Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-24
PRESIDENT WILL meuIAre.
Continued from page ~
acceptance of the message without con
firmation. al

acceptance of the message without con-
firmation.
But the state department has fully con-
sidered the message in all of its aspects,
has carefully weighed the numerous OBJ
jections and suspicious put forth here and
in Europe, and without guaranteeing the
authenticity of the message, feels 1t to
be matter of prime duty to act upon
the theory that 1t is genuine.
Admiral Remey's notification to the de-
partment that he had gone in person UP
the Pei Ho from Taku to Tien Tsin is
attributed to the receipt by him of Secre-
tary Longs urgent message to hasten
the efforts to get to Pekin, and important
news from him is soon expected.
The war department, 1t appears, under
estimated the time that will be required
for the Grant to arrive at Nagasaki She
sailed on the list instant, 50 that she is
not yet quite due at that point with Gen.
Chaffee.
The Goodnow cablegram reciting the
message from Prince Tuan as vouching
for the safety of the foreign ministers,
July u.s. caused ripple of excitement for
a time at the state department, but the
officials soon concluded from the context
and other circumstances surrounding the
message that Yuan was meant instead Of
Tuan. so that the message lost the value
it would have had if it had come from
the redoubtable Boxer leader
Although the orders have not been
issued it is pretty generally understood
in military circles that Brig. Gen.
Frederick d. Grant, u. S. ", and Brig.
parry have hppn e.
lected for assignment to duty with the
military division in China. Their as
signments together with that of Brig.
Gen. James H. Wilson. U. S. ", already
announced, will give Major Gen. a. r.
Chaffee, commander-in-chief. three
general officers of recognized ability to
assist him in the management of mil
itary operations in China.
Gen. Grant is now on duty with the
troops i'm the Philippines, being station
ed near Manila.
Gen. Barry is passenger on the
transport Sumner, which left San
Francisco, July II. for Nagasaki. The
orders under which he sailed required
him to report to Maj. Gen. Macarthur
at Manila for duty as his chief of staff.
1t is now proposed. however, to change
his orders SO as to assign him. tenn
porarily at least, to duty with troops
in China He undoubtedly will receive
orders to that effect upon his arrival
at Nagasaki and will continue with
the troops on that vessel to Taku,
China.
Gen. James II. Wilson, the senior
brigadier commander now at MatanZas,
cuba, is expected to start Immediate
~ on his long journey to the Orient.
He will make the trip by way of New
York and San Francisco and will ar
rive on Chinese soil about a month
later than the other brigade command
ers.
The transport Grant is expected to
arrive at Nagasaki early this week,
possibly tomorrow or next day. She
left San Francisco. July l. with Maj.
Gen Chaffee and two troops of the 9th
Cavalry and a battalion of marines.
1t was originally intended to tranship
these troops at Nagasaki to other YES
sells of the transport service by which
they were to be taken direct to Taku
and the Grant was to have continued
on to Manila. The urgent need of these
reinforcements in China has necessitat-
ed change in the place and orders
have gone forward for the Grant to
proceed direct from Nagasaki to Taku
with the utmost speed. stopping only
long enough to take on coal.
The officials of the war department
calculate that Gen. Chaffee and his re-
Inducements will join Lieut. Col. Cool
idge and the 9th Infantry at Tien Tsin
before the end of the month. 1T also
is expected that the troops from Ma
nilla consisting of two battalions of the
14th Infantry. and a battery of artil-
lery will arrive at Taku. tomorrow or
Wednesday at the latest. The arrivals
of these troops will give Gen. Chaffee
an effective fighting force. including
marines already there, of about 1000
men.
One of the first duties of Gen. Chsffee
on arriving at the seat of the trouble
in China. will be to report to the war
department the prevailing conditions
and his views as to the best course of
military procedure for the rescue of the
beleaguered ministers in Pekin.
II is said that the military plans of
the. administration will be governed to
considerable extent by Gen. Chaffee's
report of the situation and the posi-
lrility Of a successful movement against
Pekin with the forces at his command.
acting in conjunction with the forces
of the allied powers.