The evening times., 1900-06-26
Circulation Statement.
The Relief of Tientsin.

At least the news from China today
gives US something 20 be thankful for. al
though the general situation cannot be re-
g--ded as improved. The report from
Rear Admiral Kempff. basel on informa-
tion brought down the river by a japanese
torpedo boat. that the international forces
succeeded in entering Tientsin, with small
loss, on Saturday. is a relief inasmuch as
it gives assurance that the consuls and
troops in the city have been saved. and
that whatever can be done 10 rescue The
Seymour -McCalla column will be under
taken at once. Indeed it is under
stood that the forces at Tientsin have al
ready started up country TO find the miss
ing marines and sailors.
As far as we can learn the force for this
service will have been drawn from COM
posite corps aggregating nearly or quite
ten thousand men. These would include
the three thousand in the city when It was
besieged; the first relief column from Ia
ku. Of two thousand. OF which Major Wal
Ter and his United States marines formed
a part; the second. Of four thousand Rus
slams and japanese, and the third. consist
drej Of the Welsh Fusiliers Allowing a de-
tail of three thousand to hold T,entsin
there would be available for an advance
toward Pekin. seven thousand troops. with
a fair though probably a rather short
equipment Of light guns and Naxims-
It must be noted that at the present
time the military authorities at Taku are
either Vice Admiral Seymour and his COM
mand or the diplomstists and other for
Ggnors in Pek!n have escaped massacre
There is perhaps a remote chance to the
contrary, but the probabilities are all
black. The Sheug stories from Shanghai.
which We have been unwilling to credit
from the start. are no longer believed. and
are regarded as a native trick 20 cover
what really has happened. r. as there is
reason to think. this official who is direc-
tor OF railways and teiegraphs. has had
means of communication with the capital
il is uUaccountable that he should not find
some way TO get word cut from some o-e
OF the legations. which would relieve the
worlds suspense concerning their safety.
Ii would have been obviously good policy
to do so. as the fear that their representa-
tives have been murdered has spurred the
civilized powers 10 adopt measures more
drastic than might have been resorted to
otherwise. Again. Sheng has admitted
that he was in the wrong in stating that
he knew the legations to be safe on the
nineteenth. He now says that a difference
between Chinese and Western chronology
led him into an error. and that what he
meant was that they were safe on the six
teenth. Everybody understood already
that. on that date. they were still intact;
but il has been reported that, on the night
Of the sixteenth. they were attacked in
force, with what results is not known
nr arr uy, very APT 10 learn anything 0:
recent events between Tiantsin and Pekin.
until the truth is developed by the advanc-
ing international force. There is little
doubt that the fate OF SeymOurs column
viii be ascertained speedily. If it has b en-
overcome and wiped out. anywhere on the
road, CHASTITY evidences Of the fact will pre-
sent themselves. Il is probable that the re-
lief column will have to fight every mile OF
the way, and its progress would be reces-
sarily slow, even il UnOpPo-e5, as its trans
port and the necessity for keeping its rear
protected will compel very short marches
A thing 20 be hoped for is that the
Russian force Of eight thousand infantry
and Cossacks, said 20 be moving on Pekir
from the northeast. may be able TO reach
that place IN time TO support the column
from Tientsin wbSD il strikes the same
objective. Fifteen thousand troops might
be able to force a passage into the ely
We are not sure Of it. though. The Chi
nese have many Krupps and Creuso;s
emplaced on the offences, and il III J
have trained artillerists enough it may
be question if the attacking party with.
out siege guns, could carry the walls