Show STILL IN THE DARK Not a Ray of Light Yet as Regards Peking I c NOTHING OFFICIAL RECEIVED Foreign Representatives in Washington I Washing-ton However Accept as Practically Certain that the Foreign Legations and Ministers Have Been Wiped Out Situation Has n Telling Effect on the Chinese Minister Who is Under 1 Nervous Tension and Agitation Agi-tation More Severe Than Americans Washington July 1C Without exception excep-tion today the foreign representatives In Washington accepted a practically certain that the t foreign legations and Ministers at Peking have been wiped out At the same time there Is not a word confirmatory of this from any of the Foreign oflious and the conclusion conclu-sion Is based on the accumulating unofficial un-official data that the slaughter occurred oc-curred about July GUi or 7th Even among the high Chinese officials hopo has been about given up but they maintain that there Is no official Information Infor-mation and that they arc as much In the dark as others UNDER HIGH NERVOUS TENSION The situation has a telling effect on the Chinese Minister who Is under a nervous tension and agitation more severe than that of the American officials offi-cials He is seeking to show In the present acute crisis that no matter how bad conditions may be In China he Is not the less anxious to serve the American people and Government for he had taken great pride In the kindly personal relations between him and the people here VU STANDS BY SHENC I Minister Wu declares unworthy of belief the cable report that Sheng director I I di-rector of telegraph and posts at Shanghai I Shang-hai knew of the killing of the foreign Ministers at the time he mado a recent suggestion that foreigners be escorted out of Peking If the allied forces would not advance As a matter of fact Minister Wu states that the Chinese offitlals have no better means of learning learn-ing the truth of affairs In Peking than the foreigners as all the usual means of communication are suspended But he points out that Sheng could not have known of the death of the foreigners else he would not have made a proposal pro-posal that the foreigners be escorted out of time city The latter IK I consld red proof positive by Mr Wu that I Sheng considered the foreigners alive HEARD NEWS FROM TIEN TSIN News of the battle of Tien Tsln was conveyed to the Chinese Minister today to-day The Minister followed the recital with rapt attention Interrupting with expressions of astonishment and profound pro-found regret at the startling developments develop-ments He was particularly Impressed with the detailed names o the American Ameri-can killed and wounded which klcd appeared ap-peared to remove every shadow of doubt and asked as to the various officers offi-cers and their families SCENE OF FIGHTING The scene of the fighting came home vividly to the Minister as he lived for a Iqng time at Tien Tsln the close friend and associate of Li Hung Chang CrlenJ during the la tiers Vlceroyalty there and the details of the engagement around the walls could be followed by c him with a personal knowledge of the surroundings In his minds eye he pictured before him the scene of action Here he pointed out was the great walled city within which the native Chinese population lived CITY PROPER ATTACKED Around the city swept the sinuous Capo river from Taku to Peking Below Be-low the walled city a full hours ride by h chair lay the foreign settlements or concessions or compounds At this latter lat-ter point well away from the walls of the main city the foreign citizens with tho allied troops have now been located lo-cated The news of the fight at the walls meant therefore that the allied forces had advanced from their position posi-tion well down the Pel Ho and had attacked at-tacked the city itself REGRETS THE DEFEAT The outcome of this hI said was the utmost concern I If spoke with a good deal of freedom hut asked to be excused from any public declaration on the subject In the most sympathetic sympa-thetic terms however he expressed his horror at the latest developments declaring de-claring that to no American homE could the news bring deeper regret than to hImself At the other legations and embassies tho same feeling of dismay prevailed FRAUGHT WITH GREAT DANGER Although Minister Vu will make no public utterance the Associated Press Is able to glvo what Is said to be the aspect of the situation from the Chinese Chi-nese standpoint According to this view the movement of tho allied forces o from the foreign settlement down the river upon the native walled city was not only unfortunate but was fraught with the greatest danger With lhe I fate of the foreign legations and Ministers Min-isters at Peking still In doubt the allied forces might well have turned their attention to cutting a way tluough to tho rescue of their officials and citizens at tho capital NATIVES DEFEND CITY In that event It is said the nominal conditions around Tien Tsln would have continued and the status quo been maintained But with an assault on the walled city the natives within the city might naturally bo expected to defend de-fend themselves t believing that thoir homes were about to be attacked They have been penned up within the city Icownlng nothing of s hat has occurred oc-curred without and from then standpoint stand-point It probably will bo found that InC In-C defense against an unexplained attack at-tack the present slaughter occurred TALK OF A COMMISSION One of tho suggestions of the day made In an official quarter Is that a fommlsslon be appointed to procoed to China to Investigate the facts of tho present situation thus giving 3 basis for Intelligent action At any other time the suggestion probably would be welcomed as a means of clearing up the doubt o unreliable Shanghai reports re-ports but now the situation appears too desperate to await the slow processes pro-cesses of a commission The name ore or-e Dcnby was mentioned In connection sion with the talk of a commis |