The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-28
FOREIGN MINISTER'S LEAVE PEKIN.
Admiral Kempff Says They Are with the Re-
lief Force, Eight Miles From Tien .Tsin.

WARRINGTON, June n. Definite official new
| that the foreign Ministers had left Pekin In
safety was received by the Navy Department
at 4 o'clock this afternoon from Rear Admiral
Kempf, commanding the United States naval
force at Taku. His despatch follows:
"Pekin force and Ministers reported with
Pekin relief expedition intrencbed eight miles
from Tien-Tsin."
Interpreted. Admiral Kempns message
means that the foreign Ministers and the foreign
marines sent to Pekin to guard the legations,
including Atty leigh Americans. and comprising
altogether $50 men. are with the much-har-
assed relief column Of about two Thousand
men under vice-Admiral Seymour Of the British
navy. which Admiral Kempff locates at n point
eight miles from Tien-Tsin. on the Pekin road,
intrenched against the superior force OF Chinese.
with which Seymour has been having a series
Of en~gasements. Seymour's column includes
marines and seamen from English, German,
japanese, French and Russian ships, and prob
ably some Au.trians and Italians. and 100 men
from the flagship Newark. In command Of
Capt. B. n. McCalla- The foreign force which
relieved ITEM Tsin left that place on June "a
to succor Seymour, and must by this time have
effected a junction with him. unless it suffered
defeat. The Tisn-Tsin party consisted OF
about two thousand men. Whether there
are any Americans with II Is not known 10 the
Government.
Admiral Kempf's despatch led the Govern.
ment TO accept az authentic and correct a de-
spatch from Chinese official sources. presented
to the State Department earlier In the day by
Minister WI Tine-fang. by whom 1t had been
received. II was dated Pekin. June 10. and
.lunaA hy tho Tartpn- li-xarnap pr Hoard Of
Foreign Affairs, and apparently had been sent
out OF Pekin by courier to Slnan Flu. the CAPT
tai OF the Province OF Shantuns. and tele-
sraphed thence. The following authorized
statement of the contents Of the Tsung-li-
Yamen's message was obtained;
The Chinese Minister called this morning
on the Secretary Of State and communicated
TO him the contents OF a despatch which he has
received from the Tsung-li Yamen at Pekin,
dated on the 10th. The despatch says that
the foreign Ministers had before this date asked
for permission for the legation guards 10 enter
the city, which permission had been granted;
that they subsequently, asked that these guards
be reinforced. which the Chinese Government
was indisposed to permit.
The despatch then goes on to state that the
Consul-General at Tien-Tsin, supposed to be
the French Consul General. had telegraphed to
the vioeroy Of Pechili that the foreign Admirals
had demanded the surrender Of the Taku forts.
and that the foreign Ministers were shortly to
leave Pekin for Tien-Tsin with their guards"
Thus II appears. putting together the infor-
nation contained In the messages from Ad-
miral Kempn and the Tsung-l H. Yamen. that the
Chinese Government gave enough protection to
the foreign representatives to enable them to
Iao,,a Dakip IN an foft-, that affair uraptipn mar
mission for the first contingent Of foreign guards
TO enter the capital a request from the Minis
tiers for the admission Of Vice-Admiral's Sey-
mour's column Of 5000 men was refused by the
Chinese authorities; that the receipt OF news at
Pekin from Tien-Tsin Of the demand Of the
foreign naval commanders for the surrender Of
the forts at Taku. guarding the mouth OF the
Pel-Ho, on which Tien-Tsin and Pekin are situ-
ated, was followed by the withdrawal OF the
Ministers from Pekin; that the Ministers and
the Legation Guards effected a junction with
Seymour's force. and that at last accounts they
we're intrenched against the Chinese within
eight miles Of Tien-Tsin. just why the Minis
tiers decided 10 leave Pekin Il not stated In the
T-ung-li- Yamen's message. but official opinion
here Is that the decision was due TO one OF three
things. These are the belief OF the Ministers
that a state Of war existed between China and
the Powers, that the REFUSAL to admit foreign
reenforcements left the Legations no assurance
Of safety. or that the Chinese Government.
constituting the demand for the surrender Of the
Taku forts as an act Of war, handed the Minis
ers their passports.
The withdra wal Of the Ministers because the
reenforcements were not admitted Is considered
by the greater number OF the officials 10 be the
most reasonable Interpretation OF the Tsung-li-
Yamen's despatch. But while the Government
The f.s, Steamer RishaId Psss win attend .hs Boa.