Insolence from a Cantonese General and Proposed Reply Washington, Mar, 23.
Rear-Admiral Williams, the 'American Commander-in-Chief in Chinese waters, in his report to th 'Navy Department states that an insolent reply was received to the emends presented to the Cantonese by the British and American naval authorities at Nanking' yesterday, and adds that he shares: the opinion of the Senior British Naval" Officer at Nanking, thet determined shelling of the military points of the city, avoiding a" far as possible the quarters occupied by non-combatants, would have beneficial effect upon the situation.
'Officials are deeply concerned in regard to the situation at Nanking and the loss of lives of American' and other foreigners there. United States naval circles are very much perturbed over the despatches from Rear-Admiral Williams Secretary of the Navy Curtis Wilbur said to-day that he had insisted at his conference with Secretary of State Kellogg yesterday that a definite announcement should be made indicating that the Government was standing squarely Behind the American Commander-in-Chief in China in all measures: Ihe might be compelled to take.
'There is much what appears to have cordial Anglo-American co-opera tion at Nanking, 'Rear-Admiral Williams's reference to "strong anti-foreign feeling' has convinced officials that the United States is faced with a really first. class crisis in. China. It is feared that the whole of China will be aroused against foreigners and that fan even greater conflagration than the Boxer Rebellion may have to be "The attitude of the press and public opinion, to which the Administration is very sensitive in view of next year's presitlential lection, appears to be stiffening. One paper remarks that the: fact that "United States troops have een in action against the Chinese may "bring down on us the bitterness hitherto directed against the British'? Te adds that this at least will "tond to align the Powers once more in a single policy."—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.