Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-16
DATE OF ARRIVAL UNCERTAIN.
Not known ut Washington When
.Allied Forccs Reached Mntow.

n
Allied Forces Reached AintoW.
Washington, Aug. 16.-I will be seen
from his message, published yesterday,
that the date of Gen. Chaffee's arrival
at Matow is uncertain 1t is taken at
the navy department to mean. that Ma
tow was occupied on the previous day.
the 11th. and that the opposition was
slight, both on the road and in taking
the town. Matow is about twelve miles.
by road from Ho ST Wu, and the road,
as indicated on the war department.
map, is of the worst possible character
Matow is not a walled city, and no se-3
rious opposition was expected there. It
is about eleven miles by ruad from Ma
tow to Ching CHA Wan. which is real
8iy the suburb of the walled city of Tung
Chow and the key to the gates of PEE
kim. III Cen Chaffee was at MatoW on.
the l1th, i is quite possible that by to-
day he is either in possession of Tung
Chow or engaged With the retreating
Chinese army that it. was thought
might make a stand behind its walls.
The war department. IS highly gratitied
at the report of Gen. Chaffee's steady
advance, which for a week past has
been secuted as a foolhar,y piece of
adventure by some of the European
war officials.
OF quite as much interest as the rec
Iord of the army's advance is the specu-
lation now current about the state de-
partment as TO the status of dtplo-.
matte negotiations. The state depart
tment has thrown around these proceed
fngs sudden and unaccustomed veil or
secrecy that is taken to presage impor-
ltant developments. One thing is well
lniGh certain, namely that the Conger
message of yesterday, which was not
made public. is one of a series of identi-
| cal notes addressed by the beleaguered
ministers to their governments.
| Minister WI, who beside being the
lChinese minister here also is the ac-
lcredited representative Of China to
Spain. received along with the Conger
message of yesterday a cipher message
from the Spanish minister in Pekin.
which Mr.. Wu forwarded to- Madrid. 1t
was not made public there. Sir Claude
MacDonald,s dispatch TO the British
foreign office. evidently of the same
/ vintage as the other dispatches re-
Iferred to. was withheld from publica-
/ ltion. This is taken as a fair indication
THAT negotiations of Importance are on
foot, but their nature is entirely specu-
llatire.
The state department has stated that
mot only Will the text of the Conger dis
patch be kept secret, but nc questions
twill be answered III connection with Its
Fcontents. 1t was pointed out by the de-
Epartment that With the international
/ forces practically al the gates Of Pekin
iIany statement of Minister Conger
might involve him and all of the other
ministers insvery serious consequences
lit was said. however, that the state
S[ment from London yesterday morning
5lcredited To member of parliament
that negotiations We're on foot in Wash.
5lington between the various powers
Hooking to future FORM OF government
flor China. was without foundation. The
Estate department announced that III
mote on this subject had been ex.
changed between the powers.
4 1t Is considered significant that NJ
preparations are being pushed for the
4 mintering of the American forces il
gIChina. Both the ecommissary and quar-
ltermaster departments are ready II
purchase and ship supplies for the Chi
4 lnese expeditionary force such as woult
be needful in winter campaign. There
are certain supplies which would have
to be taken and that quite speedily
unless there. was strong hope that tn,
American army would be out Of China
before the Gulf OF Pc Chi Lii freeze:
lover which usually happens about TIL,
first of November. Preparations mad,
Iup to a recent date looked to the quar-
|tering of the American forces on Chi
Inese soil thru the winter season. 1t ca,
not be said that this expectation ha
been entirely abandoned, but it is GER
: tain that some of the final purchase
land preparations are suspended for tn
i present, altllo there Is considerabl
probability that they would not hav
a to be made at all. The war department
). has as yet given no sefinite statemen
on this subject, but the suspension o
.soperations i sconsidered sisnincant.