Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-07-25
NO DEFINITE NEWS YET.
But Bewildering Number of
Contradictory Reports.
SIXTY THOUSAND MEN NEEDED.

Useless to Move on Peking without
II Very Large FOrce-London StiIl
Believes That the Enjoys Have
Been Massncred.
London, July 25.-Sir Claude MacDon-
aids message, dated July /, appealing
for relief, is regarded in London as only
prelude to the absolute confirmation of
the massacre. This is the opinion also of
the japanese minister here. The news
papers suggest that the British minister's
dispatch was held back and released
about the same time as Mr.. Congcrs un-
dated message.
Although the American and British
forces are working tremendously, the
question of means of communication be-
tween Taku and pckinG gives evidence of
jealousies between the powers, and other
dispatches from Tien-tsin show that the
language difficulty has been hampering
the military operations.
\ dispatch to The Daily News from
Tien-tsin dated July II, and describing
the fighting, says:
Colonel Liscum mistook the road and
was nearly isolated. General Dorward
on premature report from the Japan
cse commander that the city had been en-
tered, ordered a general advance, which
proved II costly error.
Much valuable time was lost and trou-
bic occasioned yesterday afternoon be
cause the messengers between General
Fukishima and General Dorward did not
understand each others language"
The Tien-tsin correspondent of The
Daily Mail says that when the Chinese
regulars saw the Boxers, who led the at
tack, being killed, they began to retire
He asserts that the admIals have decid-
cd that it would be useless to move to-
ward Peking without at least G0,00O
men.
In an editorial referring to this state
ment, The Daily Mail comments upon
the American proposal to advance with
1000 men. 1t says:
I'VE have learned in Africa how dan
gerouS it is to despise our enemies, and
in the interest of civilization we do not
wish to see such lesson read to the
United States by the heather Chinee. -"
BeInted Tien-tsin News.
A whole batch of Tien-tsn dispatches
are published today. All praise the gal
lantry of the Americans and japanese.
The Standards correspondent says that
the Americans mt first made mistake
in Understanding the fighting capacity
of the Chinese, whose fire was really ter
rife. He expresses some doubt about
the ability of the allies to hold the posi-
tions captured unless they are rc-en-
forced. 1t appears that large hauls of
silver We're made by the allies, the metal
being carried away in buckets and the
Chinese calmly assisting.
Requests for mediation addressed to
foreign powers are interpreted here to be
n preparation for the acceptance of for
eign aid to repress the rebellion, and Ii
Hung Chaug's statement that he could
restore order with 10000 white troops is
looked upon as Il subtle argument in fa-
vor of appointing him to the command
of the allied forces to the exclusion of n
japanese.
The Shanghai correspondent of The
Times, telcgrap phing Monday, says:
in an interview today Lii Hung Chang
reiterated his statement that if the
Mantchoo party had been guilty of the
horrible treachery involved in massa-
ere of the members of the legations he
would absolutely refuse to attempt to ne
gotiate. He said the present intention of
the tsung-li-yamen was to mcmoriaiZe
the empress dowager to rcvictual the le-
cations and then to arrange to scnd them
to Tien-tsin under the escort of Cen
eral Sun Wad Lin. He declared that
the fighting had ceased and that the for
eign troops were holding a position south
of the Iu-hO bridge, while General Tung
Fuh Siang's forces We're on the north.
earl Ii expressed the intention to
wait for news of the movement of the