The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-22
ULTIMATUM AND THE BON
BARDMENTL

Inc IniucSt ldlO UOT pSQOcS III InC
Taku river and collected troops from
Chan Hei Kwan. The foreign COM
manders assembled on the Russian
flagship and addressed an ultimatum to
the commanders of h Taku forts,
summoning them to withdraw their
TROOPS before 2 O'Clock June 18th. At
4 o'clock June 18th the guns of the
forts opened fire, to which the Russian,
british Erench and japanese warships
replied. The bombardment lasted
Iseven hours. Two British ships in the
river between the forts are reported
to have been sunk.
THE telegraph line and railroad
between Tien Tsin n Taku were de-
st-oyed- Communication by water is
also threatened"
RETURN OF THE PEKIN RELIEF
COLUMN.
London,N June 49,, Ass D. m.-The ad-
miralty office h received the follow
ing official dispatch from Che Foo un-
der today's date:
The japanese m~an-of-war Teyahasi
has just arrived from Taku. She re-
ports that the commander-in-chief and
troops are back at Tien Tsin."
ONE CHINESE wARSHIP PRESENT
London, June 49,, Sis p. MN the
house of today Mr.. Brod-
rick, he parliamentary secretary for
the foreign office amplified the admir-
alty's news from Che Flu. He said the
Japanese warship reports that the
Chinese forts opened fire on the gun
boats at the mouth OF the river yester-
day at 1890 o. clock a. m. hat the
ships then engaged the forts, and that
the engagement was proceeding until
the Japanese ship left at $50 o'clock
"a. m. yesterday.
Detachments from all the foreign
warships were landed Saturday to pro-
tect Taku.
. Thera was one Chinese warship at
lTaku, which remained passive.
Mr.. Brodrick added that the British,
Russian, Japanese and French rein
Agreements We're due to arrive about
Thursday.
LONDON'S FIRST NEWS OF CAP
TURE OF THE FORTS
The dispatch of the Associated Press
from Admiral Kempff dated Washing
ton containing the American admiral's
report of the engagement at TAXI
was the first news Lo-d Salisbury re-
ceived of the capture of the Taku forts.
The British government was aware
that an engagement was proceeding,
but it was ignorant of the result and
the greatest satisfaction is evinced.
NO NEWS FROM PEKIN.
The officials of the foreign office say
no word has been received from the
Ii ~ mo "N ~ ~ go
NJ. Macdonald, since June 18th n the
government is ignorant as to whether
the legations at the Chinese capital
have been captured or not.
CABLEGRAMS FROM ADMIRAL
REMEY.
Washington, June 1S.-The navy de-
partment has made public the texts of
two cablegrams received this morning
from Admiral Remey and Commander
IT. 1890; Nh S~-~ - un- A11Arr
"Cavite, June IS.
Bureau of Navigation, Washington,
D. c.:
"Taussig cables that the Taku forts
fired upon foreign war vessels and
then surrendered to the allied forces
the morning of June 18th. Kempff
asks Instructions about joining other
powers who are taking united action
in demanding that the a k forts be
turned over to them to secure favor-
able termination of the trouble.
"Wil the department instruct
lTempff. through Taku at Che Foo.
and give to him the same information?
'REMEY."
The telegram from Commander
ITaussig of the Yorktown is as fol-
lows:
che Foo. June 17.-Taku fort fired
upon foreign vessel about 12:45 a. m.
IShAA ~ AA1 ASASNS eN A'
The British admiral at Tien Tsin.
"TAUSSIG."
The state department this morning
received a cablegram from United
Estates Consul Goodnow, at Shanghai,
repeating the navy department ad-
vices.
The officials here are puzzled by
lTaussig'S statement that the British
admiral has arrived at Tien Tsin.
They did not know THAI more than
one British admiral was in the Pei
IHo river and that one was Admiral
Seymour who led the International
Irelief column towards Pekin. If 1t Is
this officer who has returned to Tien
ITsin the assumption is that the relief
column has failed and a been COM
lpelled to retreat to Tien Tsin. This
assumption would explain the state
lment brought by the Japanese torpedo
boat that the foreign legations at Pc
kin had been taken, for that is the only
manner in which the news could have
REACHED Tien Tsin. In this case, it is
said that nothing a be done for the
relief of the foreign ministers at Pc
kin, %supposing hat they are still alive,
until a very much stronger relief col
lumn can be formed and marched over
land to Pekin. Weeks must elapse be-
fore this can be accomplished.
AS the Logan draws too much water
to get above Taku, the Ninth infantry
will be obliged to tranship at that
point to light draft river craft in or
der to get up to Tien Tsin. This reg
liment represents all of the army which
it is proposed to employ at present.
Colonel Liscum has been ordered to
report to the United States consul at
ITien TSin.
ARE WE AT WAR WITH CHINA?
1t is difficult to get a precise official
view of the status of our relations with
lChina since this last news. The con-
l%clusion that we are in a state of war
is e~mphatically negatived by the Off
lcials best competent to speak. TIL
lChinese minister, Mr.. WI, was an ear
lily visitor to the state department to-
day. He does not believe that we are
at war with China. He said there a
I%evidently been a great misunderstand-
ing, and he vas confident that if it
lwere true that the Taku forts had fired
upon the International fleet, it was
feither because the commander of the
lChinese forts there did not do
WAS wanted, or he had failed to re-
-An- hfc go,