The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-17
PEKIN IS RELIEVED.

the dam at Pei Ho were unfinished and
the canal at Tung Chow was full of
water facilitating boat transport when
the allies arrived there. Signals be-
tween the allies and the legationers
holding part of the wall at Pekin were
exchanged during the morning of Au-
gust Is wednesday,.
Troops are still arriving at Taku
The German transports Wittekind and
Frankfort are due there today
The Russian transport Mimi Novo-
cord ran on a reef August IA.
The Japanese cruiser Takasago,
which went ashore recently, has been
towed off and is now at Port Arthur.
A dispatch from Yokohama, under to-
days date, announces that a official
telegram from Seoul. the capital of
Korea says the inhabitants of Pyong
Yong district, adjoining the frontier,
are alarmed at the landing of 1000 Rus
slams in that neighborhood.
WASHINGTON CREDITS REPORT
Washington, Aug. 17.-Out of the
gloom of the recent acute crisis came
the cheering information from many
sources today unofficial, but so circum-
stantial and positive as to be generally
credited in official circles that the allied
armies had reached Pelxin and that the
legationers had been relieved.
This information came from press dis
patches from London, Shanghai and
Berlin, and were eagerly scanned by the
officials in Washington. They were un-
able, however, to furnish the slightest
confirmation, neither the state, war or
navy departments, nor the Chinese min
lister having any advices that this happy
consummatiOn had been reached When
the cabinet session began at IL o'clock
it was with this lack of official informa-
tiOn and yet the conviction from unOffi-
cial information, that the crisis had
been relieved. At the state department
a cipher dispatch was received from
Consul Fowler at Che Foo, but for
1tunately it conveyed no word of the ar
rival at Pekin nor the rescue of the
legationers, referring to points already
pretty well known
A dispatch from Admiral Remey
dated at Taku yesterday gave informa-
ton as to the situation at Pekin on the
10th The Chinese minister was elated
when word reached him of the press
DISPATCHES announcing that the lega-
TONERS had been relieved. Not word
had come to him cOnfirmatory of the re-
ports, and this led him to examine the
unofficial adviceS from Shanghai and
elsewhere with considerable care. He
pointed out that Shanghai was some 800
miles from Pekin, and it was surprising
that information did not come from
Tien Tsin or Taku, only 100 miles from
Pekin and the base OF the allied forces.
Moreover, the appeal of Ii Hung Chang
for an armiStice was dated the 18th, and
showed that Earl Lii did not know at
that time of the alleged retirement of
the imperial party from Pekin- He
however, was disposed TO credit the re-
ports, even in the absence of official
information He reckOned that since
the allied forces were at Tung Chow
there had been ample time to cover the
short distance between that place and
Pexin, so that the reports Tailed with
his own calculation on what was likely
The Chinese officials have no knowl-
edge whatever of the reported depart
ure of the empress dowager and the i'm
periaI household from Pekin on August
Z. as mentioned in Shanghai dispatches.
The place named at the point which
they took for refuge is said to be about
100 miles back from Pekin. 1t is not
where the summer palaces are located.
Rumors have heretofore reached Chi
nese officials that a movement from
Pekin might be made, but they have
never been borne out by official advices
If the imperial party has left Pek1n, 1t
is said it will make no change in the
prerogativeS of the imperial government,
as the authority goes with the emperor
wherever he may be located.
If it proves true that the legatiOners
are relieved, the graVeSt crisis is re-
moved But there remain many mo-
mentouS questions to be determined. 1t
appears to be accepted that at least
some of the powers will keep their mil
itary forces in China, at least until all
questions growing out of the crisis are
settled This is expected to involve
questions not only of money indemnity,
but of territorial extension on the part
of the powers to the controversy 1t is not
believed that the United States Will De
a party to any such territorial contro-
versy as the declaration of Secretary
Hay, made at the beginning of the trou-
BILE forecasted the purpose of this gov
ernment to seek to preserve Chinese ter
ritorial and administrative entity. He
said in this note of July 3:
1T is, of course, too early to forecast
the means of attaining this last result
(prevent a spread of disorder) but the
policy Of the government of the United
States is to seek a solution, which may
bring about permanent safety and peace
to China, preserve Chinese territorial
rights guaranteed to friendly powers by
treaty and international law and safe
guards for the world. the principle of