Show DOPE r IS DII INISliINi 1 British Public Concludes that Secretary Gages Statement Regarding Legations in Peking Defines Situation Likewise it Decides that Decision of the United States not to Delay Military Measures is the Only Possible Course to PursueNego tiations With Chinese Authorities if There Be Any in China I are Useless I London July 284 a m Lyman J Gages statement that there Is still hope but that It Is constantly diminishing r dimin-ishing is held here to define accurately the situation The Chinese Minister In London Sir Chili Chen Lo Feng Lull yesterday received a telegram from Sheng Director of Railways and Telegraphs Tele-graphs to the effect that an imperial decree In the following terms was Issued Is-sued on July 24th It Is fortunate that all the foreign diplomats except Baron Von Kettoler are found in safety and unharmed i Provisions In the shape or foodstuffs vegetables and fruits will be supplied to the legations In order to show our courtesy The Morning Post goes so far as to assert that there JB now direct com jnunlcatlon between the Chinese aUthorities au-thorities In Peking and London and I that the Ministers arc safe However this may be it Is certain that the attempts I at-tempts of the French Italian and other Consuls to get direct replies from Peking Pe-king have utterly failed and It Is pointed out that the ability to supply I the legations with fruit and vegetables Involves the oncluslon that communication communi-cation is not impeded by the Boxers L BUT ONE COURSE TO PURSUE Thus despite the daily alteration of P hopes and fears the reiterated Chinese assertion of the safety of the Ministers Minis-ters falls to carry conviction and the D decision of the United States not to t delay military measures is taken as the 11 only possible course to pursue 2 The Daily News says that negotiations negotia-tions with Chinese authorities if there a be any in China are useless It turns i out that as early as July 12th an appeal P from the Empress of China to Queen i Victoria for mediation dated July 10th Was handed to the Marquis of Salisbury Salis-bury and It is understood the other powers were not communicated with until July 20th m ORIGINATED WITH CHINESE The Shanghai correspondent of the Laily Express asserts that three versions ver-sions of Sir Claude MacDonalds letter I of July 6th are current there and that J I it Is believed that all three originated from Chinese sources He adds however how-ever that LI Hung Chang says the legation le-gation party ought to reach Tien Tin on Sunday SunduMISSIONARIES 1 MISSIONARIES SLAIN > The Morning Post correspondent at 1 Che Foo wiring Wednesday says i1 there is a rumor that Prince Ching e rescued the legationers and conveyed e them to a place of safety Eighteen missionaries have been massacred at Ah Tung Chau Gen Sir Alfred Gaselec has started for Taku 1v TO INFLICT PUNISHMENT 4 The attitude of Germany and the Ij United States respectively toward the Chinese problem Is a theme of consIderable consid-erable discussion It is stated In Berlin Ber-lin with a show of authority that both l Germany and Russia are determined u to inflict exemplary punishment The Berlin papers as a whole severely i criticise President McKlnloys conciliatory iu concilia-tory policy The London Standard also complains that the official declarations of Washington Wash-ington have a perceptibly uncertain F sound and Bays Washington politicians il poli-ticians use a great many words to BUy a alrnpl6 thing and this we know is one device of people who wish to slip out of an unwelcome obligation It is probable however that when the Tl time for action arrives President Mc j Kinlcy will not refuse to cooperate jL4 HAY GRASPS SITUATION Tho Dally Chronicle says Secretary Secre-tary Hay shows at last some grasp of the situation The Daily Graphic commenting to day upon Germanys indignation at the IJ i attitude of the United States toward i China contends that save for the fact that Secretary Hay is less vindictive d there is no difference of policy between Washington and Berlin KEEPING CHANNELS OPEN By the exercise of a little sobriety it nays the United Stales is careful l to keep open diplomatic channels while e1t it la not a whit less zealous or active rg for the rescue of the Europeans In Peking Pe-king than Germany It Is i precisely a Xi case Justifying tho policy of holding jrc the andle to the devils eye and Mr r Hajj cnnnot be blamed fo taking that 10sc course Certainly such speeches as 1ts Emperor > William made yesterday are calculated to do more harm than good l implicitly They regard successful duplicity du-plicity as the highest attribute a Viceroy Vice-roy can possess Many Chinese frankly frank-ly declare that the telegrams about the safety of the foreigners in Peking received re-ceived by the two Viceroys LI Hung Chang and Tak Su Yuan Shi Kai and Sheng arc misleading Some persons in the Viceregal Yamen at Canton Insinuate In-sinuate that the Ministers have died of hunger Rumors indeed arc as numerous as they are conflicting Large sums of money have been almost fruitlessly expended ex-pended In trying to confirm previous dispatches concerning the foreigners safety |