Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-15
GRAVITY OF TEE SITUATION THERE
Foreign Relief Force Not in
Satisfactory Position.
LACK OF WATER SERIOUS

that nos until the foreign relief column
reaches the Chinese capital will Mr.. Conger
be able to resume The use of the cable IL
Is ominOus that nothing has been hearu
from the I-5ted States consul at Chm
kiang since his first appeal for the send
ing Of a warship to that point, ana IL may
be that he also has bcen isolated. Inc
consul at Chefoo is in better position. Tor Il
cablegram received at the Navy Depart
ment today announces the arrival OF the
,sunboat Yorktown at that port. The YES
SCI will orobably lie at Chefoo awaiting
orders She IS within q days sail of Taku
and can be summoned by Admiral kempf.
ii he needs reinforcement at short notice.
1t IS probable. however that the Yorktown
viii serve Il botter purpose by remaining
in thu. vicinity of ChcfOo. as the Boxers
are reported to be active in that section
o. Shantung.
Admiral Remey cabled the Navy Depart
ment this morning as follows is:, -
Bureau of Navigation. Washington:
'At Kempff's request, 1 shall send the
Iris about the 10th, with coal and stores
fer nine hundred men for three months
"REMEY."
The Iris is big collier and dstilling ship.
The nine hundred men mentioned in the
cablegram make up the personnel of the
flagship Newark, the Monocacy. now on the
with the marine contingent ashore in China.
The significant feature of the message IS
the indicated opinion of Admiral kempff
that the disturbance in China may be ex-
pected to last several months at least
May Send Troops.
1t seems probable that after all the
United States troops in the Philippines will
be called upon to furnish a contingent to
assist in the rescue of the foreign mission
aries in China. and in the protection of the
foreign embassies and legations. A great
change has come over the administration
in this regard. for as late as yesterday
there was a firm determination not to go
beyond the employment of marines and
sailors There was still such purpose when
the cabinet met this morning, and there
is even now a disposition to limit the United
States forces employed TO the navy. If suf-
ficient force be secured from that
branch of the service. So inquiries are be-
ing made of the navigation bureau, and in
turn of Admiral Remey, to see to what eX-
tent the United States forces in China can
be augmented 1t is realized that the small
force now engaged is entirely dispropor-
tionate. when compared with the foreign
cOntinsentS. to the interests and duty OF
the United States.
The newspaper report that the Chinese
imperial troops are opposing the progress
of the relief column has given great con-
Germ, and without doubt has had as much TO
do with bringing about the determination
as has the direct appeals of the friends OF
missionaries in the United States.
There is reason to believe, however. that
the navy has done all that it can do with
safety i'll China at this stage. and that re-
course must be had to the army. Already
Admiral Remey has indicated that he cam
not spare more marines and he is looking
TO the Navy Department for another bat
TALON to replace the men he has been
obliged to withdraw from the naval sta
ton al Cayite to assist Admiral kempff.
There is genuine need for all the available
marines at Cavite, and it is said here that
the naval vessels in the Philippines are
fully and protitably engaged IN scouting
through the archipelago and preventing
the landing of tilibustering expeditions
with supplies and munitions of war There
fore 1t is admitted that the administration
is seriously considering the dispatch OF
troops to Tientsin. 1t is understood that in
quiries are being made. probably directed
10 General Macarthur as TO the number Of
troops that can be spared f0S this emer-
gency. and the possibility of securing i'm
mediate transportation for them.
situation at Tientsin.
Unfortunately the troops could not be got
to Tientsin in less than week, even if the
order for their employment should go for
ward today. That the crisis is by
means past but is on the contrary rather
more acute. is evidenced by a cablegram
received by the State Department this
morning from tUc l DlttU states CONSUL dI
Tientsin. Mr.. Rassdale. He says that the
mobs in control of the native city of
Tientsin. The authorities do not seem to
be able to do anything with them. He
adds that the foreigners in TientSin are
still safe. The surprising feature Of this
telegram is the announcement that the
Boxers" are operating freely under the
very guns, Of tie men-of-war, for it is un
Qefstood that several Russian gunboats are
lying off Tientsin. which is also the depot
of the relief column Fortunately the Nash
vile and the MGnocacy are just about due
at Taku. and one or both of these vessels
will soon be able to command the situation
at Tientsin.
The records of the War Department show
that there are now In the city of Manila
and vicinity the Nth and Goth Infantry and
one battery each of the Sd, 4th. 9Th and 9th
Artillery, less than 5000 soldiers alto
eether. There are, however, no less than
1000 United States soldiers distributed
among the various commands outside of
Manila and some of these would certainly
be called upon to furnish sarrisons for the
city in case any of the above mentioned
troops should be sent to China.
Program of Expedition.
Three official dispatches were received in
diplomatic quarters today giving the latest
direct information from the international
expedition now seeking to reach Pekin. In
the main the dispatches We're confirmatory
of press adyices. showing that the official
view of the Situation--aS expressed by the
commanding officers on the spot-was no
less serious than that conveyed by the
unofficial dispatches. An important new
complication was presented, however, by
statement in Of the official dispatches
that great difficulty was being experienced
in securing sufficient water for the press
ing needs of the international party A
lack OF water is felt to be quite as trouble
some as "A dcarth of food supplies. 1t ap-
pears that the travel from Tien Tsn to Pc
kin has been heretofore mainly by way of
the river. 50 that water was easily OBJ
tanned And even when the seventy-mile
delay to cause apprehension as to the
water supply Now. however, with the
400 foreign troops practically stalled two
thirds of the way to Pekin. the absence of
water becomes quite a factor In the situa-
ton There are no running streams near
the present locality of the troops and II is
supposed that the native wells cannot be
relied upon in the present intensity of anti
foreign sentiment Besides, II is reported
that a drought is on the land On the
whole, the official advices received by for
eign governments, and forwarded to their
representatives. here. are far from reassur-
ing as to the progress of the expeditionary
force
The Path to Pekin.
A dispatch has been received at the Brit
ish embassy here from Admiral Seymour
in command Of the international troops now
forcing their way from Tien-Tsin to Pekin,