The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-08-16
YANG TSUN CAPTURED
Allies Are a Quarter of the
Way to Pekin.
OBJECTIVE POINT OF ADVANCE
City viii Be Held ~ q Base for Fur
thor OparatiOns-sixty Casual
ties Among Americans.

Washington, August 1.-THE cap.
ture of Yang Tsun, the first objective
point of the international forces, was
the supreme news of importance re-
ceived today on the Chinese situation.
The first word of this capture, effected
last Monday, came to the signal office
at the war department from Colonel
Scriven, the general officer at Che Foo,
saying:
''Che Foo, August 1l.-Signal OF.
flee, Washington: August 6-Yang
Tsun captured today. Wire up.
Need own transportation. All we'll.
"SCRIVEN.
Half an hour after this message a
cablegram came from General Chaffee.
giving additional details of the capture
and showing that it had been at the
cost of about 60 casualties among the
American troops. General Chaffee' 8
dispatch is as follows:
Yang Tsun, August 6.-Yang Tsun
occupied today. Wounded-Second
Lieutenant Frank r. Long, Ninth
infantry. Casualties, about 60 men,
Ninth United States infantry, Four
teenth United States infantry and bat.
terv F, Fifth United States artillery.
Nearly all from Fourteenth infantry.
Names later. Many men Frustrated by
heat and fatigue. CHAFFEE."
Hardly less important was dispatch
from General Terauchi, second in com.
mand of the japanese staff, sent to the
war Office of Japan and transmitted to
the legation here, stating that the in
ternational army would total $4,000
men August Is. to advance on Pekin.
This dispatch stated that on the 4th,
when it was forwarded, the advance
had not begun. This was at first in.
comprehensible, in view of the fact
that fighting has actually occurred.
But the later statement that the inter-
national force would total SO. 900 men
on the 10Th appears to make clear Gen.
eraI Terauchi's meaning and to recon-
cile il with General Chaffee's dis.
patches. The present movement CT
some 10000 men doubtless is viewed
in the light of a reconnaissance in
| force, the main movement of the army
| of so, 900 to follow on the 10Th. This
makes clear the meaning OF General
Chaffee's dispatch that Yang Tsun was
the objective point. The war depart.
ment has been puzzled on this point.
1t would appear, however. from Gen.
eral Terauchi's dispatch that the first
fo1ce of 16 900 men. having opened up
communications to Yang Tsun, brought
forward supplies and established this
advance base, the way would then be
| clear for the advance of the larger force
on the 18th.
The capture of Yang Tsun is there.
fore an important strategic branch OF
the fast maturing military plans. The
| place is about Is miles beyond Tien
Tsin, and little less than quarter
of the way to Pekin. Colonel Scriven e
statement that "wire up'' contains
much meaning, as it is explained al
show ing that there is telegraphic COM
mum cation with the army in the field.
Aside from the assurance this gives, OF
speedy transmission of news from the
front, it gives the additional assurance
that the line is intact back to the first
base of operations. The capture OF
Yang Tsun the day following the bat.
tie of Peit Sang is regarded as highly
successful military achievement, and
especially in view of the fact that it
was looked upon as q stronghold whose
capture might give the foreigners con.
/ sjderable trouble,