Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-30

fngton boy and probably as well known to
the younger generation as any boy that
ever lived in this city. He is the son of
Commander Edward d. Tauss:g. now in
command of the gunboat Yorktown. which
Is being used by Admiral kempff as a dis
patch boat.
Young Taussig received a portion of his
education at the Western High School and
was captain of the cadets of that institu-
ton when they won the pennant at the
competitive drill of the High School Ca
diets several years ago.
Like his father and his brothers he is an
all-around athlete and has made name
for himself in the annals of foot ball, base
ball, rowing and other sports. He was
appointed to the Naval Academy "at large
by the President June ), 1898 and grad
uated in due time and was made naval
cadet. His promotion to the grade of en-
sign is only of very recent date. He joined
the Newark, Admiral Kempff's flagship, in
February, 1899. and has been attached to
that vessel ever since.
When 1t was decided to send a marine
battalion from that vessel with Admiral
Seymcur's expedition to the relief of Penin.
Ensign Taussig. with his usual spirit of
adventure, volunteered to go with it and
his services were accepted. In doing this
he ennuiated the example of the commander
of his ship Capt. McC ALA; who also voiun-
teered his services and commal led the
American detachment. 1t was a strange
coincidence that Capt. McCalla and Ensign
TausSig, who were probably the only naval
officers with the battalion, were both
wounded. There is general rejoicing over
the report that neither officer was badly in
jured.
Instructions to Gen. ChnGee.
The instructions to General Chaffee, who
has been assigned to the command Of the
troops ordered to China, were drawn up
by the Secretary of War and approved by
the President before his departure for Can
ton. Although Secretary Root would not
,lya
instructions, he said that generally speak
ing General Chaffee had been ordered to
look out for the interests of the United
States in China, to avoid entangling alli-
ances, to act concurrently with the other
powers where 1t was to the general inter-
est TO do so, and in a word to continue the
policy that has marked the actions of the
United States government since the be-
ginning of the Boxer troubles in China.
These instructions were telegraphed to
General Chaffee at San Francisco in order
to reach him before his departure on the
transport Grant Sunday evening. Secre-
tary Root said that in case the progress of
events made it necessary 1t would be an
easy matter to modify General Chaffee's
instructions by cable to Nagasaki, which
will be the first port visited by the Grant
after her departure from San Francisco
Secretary Root was asked il any more
troops would be ordered to China, and he
replied: Not yet" but intimated that the
further action of the War Department in
that matter would be governed entirely by
the exigencies of the situation. These in
structions are supplementary to his origi-
nal orders Ito proceed to Pekin by way of
Nagasaki and Taku."
Consular Agreement Not Ratified.
1t appears that the cabinet yesterday
failed to rattfy the agreement between
United States consuls and Chinese viceroys
referred to in yesterdays Star. The docu-
ment in its inception and various stages of
development was regarded as properly
open to such doubt as to warrant the be-
hef that the foreign consuis, as a body,
certainly never entered into the agreement.
1t is said that the consuls bound them
selves to acquit the Chinese government of
any responsibility for riotng. murder and
sFilage in the treaty ports if any foreign
warships should enter such port in vio-
iation of the agreement No safeguard
was interposed to secure the exemption of
warships whose commanders might be un-
aware of the state of affairs in the treaty
ports and the prohibition against their
entry. There was an apparent conflict be-
tween some of the provisions, and in fact
the Whole reputed agreement bore the ap-
pearance of a rough memorandum which
the cabinet concluded could never have re-
ceved the assent of all of the foreign con-
suls, even suprosing that some of them
might have become frightened into acqui-
eScence.
Therefore, no steps were taken, even to
ascertain by direct inquiry of Consul Gem
era 'Gs9odnow whether the agreement was
authentic and he had signed It, 1t was
simply assumed that if he had done so he
would have acquainted the department, be-
ing in ready cable communication. So the
matter was dropped.
Alleged Temporary Settlement.
Relative to the interesting story that an
international accord has been arrived at
as to the pro tempore settlement of the
Chinese trouble, State Department officials
say that while the United States is not a
party to such agreement, if the Euro
pean powers and Japan have come to an
understanding on the basis set out the re-
suit should be welcomed by all who have
no selfish designs to satisfy. 1t is. of
course, not yet possible to predict accu-
rately what attitude the United States
would assume officially toward such a COM
bination, nor whether the government
could be induced to enter into the common
agreement except with some special reser-
vations made necessary by desire to pre-
serve the unbroken traditions OF the United
States in their relations with foreign ma
tions.