The age-herald., 1900-07-10
CABINET MEETING TO
 DISCUSS SITUATION

Washington, July 9.-A cabinet meeting was held at the State Department for the discussion of the latest developments in the Chinese situation There were present Secretary Hay, Secretary Long and Attor- ney General Griggs.
 There is good reason for the belief that Admiral Memphis latest dispatch telling of the military necessities in the case was the basis of discussion. The question at issue 1t is understood is the sending of reinforce ments to China from the Philippines pend- ing the arrival of troops ordered to the East from the United States.
 It is realized that only small portion of the 5000 troops ordered from this coun- try will arrive there for two or three months at the earliest and that troops in the Philippines are the only ones that be utilized for operations in China within the next month.
 If action on a large scale is to be had
 at once, it will be necessary to call on
 troops in the Philippines. If war should
 result from the present trouble and the
 struggle be prolonged, the troops in sthe
 Uinted States now under way for the Phil
 ippines will be available in due course of
 time. It was rumored this afternoon that
 the officials had concluded to dispatch addi-
 tional troops from the Philippines to assist
 in the allied movement against Pekin for
 the possible rescue of Ministers and resi-
 dents; but it was impossible to verify the
 rumor in official circles. Those people who
 originated it seemed to be positive of its
 accuracy, and even went so far in detail as to assert that the Fourth and Eighteenth
 regiments of infantry now serving in the
 vicinity of Manila have actually been or
 dered to prepare for authorization to Taku. MT. Root Wouldn't Talk.
 Doo to the report late this afternoon, but de- clined in the most positive manner to con- init himself on the question. He would not say that no more troops would be sent to
 China from the Philippines nor would he admit that such movement was in con- temptation.
 If endorsements are to be gotten to China speedily they can't come from the United States. According to the schedule already in execution only one steamer with two battalions of one regiment has started
 from San Francisco, and the next steamer
 is not to start before the 18th of the pres- ent month. This is about the best time that can be made with the present facili- ties, and at that rate many weeks and even months must elapse before the six thousand additional troops ordered East Saturday can be landed there This state
 of affairs caused revival today of the re- port that General Macarthur is to be again called upon to relieve the situation by dispatching from the Philippines at
 least two regiments in addition to the
 Ninth Infantry. already sent to Taku. It was said that the cabinet officers con-
 sidered this subject and decided to give the necessary orders looking to a replace ment of the troops withdrawn from Gen.
 eral MacArthur's command from the force going out from the United States. None of the cabinet officers would admit or deny this, so it gained some credence Unless Japan is to be left to do all the fighting | in the immediate future, General MacAr- thur must respond to this demand. By | drawing upon the Philippine force at least a month could be saved in landing troops | in China
 Work of the Navy.
 Secretary Long showed this afternoon how the navy was responding to the call | for endorsements by ordering 500 marines 1 to be assembled from the several yards and | hurried to China It is significant that
 these are the first military forces to be
 sent directly from the United States to China without instructions to stop at Ma | gasaki for orders. The marines will make | up a force of 750 men, the department | already has given orders for the equip l ment of 250 marines for similar service. 1 They will be sent out on the first army I transport available for the service. The Russian and the French Charge and l the Chinese Minister were among Secretary
 Hays callers today Save the Chinese Min 1 ister, they came as they said, for in- ! feet also was to assure Secretary Hay as l tc the willingness of the governments of i Russia and France to allow Japan a free hand in the matter of landing troops in
 China to quell the disturbance There is a 1 suggestion in the air that this perfect un- 1 derstanding, initiated by Secretary Hay, -~--~ | uunn