Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1900 — FORM FOREIGN LANDS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FORM FOREIGN LANDS

Germany’s refusal to proceed with peace negotiations in China until the leaders of the anti-foreign mobs responsible for the recent atrocities have been delivered to the powers for trial and punishment', is one of the notable events of the w r eek. The Kaiser’s attitude is in strong contrast with the Czar’s, who expressed a willingness to withdraw his troops from Pekin and begin negotiations for a settlement with Li Hung Chang and Prince Ching. The United States rejected the German proposal. It has been the general impression that Japan would stand with the United States in accepting the Russian proposals; but this impression lacks the basis of official announcement. Russia is suspected by England of a.desire to retain Pekin. England is distrusted by Russia and France because of her interest in the Y'ang-tse Province. All the- powers distrust Germany because of her seeming purpose to make war on China. Russia. France, the United States, and Japan have intimated a willingness to open negotiations for peace with Prince Ching and Li Hung Chang. Germany and Great Britain up to the present writing have declined to accept either the Viceroy or the Prince as representative of China. The Dowager and the Emperor have signified their willingness to return to Pekin if the allies will guarantee them protection. This the allies, so far, are unable to Dromise. The Filipino insurgents have shown renewed activity w-ithin the last week, especially in the districts south and east of Manila, in the vicinity of Laguna de Bay, where Lawton encountered his hardest fighting when he first went to the islands. Last Monday two companies of the Fifteenth and Thirty-seventh Infantry encountered a strong force of insurgents at the east end of Laguna de Bay. The insurgents were intrenched, and the American troops compelled to advance waist deep in water. As a result of the engagement twenty-four Americans were killed and twenty-six wounded. In the meantime, however, the Philippine commission reports gratifying progress in the work of civil government in the cities and towns. Courts and schools are being established, order restored, and municipal government established at many points. The Cuban election for delegates to the constitutional convention has attracted little interest in the United States. The returns indicate a total of 186,240. The convention will be made up of Natiornalists and Republicans in about equal strength, but will be strongly pro-Cu-ban. As far as can be ascertained the delegates elected are strongly opposed to even a discussion of annexation to the United States. President Kruger of the Transvaal Republic will seek an asylum in the Netherlands, a Dutch having gone to Lourenzo Marquez to carry him to The Hague. The British government gave assurances that it would in no way interfere with President Kruger’s journey. The war is practically over. The two Boer republics have been formally annexed to- the British Empire, and the people of England, regardless of political afflliatioiy indorse the absorption of the new* territory. Bartlett Harris, 15, son of a New York banker, has returned with guides from a complete ascent of the Gross Glockner, the highest of the Austrian Alps, and is the second American to make the aecent. French army maneuvers are being conducted on the thepry that Paris Is invested. Americans captured 2,000 awards si the Paris Exposition, or two-thirds of the whole number.