The sun., 1900-08-15
GUNS
L BOOMING UNDER THE
WALLS Of PEk|NG
Allied Troops Are Believed to
Have Reached the Chinese
Capita.
THE CRISIS Is AT HAND
That is the Feeling Which Prevails
M Throughout Official Circles i'm
2 Washington. 1t is Intensified
by a Late Message
From Minister
C0nger.

28p washington, Aug. lf.--ll Is pclicNtu |
K here by military men that the guns OF
\ Chaffee and the allies are today booming |
under the walls of Pcking
\ The extraordinary rapidity of the
march Of the relief column led by Ameri-
X can troops has inspired this bcilet ana
8 the hope that the bcsicged envoys are
& listcning TO the rcverhernting Nolleys IN
8the hope of immediate assistance.
Thc town of IIosi-Wu, which was
8 captured by General Chaifee and the
& allies last Thursday, is not more than 4o
ls miles from Pcking.
The relief column has been moving for
4 ward at rate of more than ton miles
day. II on the last half Of their Journey
4 TO Pcking they were able to progress us
4 rapidly as they did during the first half
from Ticn-tsin, they are now at the Chi
nese capital.
Apparently the Chinese We're altterly
demoralized by the crushing defeats they
suffered at Pci-Tsang and 1angtsun
and have offered practically no resistance
B to. the onward sweep of the allies
Rush to Peling.
ia is acknowledged here now that the
order to the troops when the advance
from Tien-tsiM began was to rush TO
Peking without rest. and General Chaifee
has carried those orders out with con-
xpicuous success.
s8FTbc allies left the railroad at Yang
tsun and moved along the river to
Peking by way of Tung-Chow. From
Hesi- WI. where apparently thy rested
a day. there are II miles of bad road To
Ma-Tow. Al Clung-Chia Wan there are
several small forts where, possibly, the
allies met some resistance.
This place. military men here believe
was taken Sunday. aEd the allies moved
AT once upon Tung-Chow. ten miles from
Picking, the great food depot of the Chl-
nese captiI 1t has heen here. if any
wlear. on the way fsm Iangt+Tln that
the Chinese may have made stand III
force before falling back upon Peking.
Another Message From CoRger.
A The state dcpartmcB1 has re~ived Il
cipher cable message from Minister Con
ger At Ickins 1t was forwhrded by the
#Chinpst authorities to Minister VIZ here,
wh. promptly communicated it by Secrc-
tarv Chung Ia the state department Mr.
Adee. the acting secretary Of state, inn
meaiatcEy consulted Secretary Roof- Nd
i sfatcGpnt was made as to the con
kfeilts of the message. Ii was conJectured
Nfo be Il reply to the last dispatch of the
8state department To Minister Conger. but
Btbe officials refused To make its contents
public. There was an atmosphere OF
acute suspense in the state, war and navy
departmcnts. II is generally recognizes!
that the campaign in China Is rapidly ap
proaching Il critical stage. The --latest
pews from the American advance. which
inferentiaiiy included the forces of Great
Britain, Japan and Russia made it seem
prObable that the word Picking might
be flashed over the wires at any moment
The international advance guard. argu
ing from the progress ii already has
made. must be by this time close to the
point on the road where China will elec
to make her last stand in defense of he
capital unless ut the last moment sh'
chooses the part of discretion and come
to the terms already laid down by thu
United States and tacity agreed 10 b!
the other powers.
sIny Be Hung Up In Shanghai.
Secretary Root said that he had re
ceived nothing fresh from General Chat
fee and had no reason to believe tina
China had made any new move TOWARD
peace negotiations. The fact that TIT
Chinese government has not yet replie,
to the American note of Aug. makes
seem Questionable whether she intends t.
do SO. Even allowing for delays in trans
mission, there has been abundant tim
for reply to be transmitted, and its alb
sence IS causing some remark in the stat
department.
It is regarded as quite possible tina
both the Adee note of Aug. 8 and the sub
sequent reply Of the state department Il
the Chinese edict, announcing the appoint
ment of Ii Hung Chang as peace envoy
may be now hung up i'll Shangha
Though fear on the part of Ii Hum
Chang as to his own fate if such docu
ments are forwarded to the imperia
household.
E The Question of Indemnity.
Al high government official said tina
the indemnity which the United State
would demand for every American cit
zen killed or MANNED by the Chinese dul
ing the present trouble would be sufficien
coInfortably to support their families fo
the remainder of their lives.
l*This government does not want
province, town, village or singl
soslare foot of Chinese territory as in
depnnity," said the official, who is clos
ia he president ''There is but one il
dennnity which they can give our pee
ple, and that is monetary indemnity
the families of their American victims
Fol every one of these China must pay