The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-22

was in receipt of a casualty hst from
General Chaffee, and this was mace pup
lie about noon. 1t was Iearneus now SEShs
that the Chaffee dispatch contained a
considerable amount of matter DeSlde
the list of killed and wounded ana " was
the subject of an extended Wnlte aouse
conference between the presluent, S ste.
tary Root and Acting Secretary OF stare
Adee- 1t was hoped by the oInclalS tnae
the receipt of detailed news from Chai-
fee would simplify the situation cousio-
erably and enable this government iIlVa ~. 70
map out in a large degree, its future line
of action in China. This was not Tue
case however. General Chances tele-
gram indicated that there may yet pc
considerable heavy fighting around re
kin and between that city and the coast
Tt was impossible to make any preoie-
ton as to the date of the pac1ncaIion on
the information thus furnished ana the
administration is not able to NIX even an
approximate date for the withdrawal or
our troops from Chinese territory.
While the White House conference was
in progress, the Chinese minister arrived
at the state department. Mr.. Adee was
absent, and the minister waited patient
ly for two hours, in the expectation that
the reply of the United States govern
ment to Ii Hung Chang's peace appll-
cation would be handed to him. At IL
o'clock Minister WI had heard nothing
as to the return of the acting secretary
of state and he returned to the Chinese
legation expecting to call tomorrow un-
ence was desired.
Bloody work has been going on in Pc
kin, according to a dispatch received to-
day by the navy department. from Adj
miral Remey dated Taku, the 10th, and
Pekin, the 18th The message shows that
the American forces were then fighting
along with the allies and that progress
had been made which could only have
been accomplished after military efforts
of a severe character
Officials of the war department, who
are familiar with the physical conditions
of the denfenses of Pexin, say that the
been cleared of Chinese troops is evil
dence enough of the severe fighting
which must have. occurred. In order for
the American troops to penetrate to the
gates Of the palace they must have
StOTmed a wall about 30 feet high, which
no doubt was stubbornly defended.
Tt is a source of satisfaction to the
military officials here that the allied
commanders succeeded in clearing the
region outside of the imperial city of
Chinese troops as thereby the danger of
attacks in the tanks and in the rear,
while the invaders were stOrming the
imperial city, would be obviated.
Admiral Remey's dispatch, in stating
that all but the imperial city had been
cleared of the Chinese soldiers, left the
impression that force of defenders
was still entrenched in that section of
Pekin and would have to be routed out.
General Chafee's brief report stated
InaI ne entered the legation GROUNDS at
5 o'clock on the evening of the 14th, and
that some of the men were wounded in
the days fighting. Admiral Remey's
dispatch shows that within the next two
days General Chaffee lost six men killed,
including Captain Kelley, of the Fifth
artillery, and thirty men wounded.
To all appearances therefore the fight
ing in Pekfn was more severe after the
entry into the city than during the
movements which brought the Ameri-
cans to the legation gates.
This may be explained by the evident
fact that the rescuing parties were en-
gagged in clearing the outer city of the
Chinese soldiery. Such a task could not
have been light one, owing to the
presence of large bodies of Chinese
troops in the city, and the means at
hand of terrifying themselves in the mar
row streets of the main city, and behind
the wall of the imperial city.
Admiral Remey's dispatch also shows
that there is further fighting outside of
Pekin and that the boxers have not been
dispersed, but are still inclined to hang
on the outskirts of the invaders and
harraSS them as much as possible. 1t
would also seem tef presage more fight
ing for the allies if they should attempt
to return from Pekin and for the rein
forcements which will be sent forward
to Tien Tsin and Pekin. Evidently, ac-
cOrding to the military authorities the
country about Tien Tsin and between
that city and PeIsin still harbors hostile
forces which will have to be overcome
by the allies before the road can be
opened from PeIxin to the sea.