The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-26
ENPFF TELLS THE STORY
WHY THE AMERICAN ADMTRAI.
REFUSED TO FIRE UPON
TAExU FORTS
HE HAD NO SUCH AUTHORITY
Gives Details of the Vigorous bonn
bardment, and Says Two Hum
dred Dead Cinnamon Were
Found In the Forts.

WASHINGTON. July 25.-The navy de-
partment today made public the mail re-
ports Of Rear Admiral Kempn explaining
his reasons for refusing to join with the
ships Of the other powers in the attack.
which includes many details not bereto-
fore published. Admiral Kempff also In
closes the report of Commander Wise. of
the Monocacy, giving a graphic account
OF the action. Rear Admiral Kempff' $
explanation for refusing to participate in
the attack on the Notifications of a
power with which We Were at peace is
Warmly commended by Secretary Long.
The reports are as follows
United States Flag hip Newark Taku.
VIVA. IoliJ"s III resaIo u the Happenings
previous 70 Tie resolve yesterday ~ v-ner
senior foreign naVal U4AcelS here, 10 gSC
possession VI Taku IoLts.
z. On thursday, June I3, Rear Ad-
M1ral Bruce caned ana asked what I
thought or the matter, and l informed
him that L was not authorized to inltla e
any act OF war with a country wi IN
whom my country was at peace; tnaC
my limit was 10 protect American in1er-
ests' both by regulations and under re-
cent lnStT ucUonS from Doth the depart
ment and from the commander-ln-cn,ef
OF the united States naYai force III the
Asiatic sta ton.
20. On the 18th. at consultation Of
Inc foreign naval omcers. it was ag1eed
that the railroad station at I9ngnu
shouid be taken (the railway IS unuer
Chinese government controD and in case
any Chinese government force acted
against lie force of any foreign nation
all should be involved and act unitadlv
Under my Instructions | could moi INN
in taking possession Of Chinese govern
Inent property, and did not care to be-
oI,t d party 70 such an agreement with
-. Yesterday June 16 the same for
elgn naval officers signed a connact fhat
~ WdS necessary TO take temporary pos
se s's,lS5 OF the Taku forts; and notice was
served on the viceroy of Tien Tsin. and
| on the commandment of the forts Con-
suTs al Iien Tsin were informed OF what
D Was ontemplated. L did not join in the
attacK en- the forts. Capt Wise. of tina
Monocacy, had orders TO protect Amer
can interests, based upon department. or
GERS, but in case of attack by a Chinese
5oNsiI 5lE5 torce' he was to consider it
as as declaratton of war and act acrord
lngly. Very respectfully, u
louis Kempfr.
ar A. Rear Admiral"
ing too the e Secretary of the Navy, wash
TAKU FIGHT.
China, June IS, 1900 H. an u
lows: ii0ilof 10 report as fol-
| me commanding officers Of the eun-
o oS'tS IN the river met on the Afternoon
f FL Jen re 10 and agreed for the senior Of
menf - 5rL Inc g9hboats to direct the move
sien nj ms oncer happened to be a Rus
SSldn' The positions of the various pIn
goats We're then assigned. takin@ SoIi
lions lions IN n the second reach of the river,
ABOVE the north fort The eunbna r, ~ -
Iicipating were the Koreetz G,t ri
R4oDr, Russian; Hits, German TInr'
tnrnnda' ,Algerine, English. The Enplfsb
mo pi III ooat qestroyers Fame and Whit
ing the captured torpedo boats 80 s,.'i1l
b hu' Inc Japanese gunboat claimed t6a5
l1gr engines We're disabled, so she re1,siT,
I'd i cbetee near ne Tonk Ku and was assign
n nT charge OF the railroad station, at t5 ~
IA 9aace. Inc U. s. 8. MonccacV heinz ' iiS,
snd ttoI1ls, remained moored at Tone Il,
Many 52HF f 39 Pa5t In ,t the action
IF ne ~ oteetlon during the night A COM
~ me report Of the COMMANDING of sTpy
- .., re Monocacy is herewith encloseG
ASSIGNED e9oeis; except the Hts took their
tba , t.,u poslnpns early in the everIne ~
me 18Th inst, and at about 19.sS ia'ls o.
U tt nour before the expiratIon ns ~ ~
lime unit. all the fort guns which oo' rf5
o1,si i1aiIIeu on the shos, fired simulta ne
o'! .spI;{' many shots striking the Koreefz
Ire vessels returned the fire viz
ttGaPiu nre- from their guns. which T,tb
o on1 exception of the guns of six-inch
canber, We're of small rand aro % t ,tiIcA
( y
~ men, while the south fort has nun,
PEI or guns from six to eight inches II
The Algerine having abord landine
PETTY Iy OF some $50 men, Immediately mi
then ashore A portion Of them advanc'
ing ing through Taku to the navy yard a liT
TOOK by surprise four new modern tor.
pedo boats, carrying two tubes and Six
three-pounders each, and conveyed by the
F 4te , and Whiting, took them to Tong
Ku. The other landing parties and The
remainder of the English, aggregatfne
some 600 men, awaited an opportune time
for the assault. The firing continued with
more or less spirit until daylight, when
It became very rapid ard active, and, il
Is reported, very disastrous to the Chi.
| nese About 4:30 shell entered the mag
acme OF the Guilah, blowing 1t up, caus-
| ing her to make water, and burning
forty-seven men more or less severely,
She got over an awning Gas a collision
matt and after few hours work, was
floating at her normal height.
Eat about a. m, the gunboafs having
silenced the northwest fort, a landing
force charged and occupied 1t, where
hosting the flag Il few casualties oc-
curred notably the captain Of the jana