New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
THE ARMY IN CHINA.
REPORT FROM GENERAL CHAFFEE
ANXIOUSLY AWAITED.
BELIEF THAT THE ADVANCE ON PEKING
CANNOT BEGIN BY AUGUST /
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Washington. July 2S.-No official dispatches
that were made public were received to-day
from Taku or Tien-Tsin either ar the War De-
partment OF the Navy Department AdJutant-
General Corbn said late this afternoon that
nothing would be expected from Major-General
Chaffee before Monday and it might be Tues
day before his next report was received. 1t is
supposed that he arrived at Taku to-day, and
| Immediately proceeded to Tien-Tsin after
brief conference with Admiral Remey and a
hasty inspection Of the Taku depot Of supplies.
He might leave a staff officer to make the in
spection.
It is evident that the War Department au-
thorities are awaiting General Chafee's report
with great anxiety and some degree OF i'm
patience, for they have great confidence in his
military judgment. They expect that after he
has made a thorough survey of the ground and
an investigation of military conditions at Tien-
Tsin' he will be able not only to place the De-
partment in possession Of definite and accurate
information respecting the fighting strength.
mobility and apparent morale OF each COM
ponent Of the international force and Of each
arm of the service, but also, after consultation
with the other military commanders. TO report
how soon an advance toward Peking can be
prudently begun and what force will be re-
qutred. In regard to all these vital points the
authorities here are IN the dark
1t is estimated that after the arrival OF the
reinforcements which accompanied General
Chafee and Colonel Daggett's command there
will be at least thirty thousand international
troops at Taku and Tien-Tsin. How soon and
TO what extent this force Will be augmented by
the arrival Of British and japanese and other
reinforcements nobody here seems to be able
to estimate The press dispatches relating to
this subject have been so vague, contradictory
and confusing that attempts to reconcile them
have been virtually abandoned as hopeless. And
yet II is matter Of great, indeed Of vital i'm
portance. from a military point OF view that
trustworthy and accurate information IN regard
TO this should be obtained before the advance
toward Peking is begun. The State Department
has been advised that a japanese force was
landed this week. but how strong 1t was is not
known.
There is evidently a strong impression among
the officials IN Washington that MaJor-General
Chaffee may be chosen by the commanders Of
the international forces to direct the active
military operations and to carry out the general
programme agreed upon from day to day. But
Army officers of long experience in the field
in time Of war do not seem 70 expect that in
superable difficulties will arise disaster re-
suit from the selection Of any competent officer
to perform that duty, whether he be German,
Russian. Japanese, British, French Amer
lean. They believe that the expeditonary force
although composed Of diverse and in some de-
gree, perhaps, Of antagonistic elements, will
move in harmony and with loyal and effective
cooperation to gain common end. The OBJ
jects Of the campaign are plain enough, and
all the Powers seem TO be agreed as 10 what
those objects are.
THE ADVANCE ON PEKING.
There appear to be sound reasons why the ad-
vance on Peking will not begin as soon Au-
gust I. Nobody expects that the movement will
begin until after the arrival at Tien-Tsin Of the
American reinforcements at or nearing
Taku Assuming that General Chanee arrived
there to-day and found that Colonel Daggett
had already arrived, several days will neces-
sarily be consumed in landing the troops with
their supplies and field transportation and get
ting them to Tien-Tsin. It took Colonel Liscum
five days 70 land two battalions Of the 9th Infan-
try and move them 10 Tien-Tsin by the river.
and two days for Northumberland Coolidge TO
cover the distance by land with the third battaI-
ion Of the same regiment despite the fact that
he marched to the sound Of the eneny's guns.
Again, the transport Lennox. with 40 horses Of
the 9Th Cavalry aboard. was reported at Kobe.
Japan, to-day, and It will take her At least FIVE
days, and probably longer. TO reach Taku and
two days more to land the horses and equip
ments and move them to Tien-Tsin. OF course,
the cavalry squadrons might march and fight
dismounted, but the press dispatches all agree
cavalry and artillery, and the 9Th will therefore
await the arrival Of its horses. For like reason
ReiIly's Battery will not move from Taku or
Tien-Tsin without its field guns. The horses OF
the troopers and Of the artillery and the horses
and mules required for the transportation OF
subsistence forage ammunition, medical sup
plies, etc. for the five battalions Of infantry,
two squadrons Of cavalry and one battery Of
light artillery viii be at least eight hundred in
number and the problem Of keeping them sup
piled with forage in a country where little
none VIII be found will not be easy one
large depot Of supplies must therefore be estab-
ished at Taku before successful advance can
take place, and that necessity may also cause
delay.
Again, this is the season when heavy rains
are due TO make the valley of the Pei-Ho ex-
ceedingy difficult for infantry and cavalry, and
almost impossible for artillery The press dis
patches indicate that the month has been IN
usually dry, but 1t will be remarkable indeed II
August shall not turn out unusually wet II so,
the advance on Peking would be slow and diff
cult and consume much time even If not resisted
by an enemy. although the distance from Tien-
Tsin is only eighty miles.
REASONS FOR DELAY
All this may seem DISCOURAGE and to some
extent it is so. but 1t may be not improbable
at this stage 10 point out some Of the reasons
and probable causes OF the delay which would
be unavoidable as they would be vexatous
and might be disastrous in their consequences
It appears that there are about twenty army
female nurses aboard the transport Grant with
General Chaffee, and four or five more on the
transport Sumner, which sailed from San Fran
cisco for Taku on July 16. The original destina-
tior OF all Of them Manila and It is prob
able that means have been or will be provided
to send them there. as It is understood that
military general hospital will not be established
in North China unless it becomes absolutely