The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-23
MORE TROOPS MAY GO.
Government at Washington Makes
Preparations.

Washington, June 22.-The only news
from China laid before the cabinet
meeting today was a telegram to the
secretary of the navy giving the move
ment OF vessels Ia Chinese waters. The
text of the message, however, was not
made public.
That the president and the members
of the cabinet regard the situation in
China as extremely critical is shown by
the fact that the preliminary prepare
tons are being made to send forward
additional troops in case of need. Tele-
grams We're sent to General Macarthur
at Manila this afternoon asking how
large q force he can spare, should it be-
come necessary to send them to China.
No answer to this inquiry is expected
before tomorrow, when instructions
may be sent TO have transports and
troops in readiness in case of order to
sail.
1t is said that it is not the purpose
of the president to dispatch these ad-
ditional troops at once except in me
event that the situation becomes even
more grave than at present. The ca
blegraIa to Macarthur was a precau-
tiOnary measure taken with a view 10
being in readiness to meet any emer-
gency.
The administration is eGdeavoring to
naval reinforcements to China to meet
the emergency at Tien Tsin. Reports
that have been receive i over night at
the navy department, bnt which are
temporarily withheld from publication,
are, it is believed, cOnfrmatOry of the
reports from Europe Of the need of
TeinfOrcements for the international
forces at Tien .TsiD.
1t is understood the low water in the
Pei Ho river is preventing the naval
vessels at Taku from going to the
assistance of the force at Tien Tsin
and it is probable that no boat draw
ing more water than a torpedo boat
can get that Tar UP the river In that
case the purpose OF the navy depart
ment in Fastening the gunbOat Nash
vile and the old MOnOcacy to Taku
has been in part defeated for even with
their light draft it is improbable that
they could ascend the Pei HO as far as
Tien Tsin during the extreme low
water at present.
In this case the only recourse is the
use of troops and naval battaliOns
afO0t. The distance from Taku to Tien
Tsin is about thirty miles, but the trav-
cling is bad and if there is much rain
the journey mus occupy several days
VIII Hasten the Ninth.
The emergency described in Admiral
Kempf's dispatch has led the war de-
partment to make an extra effort to
hurry forward the Ninth regiment from
Luzoh to Taxi 1t was reported by
General Macarthur upon the receipt
of the original order to send these
troops to China, that owing to the
break in railway communication be
tween Tarlac the headquarters of the
Ninth, and Manila, and the prevalence
in the harbOr of a typhOon, it would
probably not be possible for the troops
to get away before the Atm inst. The
war department is now determined
that this movement shall be FASTENED,
structed General Macarthur In such
fashion as TO warrant the belief here
that the troops viii be on their way to
China not later than tomorrow, thus
saving one or two days on the orig
inal calculation.
There also is good reason to believe
that the authorities viii dispatch at
least one other regiment from Manila
TO China with the least possible delay,
in order that the United States may
be in a better position to assist the
allied forces in protecting the lives
and property of foreigners.
The United States consulate at Tien
Tsin, which late news adviees report
to have been destroyed, is situated far
up on the meadows road, which runs
up from the Pei Ho directly through
the center of the town. 1t is far re-
moved from any of the other consul
ates anC practically isolated from other
foreign buildings.