 |
| Boxers in China. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, August 4, 1900.
AMNESTY FOR BOXERS.
Li Hung Chang Grants It, If Disturbances Cease.
MASSACRE OF 10,000 CONFIRMED.
Advancing Allies Are 35 Miles From Tien Tsin—Said That Americans and Germans Were Ordered Forward Without Waiting For British.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 4.—Li Hung Chang is preparing a proclamation granting virtual amnesty to Boxers on condition that they cease creating disturbances.
LONDON, Aug. 4.—According to a special dispatch from Shanghai, dated Aug. 3, the advancing column of the allies was reported there yesterday to have reached a point 35 miles beyond Tien Tsin. Nothing from any other point corroborates this statement. In fact The Standard goes so far as to say that it fears the real advance, apart from preliminary measures, has not yet begun.
Tien Tsin dispatches, dated July 30, tell of an action which is termed a "reconnaissance between the Japanese and Chinese," two miles beyond the Hsiku arsenal, in which the Japanese withdrew after suffering 30 casualties.
The Tien Tsin correspondent of The Standard, under date of July 27, declares that the Americans and Germans have been ordered to move forward without waiting for the British.
A Che Foo special dated Aug. 1, announces the safety of all the Americans in Pekin and the reception of a letter from Dr. Cheltman, dated Pekin, July 20, saying that on the previous day Sir Claude MacDonald, the British minister, had agreed to a truce provided the Chinese came no closer, and adding; "We hope this means relief; but having defeated the Chinese, we are fearful now of treachery. All are exhausted with constant watching, fighting and digging trenches."
"The greatest credit is due to Mr. Squires, secretary of the United States legation, whose military experience and energy are invaluable."
The Shanghai correspondent of The Daily News says the consuls there regret the independent action taken by the American association and the China association, on the ground that it is injudicious. He says: "The settlements being international, petty jealousies must disappear. The China association is of little local influence."
Presumably he refers to the American Asiatic association.
The Hong Kong correspondent of The Daily Express announces the arrival there from San Francisco of Homer Lea, for some time secret agent in the United States of the Society for the Reformation of the Chinese empire, with £60,000 sterling which will presumably be utilized in connection with the revolutionary movement against the empress dowager, a movement quiescent since 1898 until within the last few weeks.
Nearly all the correspondents confirm the reports of a wholesale massacre of Christians outside Pekin, a correspondent of The Daily News giving the number killed as between ten and fifteen thousand, all defenseless converts. Imperial troops—so it is stated—did the ghastly work.
According to the Shanghai correspondent of The Times one of the members of the Tsung Li Yamen mentioned by United States Consul Goodnow as having been beheaded for pro-foreign tendencies was Hsu Ching Cheng, former minister to Russia. The correspondent says the empress dowager ordered his execution on the advice of Li Ping Heng.
Li Hung Chang has been informed from Pekin that Prince Ching's only prominent supporters in his peace policy are General Yung Lu and Wang Wen Shao, president of the board of revenue, whose influence is small.
 |
| John Hay. |
EVASIVE REPLY MADE.
Li Hung Chang's Actions Unquestionably Sinister.
GOODNOW'S IMPORTANT NEWS.
Commander of Chinese Troops Ordered Pao Ting Massacre—Secretary Hay Leaves for Vacation and Assistant Adee Is Now in Charge of State Department.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.—Another move was made yesterday in the diplomatic situation by the return of an evasive answer by Li Hung Chang to Secretary Hay's peremptory demand on Aug. 1 to be put in communication with the foreign ministers at Pekin. Li's answer is not final and leaves the matter open diplomatically. But Li's actions, as reported by Consul General Goodnow are unquestionably sinister and will amount to a final rejection of the American proposition, if persisted in.
Mr. Goodnow's dispatch contains some further information bearing on the question of responsibility for Pekin conditions, in the statement that the commander of the Chinese troops, by inference answerable to the Chinese government, ordered the Pao Ting massacre. It is learned here that Li Ping Hong, the commander referred to, is a civil official and well known to all the Chinese officials abroad as one of the most rabid anti-foreign leaders in China.
