New-York tribune., 1900-08-07

rescue
Ministers and other foreigners has again been
resisted by Chinese troops. Two dispatches
were received at the Navy Department to-day
which threw ray of light on the military
operations, and. 1t may be hoped, at least, put
an end for the time being TO the excesses in |
which the rumor mongers have been indulging
for several days past. The first dispatch was
from Commander Taussig, of the Navy, in COM
mand Of the Yorktown, at Che-Foo, and read
follows
Bureau NayIEntion Washington
ment M PeifsaHP reP"rss .Hn"Sann to
treating' 'SS"' nm" '"'""e'e' 'FiH$sS FhTss1t re-
The other dispatch was from Admiral Remey
and read as follows:
,-.-- >,. Che-FoO, August g.
Tnoaiciai report bciieved reliable. About
REMEY.
The Fame. which brought the news TO Che
Foo, is a swift British torpedo cruiser. The
news. although unofficial is accepted at the |
War and Navy departments as trustworthy so
far 1t goes. 1t is. however. based on the !
first reports from the field OF battle which was
eight miles beyond Tien-Tsin and necessarily |
lacks many important details, and the estimate |
of casualties is. OF course. subject to revision.
The dispatches indicate that a general ad- |
vance OF the international forces from Ilen- /!
Tsin began on Friday or Saturday. August or |
B. substantially confirming the estimates given |
in these dispatches on July 81 and 81, The |
reconnaissance of July 23. which resulted in a |
brush between a japanese detachment and a |
Chinese outpost and which In some Of the press |
dispatches magnihed into a general en- !
gagement. together with other "Reminiscences |
had put the international commanders In pos /
session of all the information they desired re- /
specting the positions and strength Of the
enemy previous to an attack in force. and they !
promptly proceeded TO make Of their knowl- :
edge.
STRONG RESISTANCE ENCOUNTERED. /
They evidently encountered stubborn resist
ance at the outset. the fighting, which assumed /
the proportions OF general engagement. last (
ing seven hours and a half. The Chinese forces
then retreated. but whether in haste and con- /,
fusion, or their leisure and in good order, the
official reports have yet to tell. The heavy +
losses of the international forces. unless greatly
overestmated in the dispatches received to- /
day show that the Chinese army at Pei-Tsang
was not a half disciplined i'll armed mob of
Boxers irregular troops but a thoroughly |.
organized we'll disciplined force. armed with /
effective modern weapons and trained In the I.
use of them Since that army driven out
Of Tien-Tsin little more than three weeks ago /
II appears TO have been strongly reinforced. !
probably by drafts on the imperial troops In !
and around Peking. and by the remainder Of the /
Tien-Tsn Army Corps. The interval between /
the fall Of Tien-Tsin and yesterday seems 10
have been well employed by the Chinese COM
mander in strengthening the lines Of defence at
Pei-Tsang by of trenches and earth !
works
The international forces may have advanced |
in two columns, one on either side OF the Pei |
Ho The railway follows the eastern bank and
the cart road to Peking the western bank, on |
which the Chinese village Of Pei-Tsang is situ-
ated The entire force may have moved along |
the latter route and struck the enemy in front |
with his left flank protected by the river
JAPANESE AND RUSSIAN LOSSES.
The statement that the casualties were chiefly |
among the japanese and the Russians is by no |
means surprising. The former probably had |
four times many troops engaged as either the !
Americans or the British and twice many as |
the Russians had. The Germans could not have |
had more than three hundred four |
hundred men engaged. and the French. |
Austrians and italians still smaller num-
bers OF course 1t Is not improbable that |
the dispositions of the attacking forces were !
such as result in the brunt Of the lighting |
being borne by the Japanese and the Russians.
The part which the troops of each nation took |
in the battle cannot be known. or course, unIll |
official dispatches have been received from |
General Cha1fee whoever in command |
of the United States contingent the ground. |
If all of General Chaffee's command that has /
reached China brought forward in time. the
effective strength of it at Ten-Tsin, after deduct
ing sick and men on detached service, probably |
amounted to $500 officers and enlisted of
the 9th Cavalry. 9TH Artillery. 9th and 18th In
fantry, Marine Corps and i1fantry recruits. OF |
which there were 300. These had not yet been
assigned to regiments, except such were
necessary to fill up the battalons of the 9th and
18th 1t was not known at the War Department
to-day whether the men of the 9th Cavalry, the
battery Of the 9TH Artillery and the recruits had
arrived at Tien-Tsn The 14th Infantry and |
the battalion of United States Marines, under
command of Major Biddle. arrived there sew
eral days ago.
VIEWS OF ARMY OFFICERS
At late hour this afternoon Adtutant-Gen-
eral Corbin said he did not expect any Official
dispatches from Tien-Tsin before tomorrow.
Until such dispatches are received the War De-
partment officials not inclined to express
opinions as to whether the defeat at Pei-Tsang
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