Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-07-19
Number 10
DAY OF SENSATIONS.
News From China Exoites Of.
f1cials In Washington.
PRESIDENT HURRIES FROM CANTON.
Remey's Dispatch Announcing Losses
at Tfen-tsin Following COnArm9-
ton of Peking Massacre Causes
a Hurried Consultation.

WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE de-
cision Of the administration at the end OF
most eventful day is that the United
States government is still not at war with
the government of China. The big hap.
penings at Tien-tsin, coming on top Of the
stories of the last struggles at Peking,
have not affected the attitude of the ad-
ministration on this point; the United
States and China are technically at
peace. But this statement should not be
accepted as indicating purpose on the
part of the United States government to
hold its hand in the administration OF
swift and adequate punishment upon the
Chinese, without regard to station, who
may be responsible for the outrages OF
the past few weeks.
1t means simply that the government of
the United States feels that it can best
achieve that purpose by regarding the
status officially as one of peace. To hold
otherwise would seriously cripple the gov
ernment in its efforts to obtain satisfac
ton for the outr6ges the Americans in
China have suffered. We should find the
ports of China now open to us closed.
and all sorts of impediments would be
encountered which now are missing
The day was the most exciting Wash
ington has known since the battle of San
tiago. At the very beginning came Ad
miral Remey's cablegram announcing the
defeat of the allied forces at Tien-tsin.
and then came the vivid account of the
fight. A special cabinet meeting was held
on receipt of this news, with such mem
bers present as are in town. Great re-
luctance was manifested on the part of
the participants to answer questions as
- i.
best indication of its nature was the de
parture for the White House of Secretary
Hay Immediately after the meeting. He
sat down and had n long talk with Pres
dent Mckinley over the long distance
telephone, and it soon became known
that the president had decided that it
would be best for him to come back from
Canton to the national capital
Admiral Remey's dispatch given below
came as it reads, without punctuation.
and Secretary Long fears that Captain
Davis of the marine corps and Captain
Lemly were both killed, though the bu-
reau of navigation interprets the message
as meaning that all except I.iscum were
wounded:
Reported that allied forces attacked
native city (Tientsin) morning 18th. Rus
slams right. with Ninth infantry and ma
rines on left LOSSES allied forces large
and Russians over 100, including artillery
colonel; Americans over 30. British over
40. Japan IS, including colonel: French
%. Colonel Liscum. Ninth infantry. kill
ed. also Captain Davis marine corps.
Captain Lemly. Lieutenants Butler and
Leonard wounded. At evening allied
attack on native city repulsed with great
loss. Returns vet incomplete: details not
yet confirmed
The cabinet officers talked over the
possibilities of reinforcing the troops in
China. There was no disposition shown
to withhold these troops. The only ques-
ton was as to the amount of additional
force available. That was Il technical
question. so it was left to the war de-
partment officials to decide. The only
point laid down was that the government
would send forward all the troops that
could be spared at this time. One
The estimates varied as to how many
could be spared. but the general opinion
was that somewhere between 1000 and
5000 men could be shipped to the east
from Cuba and the United States in ad-
dition to the troops already under or
ders. A statement prepared by Adjutant
General CorbiR shows that there are now
a grand total of 10.6ti5 officers and men
in China. en- route to China, en- route
to Nagasaki or under orders for Nagasa-
XII. This table of course includes the
I'll fated Ninth infantry, which may not
be in condition for further service. Gen
eral Woods last reports indicate that,
owing to the tranquility prevailing in
Cuba, it will be entirely safe to decrease
the military force there quite largely.
But even with these Cuban troops it
will be necessary, if the cabinet plans
are carried out, to divest the home posts
Of garrisons save in the case of the
heavy artillery organizations at sea coast
points. About all the troops within the
borders of the United States that would
be available for Chinese service under
call are these regiments: The Second,
Fifth, Eighth and Tenth cavalry regi-
ments intact, one squadron each of the
First and the Sixth cavalry, the First,
Tenth and Eleventh regiments of in
fantry complete, one battalion each of
the Second, Fifth, Seventh, Fourteenth.
Eighteenth, Twenty-third and Twenty
fifth infantry regiments and three com
panies Of the Twenty-fourth infantry.
This available force of cavalry and in
fantry aggregates about 5000 men.
Bryan to he Notified Aug. d.
WASHINGTON, July Ex-senator
Jones, chairman of the Democratic ma
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