He is a close friend of Prince Tuan and the association of these two in Pekin affairs with power enough behind them to cause the ignominious death of two high officials is regarded here as a bad sign.
Simultaneously with Mr. Goodnow's dispatch came a characteristically diplomatic message from Yuan Shih Kai, governor of Shan Tung, repeating the story of two days ago that the Chinese government was arranging to deliver the ministers in safety at Tien Tsin. No effort is made to reconcile that statement with Earl Li's refusal to all communication with the ministers.
General Chaffee's message as to the unexpected resistance offered to the Japanese reconnaissance is regarded by military men here as forecasting a greater degree of opposition to the international advance than had been anticipated.
The navy department yesterday issued an order for the co-operation of its officers abroad with the officers of the army in landing and transporting troops destined for Chinese service.
It appears that some misunderstanding exists as to a St. Petersburg dispatch printed here yesterday, saying that the Chinese minister there, and his colleagues in Europe, had cabled the governor of Shan Tung demanding that free communication be opened between the Pekin ministers and their respective governments. This communication was in fact a joint memorial to the throne, concurred in by all Chinese ministers abroad, including Minister Wu in Washington.
It was forwarded by Minister Yeng Lu at St. Petersburg, because the latter is the dean of the Chinese diplomatic service. It was transmitted through the governor of Shan Tung to be forwarded to Pekin. This action is considered very important, as indicating that the Chinese ministers abroad have at last reached a unanimous conclusion that the situation is no longer to be trifled with.
Meanwhile the government of the United States like the governments of Europe, has not abandoned its efforts to establish communication with its minister at Pekin by independent means and the state department has instructed Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai, Consul Fowler at Che Foo and Consul Ragsdale at Tien Tsin to spare no effort or expense to open up direct communication with Mr. Conger.
In addition to his short message relative to the Japanese check, transmitted through Admiral Remey, and received yesterday morning, General Chaffee made another and a direct cable report in the afternoon. The message was withheld from publication by Secretary Root who declined to make its purport public. It was presumably devoted to a recital of General Chaffee's needs in a military way.
Second Assistant Secretary Adee is to act as secretary of state for a few weeks during the absence of Secretary Hay who left Washington yesterday to visit his family at their summer home at Sunapee Lake, N. H.
BATTLE AT YANG TSUN EXPECTED.
Provisions and Ammunition Short—Government proposals Rejected.
LONDON, Aug. 4.—Nothing direct from the allies operating beyond Tien Tsin is at hand but a news agency dispatch from Shanghai to-day says a battle is expected Sunday with General Ma's 10,000 Chinese at Yang Tsun. The Russian and French contingents, according to this dispatch, are guarding the communications of the Americans, the British and the Japanese who form the advancing column.
A dispatch dated at Tien Tsin Friday, July 27, says another dispatch from Pekin of July 21 has been received duplicating in part one sent by a different route, but adding the military information that the British, American, Russian and German legations held on July 21 provisions barely sufficient for fourteen days and that ammunition was short. The ministers had again rejected the proposal of the Chinese government that they leave Pekin under escort of Chinese troops.
Another courtier from the Japanese legation brings a dispatch dated July 23, saying that but five days' provisions were left and twenty-five rounds for each man.
The British consul, Mr. Fraser and the foreign community are leaving Chung King, Province of Sze Chuen, in consequence of an official warning from Shanghai. There is no trouble in Chung King now or in any part of Sze Chuen. but disturbances are expected when the allies reach Pekin.
AGAINST IMMIGRANTS.
Steps to Be Taken to Stop Importation of Undesirable Canadians.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4.—It was announced yesterday that Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Taylor is on the eve of taking the initial step in a general campaign by the government to stop the importation into the United States from Canada of undesirable immigrants.
