The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-10
IL sto Be Used as Base of Supplies
for General Advance.
A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE.
The International Column Will Total
10000 Men on August 18th, When
the Move to I'ekin VIII Begin
in Earnest United States
Has Sent Il Demand Tor
Protection Of Ministers
Rv Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON August 9.-The cap
ture OF Yangtsun, the final objective point
of the international forces, was the SUI
preme news Of Importance received to-day
on the Chinese situation. The first word
of this capture, effected last Monday, came
in brief dispatch to the Signal Office at
the War Department from Colonel Scriven,
the signal officer at Che Foo.
Half an hour after this message cable
gram came from General Chaffee, giving
additional details of the capture and
showing that ii had been at the cost of
about sixty casualties among the Ameri-
can troops.
Hardy less important was a dispatch
from General Teraucti, second in COM
mani on the japanese staff, sent to the
War once of Japan and transmitted to
The legation here. stating that the inter
national army would total 5000 men on
August l5th. at which time the real ao-
vance on i'ekin wouli begin
General Terauchi's dispatch stated that
Oh the fourth. wnen it was forwarded, The
advance had not yet begun
Il
view of the fact tat fighting has act
tlally occurred.
Reconnaissance IN FORCE.
: But the latter statement that The inter
national force would total aO,O9o men on the
lon. appears 10 mako clear General TeEau-
chirs meaning and to reconcile it with Cen
eral Caanee's dispatches. The same move
11lent OF some 5000 men doubtless is view
ed in the li-at Of a -econneissln in
-o.ee. the main movement Of the army os
.,Dsyy5 10 Io4Iu.G oa the 18th. This makes
clear thee meaning OF General Chatfec's
dis.patch that Yangtsun was TO be The OBJ
jectiye point.
1t would appear from General Terauchi's
dispatch that the first force of 5000 men
having opened up communication 10 Yang
tsun, forwarded supplies and eStabiisaed
this advanced base, the way woulG then
be clear for the advance for the larger
force on the 18th. The capture Of Ysng-
tsun is an important strategic branch of
the fast maturing military plans The
place is about eighteen miles beyond Tien
Tsin and little less than quarter Of the
way TO Pekin.
Colonel Scrvens statement, wire up,
contains much meaning. as it is accepted
as showing that there is direct teIegraphic
communication with the army in the field.
Aside from the military developments of
the day, the diplomatic aspect Of the crisis
was made more clear by the publication
of the demand made by the United States
on the Imperial Government of China, and
Transmitted TO Minister Wu last evening.
DEMAND ON CHINA.
Minister NNu worked assiduousiy on the
message during today, translating it iilst
from English 10 Chinese and then from
Chinese into The cipher code of China
Owing TO the gravity of the document,
tais work required scrupulous eSactness,
but il is probable that it is by this time on
its way 10 the Chinese Government.
This action by the United States was
taken solely on its own responsibility,
without consulting other Powers as TO the
advisability of the demand.
The use OF the word demand in the
American note thoroughly indicates the
urgency Of the message. In the technical
parlance of diplomacy it differs from an
ultlmatun. which usually fixes date or
sets time within which there must be
compliance. the lack of compliance during
the stated time being a ground for war.
While q demand is less specific as to time
of compliance, it none the less asserts a
positive right which the Government will
enforce.
Late in the day the State Department
received an inportan; dispatch from Con-
sul-General GoUdnow ct Shanghai, an
rauncng the landing ot British troops at
that point He stated that the merchants
OF the city strongly disapprovea the
landing of the British troops, fearing that
ii would incitc the aati-foreisr Chinese
10 hostilities. The Government at Wash
ington has taken no action in the nature
of q protest. and it is stated officially that
no such action will be taken. On the con-
rary, the United States Government recos-
nizes the right of any Power to protect It's
citizens or their interests WREN they are
supposed TO be IL jeopardy.
Secretary Root regards the situation
both from a military and diplomatic point
OF view as much Improved. 1t is also be-
heVed that the resistance made by the
Itisnese has not been. and will not be. as
great as anticipated by some authorities
VINO said that the Chinese force consisted
o. the best of their army.