The sun., 1900-06-26
RUSSIA PREPARING. y 5ss
orders Troops In Siberia to he
Raised to War Footing,


Raised to War Footing,
Londsn, June 25.-The Official Gazette
of st. Petersburg contains an order of the
czar as follows:
AS we consider it necessary to raise
the troops in the Amur military district
10 war footing, we direct the war min.
ister to take the requisite measures. At
the same time we direct that the neces-
sary number of reservists belonging to
the Siberian Amur military district shall
be called out for active service"
The admiralty has received the follow
ing dispatch from Rear Admiral Bruce,
dated Taku, via Chefu, June "a:
"The total force which left Tien-tsin
with the commander in chief for Peking
was about 1000, composed of detach-
ments from the allied ships. No action
could possibly be taken to relieve the
commander in chief, because it was only
known that he was cut off by Tien-tsin
being invested.
"Tien-tsin has been fighting for its life
ever since. 1t was on receipt of informa-
ton that the Chinese army had ordered
trains for attacking Tien-tsin, that they
were ravaging Tong-Ku and re-enforc-
ing Taku as well as mining the mouth
of the Pei-Ho, that it was promptly de-
termined to seize Taku. Since then every
effort has been made to relieve Ten-tsn.
II have commandcercd u small coast
ing steamer for taking troops and sick
and wounded across the bay to Wci-Hai-
Wei, where / intend making tenn
porary base hospital and asylum for
refugees"
Although the powers at last seem con-
scious of the magnitude of the Chinese
peril and are concertedly hurrying forces
to Taku, the international troops avail
able to overcome the immediate perils of
the situation are apparently totally made
quate. The alarm not only for the safety
of Vice Admiral Seymour and his party,
who are not mentioned in any of the dis
patches purporting to come from peking.
but for his base at Tien-tsin, remains un-
relieved.
Almost the only ray of light is the re-
port of Sheng, the director of railroads
and telegraphs, forwarded by the French
consul general at Shanghai, to the effect
that the legationers were safe June 10
and preparing to leave the capital with
the consent of the Chinese government.
But the motive of the Chinese officials
in keeping the powers appeased by reas-
suring messages is too obvious to allow
the unreserved acceptance of the state
ments.
Tien-tsin is so hard pressed that it
must be relieved before assistance can be
sent to Seymour's force. The absence Oh
the exact dates Of the last dispatch from
Taku and other messages makes it diff
cult to connect the various stories, but
some of the dispatches might be read as
indicating that even the large force men
toned by Rear Admiral Kempf as about
to start toward Tien-tsin has met the
same fate as the combined American and
Russian column which was repulsed
June 81.
In the house of commons, referring to-
the failure Of the American and Russian
forces to reach Tien-tsin June 21, the
parliamentary secretary of the foreign
Office, Mr.. William st. John Brodrck,
said that since then British troops from
Hongkong had arrived at Taku, and it
was believed that 5000 japanese, 1,000
Germans and 1000 French troops had
also arrived there. But, he added, the
government had no information regarding
the later operations.