He will go to Boston early next week and from there will proceed to his destination accompanied by Commissioner General of Immigration Powderly.
The frequent charges of violation of the immigration laws have led this government to take steps to have the subject investigated.
FOR STARVING INDIA.
A Small Sum Will Help Many in Time of Need.
Private individuals in Cortland a few days ago left $12 with Mr. B. L. Webb, asking him to forward it to the committee on India famine relief. He did so and received the following letter which will be read with interest and may help to bring together more money, which may be sent through Mr. Webb if so desired:
73 BIBLE HOUSE, NEW YORK,
July 26, 1900.
Benjamin L. Webb, Esq., Secretary and Treasurer Cortland Savings Bank,
Cortland, New York:
DEAR SIR—It gives me much pleasure to acknowledge your courteous favor of recent date advising remittance in aid of stricken India. Messrs. Brown Brothers & Co., our treasurers, will send you formal receipt.
Please accept for yourself personally, and convey to the kind donors our hearty thanks for the generous gift. Your money was cabled to India Friday last and, as exchange is somewhat in favor of New York, it was worth something more in Bombay than when it left your hands. You may think of your $12 as giving food for one day to more than four hundred persons, or as furnishing blankets to thirty-six, or as providing seed to five impoverished, peasant farmers for the replanting of their fields.
Rains have begun in India, but they are insufficient and are a full fortnight late. No harvest can be gathered before October. Till that time, the distress and mortality from hunger must increase. The death rate from cholera, added to famine is appalling. The number of persons receiving official daily relief has risen above six millions, 6,148,000. There are many thousands of orphans absolutely destitute.
In the meantime, need for clothing for the shelterless, emaciated, enfeebled people has become almost as cruelly urgent as that for food. The native blanket, costing $1 for three, is the most useful article.
The impoverished, wasted peasant farmers are without seed. Two or three dollars per farmer now for this purpose mean a harvest and a competency.
Particularly pitiful is the condition of thousands of orphaned children. Especially appealing is this feature of the work, when we know what fine men and women have been made from boys and girls rescued from former famines, and educated in American schools in India.
The British government has already expended on this famine more than fifty millions of dollars, to which must be added many millions of private charity contributed by Great Britain and her colonies, and the splendid gifts of America and other countries.
Above six millions of persons (one and a half millions being children) are in daily receipt of government relief. The aged, the young, the infirm are fed gratuitously. The able-bodied are employed on cash wages, building reservoirs and irrigation works, digging wells, building roads, etc., extending the splendid system of similar works constructed in the past decades, with a view to mitigating future drought.
Vast as is the relief machinery in operation, it is painfully inadequate to the dreadful need. Nothing less than the cooperating benevolence of the nations will suffice. There can be no diminution of America's bounty for months to come. Your gift of to-day may, by the cable, save life to-morrow in India.
We shall be glad to have it made known in your community, that this committee is prepared to furnish illustrated circulars, contribution envelopes, collecting cards, subscriber's forms, maps and other famine literature, without charge and expressage free, to churches, Sunday-schools, young people's societies, missionary societies, King's Daughters, W. C. T. U. societies, Young Men's Christian associations, lodges, labor unions, committees— that is, to all who will co-operate with this committee in the India famine relief.
We strongly urge the formation of local committees in co-operation with the New York committee of one hundred, and we solicit correspondence on this subject.
In such work as this, the nickel, the dime and the quarter are not to be despised. In addition to all else that may be done, we recommend that subscription be started among those who are able to give very little, but whose aggregate gifts to our fund already amount to a very handsome sum. We have received many remittances ranging from two to ten dollars, in which no subscription was more than twenty-five cents and some as small as five cents. A lady writes, "I hardly knew the best way to put the circulars you sent me in use; but my little niece, 5 years old, came to my rescue and said she would sell them (which was her own idea) for 5 and 10 cents. She went out immediately and has sold the number sent me, which brought $2.35." Verily, "a little child shall lead them." The many rivulets fill the ocean.
