The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-06-21
. CHINA AT WAR
WITH THE WORLD
Taku Forts Fire on Allied Fleet
and Are Promptly
Demolished.


fhina has declared war against The
xsrld The Taku forts have opened
TIRE upon the International fleet anG
Mas been dismantled and captured
The accounts Of what took place
are still unsatisfactory, the best semi
official information being the dis
patch received at Berlin from Che
Foo.
THE forts on both sides OF Taku
ar now occupied. The Chinese open
vi fire unexpectedly. The casualties
- the mixed force were as follows:
-kiIled-British, /; Germans; Rus
sian, |, French / Wounded-Brit-
y, /; German, I: Russian, A., and
Erpnch, /.
The shanghai correspondent OF the
Times, under yesterday date, gives
the following description, said to be
rom official sources, OF the action
nj Taku.
0n the afternoon of June 10, Ill
new OF the large bodies OF Chinese
troops assembling at the forts, and
ut Il ne facts that torpedoes had been
laid in the river, and that all com
pnnications were Interrupted, the
naval commanders held Il council
and seeded to send an ultimatum,
railing for the disarmament of the
rGops, announcing that if this de-
sIand was not complied with before
2 a. m OF the following day, the
anised squadron would destroy the
bsts.
shortly after midnight the forts
opened fire The British, French,
German, Russian and japanese war
ships replied. Two of the forts were
blown up and the rest were carried
by assault.
Two British, one American and
I've Chinese warships are in Chee-Foo
Habor."
This morning papers consider that
state OF war practically exists, and
shat the issue is between Eastern and
Western civilization
Washington, June 1S-As a result
af the grave situation III China, part
y, rs9a-tsled in dispatches to-day from
Bear Admiral Remey and Command
81 H. D. Taussig of the Yorktown,
arther measures were taken to day
Dor the protection of American inter
Ssss in the Celestial Empire.
Dhe battleship Oregon has been
directed to proceed with sailors and
marines to Taku.
With the arrival of the Oregon at
Taku our naval force will consist, in
addition to the battleship, OF the
Newark, Yorktown, Concord, Nash
kille and Monocacy.
Rear Admiral kempff has been di-
rected to act concurrently with the
snrees of the other Powers without |
Binding the future policy OF the Unit |
ed States.
General Macarthur has been in
hrmed of the necessity of hurrying |
She Ninth Infantry to Taku as soon |
as possible, and it is expected to sail
Sunday. Colonel f. III. Liscum, the
commander, is ordered to report to
Minister COnger and cooperate with
him and the naval forces in blish
ing order.
The return of Admiral Seymour's
Siief column to Tien-Tsin is inter-
greted here as IA very bad sign. Some
shink his retreat was due to informa
sion that the foreign legations i'll
Pekin have been burned and the dip
bmatic corps and foreigners mas
sacred, but this is not generally cred
ited. Ii the foreigners in the capital
aDe still alive, they are certainly in
desperate plight. They are probably
besieged and have had no opportu-
nifty of obtaining food and water.
Admiral Seymour was probably /
obiged TO return to Tien-Tsin be-
cause of the failure OF the provision
train to reach him and the lack of
water except that in the streams and
xells along the road, which may have
npoisoned
1t is now evident that a stronger
eolumn, we'll provisioned. must force
8ts way to Pekin. There will be no
lack of troops. Great Britain. Rus
STA, Japan and the United States
have given orders to strong detach-
ments to proceed to Taku. From
shat point they will go by water to
5ien-Tsin, and then march to Pekin
over the road followed by Admiral
Seymour column.
The Ninth Infantry will be convey
I'll from Manila by the transport Port
Albert, and is likely TO reach Taku
about June 30. Ii the relieving col
umn waits until its arrival the for {
eign legations cannot be relieved be- -,
ARE early in July. If the legations
SIRE undergoing siege it is feared III
attieial and diplomatic circles that :
they will be unable to hold out. 1t is
rather hoped by the administration .
authorities that the other govern
nents will not delay in hurryinc their
scoops to Pekin, but will act at once
F0T the relief of the legations. and dis ,
ouss afterward the political aspects I
IT the situation.
The news of the day was SO start
ling and 50 supremely important that
there Is even talk of the President ,
summOning an extra session of Con
e'rs s. to provide the means of raising