mr Richr rdson/. 'said he would not like to vouch for tha correctness of h?lf of the existing stands ards in the city from which the street ad'j justments, etc., arc made. On account of; their disturbance by the drainage works it would be an expensive matter to rectify] them.