Again thanking you, I am,
Very sincerely,
L. T. CHAMBERLAIN, Chairman Executive Committee.
ELECTRIC POWER PLANT.
The Oneonta Normal School to be Lighted by Electricity.
The Oneonta Herald says: The local board of the Oneonta State Normal school closed contracts this week for an electric light and power plant for use in the Normal building. The plant, which costs in the neighborhood of $2,000 and comprises a dynamo from the General Electric company and a Leffel engine, will be located in the enginehouse [sic] just east of the school building and will be in charge of Engineer Whitney, who will add its care to his present duties. The engine will be put in at once, and the dynamo and the electric work before Oct. 1. The dynamo is of sufficient size brilliantly to light the entire building and also to furnish power for running the exhaust fans for ventilation. The latter is an important matter, as it will enable the board to dispense with the small engine in the Normal basement, heretofore used for that purpose.
TRIP TO TULLY LAKE
Monday, Aug. 13—Reduced Rates Given—Fanny Crosby the Attraction.
A [railroad] excursion will be run from Cincinnatus to Tully lake and return Aug. 13. Reduced rates will be given from the following points: Cincinnatus, 90 cents; McGraw, 50 cents; Cortland, 40 cents and Blodgett Mills, 45 cents. These fares include admission to the [Assembly] park. Fanny Crosby and other distinguished talent will be at the park at that time. Ralph W. Freeman of Blodgett Mills has charge of the excursion.
To Develop a Tract of Land.
Mr. S. B. Smith of Springfield, Mass., has been in the city for a few days looking for a tract of four or five acres of land that he could cut up into building lots 50 by 100 feet in size and sell at auction at some specified time in the near future. He has secured a piece of land from the Traction company just east of the Port Watson bridge and between the river and the street running over Salisbury hill and will soon commence his preparations for the sale.
 |
| Cortland City Band 1898. |
Band Concert at the Park Sunday.
The Cortland City band will give one of their fine concerts at the [Cortland Traction] park on Sunday, at 3 o'clock. Cars will leave the Messenger House every twenty minutes.
Corwin Family Reunion.
The annual reunion of the Corwin family will be held at Ross park, Binghamton, on Wednesday, Aug. 22. Dinner will be served by "The Sunlight Rebekahs." It is expected that Dr. E. T. Corwin of New Brunswick, N. J., author of the "History of the Corwin Family," will be present and make an address; also Selah B. Corwin of Middletown, N. Y., who is 90 years old. Dr. Elizabeth Corwin and other prominent members of the family will also be there. All are asked to bring data concerning the family.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements are—Stowell & Co., Special sale, page 7; J. W. Cudworth, Optical talks, page 7.
—Charles Mix, arrested last night by Officer Nix for public intoxication, was this morning sentenced to thirty days in the county jail.
—The premium lists of the Cortland county fair can now be obtained at the office of the secretary in the second floor of the Garrison building.
—The union service to-morrow evening will be at the First Baptist church, and the sermon will be preached by Rev. H. A. Cordo, D. D., of Lambertville, N. J.
—Two ball games with Binghamton will be played by Cortland on Monday at Athletic field for only one admission fee. The first game will be called at 2 o'clock.
—Mr. M. A. Hudson will occupy the pulpit at the Memorial Baptist church to-morrow morning at 10:30 o'clock. The subject of his address will be "The Tower That Reaches Men."
—Mrs. Catharine McGrath died of apoplexy at her home, 3 Doubleday-st., last night at 8 o'clock, aged 61 years. The funeral will be held at her late home at 9 o'clock Monday morning and at 9:30 at St. Mary's church.
—Mr. R. J. Lucas evidently thinks that the ordinary vegetables that grow in a garden in this climate are a little slow for the closing year of the century, for he has introduced an innovation in the form of peanuts and cotton, and both are growing well and bid fair to come to maturity.
No comments:
Post a Comment