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Show THE PARTITION OF CHINA HAS ALREADY COMMENCED Washington, July 4. The impression is growing here that no matter what happens at Pekin"', the division of China is already an accomplished fact, though not upon the lines contemplated heretofore here-tofore by Europe. It is felt that all that part of China south of the Yellow-river, Yellow-river, perhaps, and certainly all that south of the Yang Tse Kiang, has parted forever from North China. But, contrary to the common expectation, expec-tation, it is now maintained here in diplomatic circles that these vast and ( populous provinces of the south are not to pass immediately under the direct control of Europe and America as dependencies de-pendencies of the nations. They are either to be formed into another Chinese Chi-nese empire under a new dynasty, or are to continue their existence as in- I dependent nationalities, the present viceroys becoming petty kings and princes of absolute power in their own districts. This system of native states is viewed with some favor, for it is believed that the civilized powers' can hold them in line more easily than if they were combined com-bined into one rreat nation. Wu. Ting Fang, the Chinese minister minis-ter here, is in constant correspondence by cable with the viceroys of the great southern provinces of China. The substance sub-stance of some of these communications he has made known to the state department. depart-ment. Others have been withheld. It is not known positively - whether the minister has a means of communicating communicat-ing with Pekin; if so, the channel must be tortuous, involving the use of viceroys vice-roys as intermediaries. There also Is correspondence in progress between the various Chinese ministers in Europe and the minister at Washington. These facts taken in connection with the apparently genuine concern expressed ex-pressed by the Chinese ministers for the safety of the foreign ministers at Pekin and their strenuous urging of Li Hung Chang's request that neutrality be observed by the powers toward the southern Chinese provinces, is regarded in diplomatic circles here as contrary to the story of the development of a . combination on a large scale of the great viceroys and ministers against Prince Tuan and his Boxer adherents in Pekin. Viceroys Determined on Peace. Shanghai, July 4. All the viceroys of the Yang Tse Kiang region have determined de-termined to keep the peace. The governor gov-ernor of the province of Che Kian? alone is showing anti-foreign tendencies. tenden-cies. Shanghai is safe. The protecting force is increasing in strength daily, but uneasiness is felt. Uneasiness is felt strongly at Napg Chow, capital of the province of Che Kiang. j With the view of emphasizing hia i agreement with the Europeans, Viceroy Lin has stopped mounting guns on the i Yang Tse Kiang forts. He has also i stopped other anti-foreign preparations and has refused to assist Li Ping Hing ! with troops for the north. He accused j the latter 'Of being the cause of the i Germans taking Shan Tung. Conse- I quently LI Ping Hing has left Nankin ' with only 300 soldiers. |