Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 773

CHINA

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battle preceded the seizure of the Western Arsenal on July 9th; the native City was carried by assault on the 14th, when the Viceroy Yu-Lu and General Nieh met their deaths the former by suicide, the latter by a shell.

Boxers began to appear in the streets of Peking in force on June 13th, and openly assumed a hostile attitude to foreigners from that date. Until the 20th of the same month they confined their attention to acts of incendiarism and to the persecution of native Christians and people known to be associated with foreigners. The Imperial troops joined forces with the Boxers, and opened fire on the Legations on the 20th. The siege continued with various vicissitudes until August 14th, when it was raised by the entrance of a column of Allied forces, 20,000 strong, which had left Tientsin about the beginning of the month and had fought two pitched battles at Pei-tsang and Yang- 1sung on August 4th and 6th, besides numerous small engagements and the capture of Tung-chow en passant. The flight of the Imperial family and the Court began on August 13th. The Court entered Shan-si by the northern passes, and then vid Tai-yuen-fu its progress continued to the ancient capital Si-an, where it remained for the greater part of 1901. It left in October.

During July, August and September, 1900, troops were poured into North China by all the European Powers, America and Japan, and, with an eye to contingencies, large forces were deviated to the Yangtsze, and landed in Shanghai. The Governors and Viceroys of the Central and Southern Provinces had unceasingly protested against the Manchu and Reactionary policy in Peking, and, it is suspected, refused to carry out the secret edicts directing attacks on foreigners. In any case they succeeded in hold- ing the turbulent elements in their satrapies well in check, and in keeping the peace.

An important event in 1901 was the death of Li Hung-chang, who died in October at Tientsin, at the age of 79 years, whilst engaged in settling matters between his Government and the Powers.

The situation during 1902 gradually improved, and the troops of the Allies were withdrawn, with the exception of about 3,000 men, who continued to act as a permanent guard to the Legations in the capital and in Tientsin with outposts at Fengtai, Lutai, Shanhaikwan, etc. These are now being gradually withdrawn.

In November, 1908, occurred the death of the Emperor Kwang Hsu, followed a day later by the death of the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. This news was unexpected, and there was consequently much suspicion for a time regarding the cause of the dual demise. The public were soon satisfied, however, that the deaths were due to perfectly natural

«causes.