The Portland daily press., 1900-08-10

Washington, August 0.-The capture of
Yang Tsun, the first objective point OF
the international forces was the supreme
news of Importance received today on the
Chinese situation, The first word OF this
capture, effected Monday, came in brief
dispatch to the signal Office at the war
department. from Col. Scriven, the signal
officer at Che Foo, saying:
Che Foo, August 9 1900.
Signals, Washington:
August 6, Yang Tsun captured today.
Wire US, need our own transportation.
All well. Shriven.
Half an hour after this message, a
cablegram came from General Chafees
giving additional details of the capture
ana showing that it had been at the cost
of about sixty casualties among the
American troops. General Chaffee's dis
patch is as follows:
"Yangtsun, August 6.-Yangtsun oecu-
pied today. Wounded: Second Lieutenant
Frank r. Lang, Ninth infantry; moder-
ate. Casualties about sixty men, Ninth
u. 5. infantry Fourteeth U. 5. infantry
and Battery T, Fifth U S. artillery.
Nearly all from the Fourteenth infantry.
Names later. Many men prostrated by
fsirned1 tChafee.''
Hardly less important was a dispatch
from General Terauchi, second in COM
mand on the japanese staff, sent to the
war office of Japan and transmitted to
the legation here. stating that the inter-
national army would total 1000 men on
August IS, at which time the real ad-
vance on Pekin would begin. General
Terauchi's despatch stated that on the
4th when it was forwarded the advance
had not yet begun. This was at first in
in view of the fact that
lighting has actually occurred. But the
later statement that the international
force would total $4,000 men on the 10Th
appears to make clear General Teraucht's
meaning and to reconcile it with General
Chaffee's dispatches, The present move
ment Of some 16, 600 men, doubtless is
viewed in the light OF a reconnaissance in
force, the main movement of the army of
90, 600 to follow on the 10TH This makes
clear the meaning of General Chatfee'
dispatch that Yang Tsun was the objec-
tive point. The war department here has
been considerably puzzled over this state
ment of an objective point, far short of
Pekin. 1t would appear, however. from
General Terauchi's S despatch that the first
force of 10000 men, having opened up
to Yang Tsun, brought
forward supplies and established this adj
vance base, the way would then be clear
for the advance Of the larger force on the
10Th.
The capture of Yang Tsun is, therefore,
an important strategic branch of the fast
maturing military plans. The place is
about eighteen miles beyond Tlen Tsin
and little less than q quarter of the way
to Pekin. Col. Scrlven's statement:
s'Wire us, contains much meaning as it
is accepted as showing that there is direct
telegraph communication with the army
in the field Aside from the assurances
this gives of speedy transmission of news
from the front, it gives the additional as
surance that the line of communication
is intact back to the first base of opera
tions. The capture of Yang Tsun on the
day following the battle of Pei Tsang IS
regarded as highly successful military
achievement, especially in view of the
fact that it was looked upon as a strong
hold whose capture might have given the
foreigners considerable trouble.
Aside from the military developments
of the day, the diplomatic aspect of the
crisis was made more clear by the publi-
cation Of the demand made by the United
States on the imperial government Of
China and transmitted to Minister WI
last evening,
The document is as follows:
s'We are availing ourselves of the OPP
portunity offered by the imperial ediot OF
the fifth of August allowing to the for