Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-16
CHEERING WAR NEWS
ALLIED FORCES DRAWING VERY
NEAR TO PEkIN.
MET LITTLE OPPOSITION
International Troops Now Within Few
Miles Of Imperial City-May Now
Be Within Striking DisUance-Unit-
ed States Reply to Chinese Over
trues For Peace.

Cfueo OF Pedc6.
Washington Aug. 1.-THE American
commander-in- chief, in a dispatch Of
just three words, receievd at the war
department late yesterday afternoon,
sent a thrill Of eXultatiOn and eXpec-
fancy through official quarters by an
nOuncing his arrival at HO-Si-Wu, only
SO miles from Pelin lasc Thursday. The
last heard Of him before this was al
Yang Tsun. which had been captured
after hard fight. Thursday he was Is
miles beyond Yang Tsun. Lang Fang,
the place where the Inflated Seymour
expedition met it's fate and turned back,
has been left behind. The battle OF
Yang Tsun was fought on the 9Th, and
the advance to Ho ST WI accomplished
on the 9Th, a march of Is miles in three
days. This four days ago, and at
the same rate of progress, Chaffee is
even now fairly within striking dis
lance of the walls of Pekin. 1t was u
contamination the war department had
awaited calmly and stirring as the
news was that the American force IS
now nearing the gates of the imperial
city, Secretary Root and Adjutant Gen
eral Corbin evinced no surprise. as it
accorded with their calculations, al
though the advance has been more
rapid than was expected. At the rate
Of progress Of six miles a day from
Yang Tsun to Ho-Si-Wu, about "a
miles would have been covered in the
last four days and up to Monday This
still leaves the international forces
nine miles from Pekin.
Viewed from any standpoint the ad-
vance to Ho-Si-Wu was of the utmost
Importance, not only strategicaIIy, but
as also showing that communi-
cation was open back to Che
foo, and that the expected OPP
position from the Chinese hordes
has not been sufficient to prevent
a steady forward movement. Brief as
the dispatch is, it conveys much infOr-
nation beyond that specifically con-
tanned in it's few words. Although
not stated what force arrived, the war
department accepts it to mean the in
ternational force which first took Piet-
sang, and then Yang Tsun. 1t has
gone steadily forward along the left
bank of the river, keeping on the main
road, which skirts the river bank. At
Yang Tsun the railway crosses the
river and branches off TO the west.
Now the forces have left the railway
far in the rear and are depending upon
the highway and river. Ho ST WI is
a place of considerable size, the largest
town between Tientsin and Chin Hia
Wan. AS it has taken five days for
Chaffee to report the advance to HO ST
WI i is evident that wire cOmmunica-
ton is not open to the -rOnt. This is
hardly to be expected, and the safe ar
rival of the message at least shows
that q certain measure of communica-
ton is open. One Of tAe chief sources
Of generalization anon officials is
tina, the fancied h0Tde3 u China have
not materialized, or at least have not
prevented the international column
from drawing close to the gates Of
Pekin
The reply of the United States gov
eminent to China's Overtures for peace
was made early in the day, showing
! the firm final position that has been
taken The reply states that it is evil
! dent that there can be no general ne
gotiations between China and the
| powers so long as the ministers and le-
! gatiOnerS are restrained and are in
! danger" Then follows a specific state
ment of what the United States expects
as q condition precedent to the cessa-
ton OF hositlit1es, viz: that the relief
force be permitted to ENTER Pekin I'M
molested, and escort the ministers
back to Tientsin." 1t developed
during the day that the reference to
the 'p0wers' employed in the Ameri-
can reply was not without distinct
meaning. Exchanges between the var
ious powers have been going on con-
stantly, and as a result officials had
the satisfaction of knowing late in the
day that the position of the United
States had the approval and support OF
ali the great powers. While this had
not been expressed in any formal man,
ner by all parties, yet exchanges il
the chancellories of Europe anC
through foreign representatives il
Washington had made it positive tina
the powers were acting unitedly in ap
prevail of the course of this govern
ment.