Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-07-19
AeLENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR AgLtNE KANSAS yuY ~ O0-W PAGES
rne chinese lost 1900 killed, includ-

1
ing Gen. Kek.
Onhc's'. ~ wSsh'"~to" Fesr tho worst
Washington, July l4.-A short ca
blegram received at the state depart
ment from Consul General Goodnow
at Shanghai, announcing the begin
ming of the final attack upon the le'
cations at Pekin, terribly depressed
the officials here. All along they have
suspected that the various communi'
cations received from Chinese sources
in Shanghai have been preparing the
way for the announcement of the
determination Of the foreign minis
tiers and their wives, children, at
taches, dependents and guards. The
consul generals message, it is under
stood, is but a repetition of the latest
press reports from Shanghai, but the
state department has come to place
high estimate on Mr.. Goodnow's
advices. Therefore, the state depart
ment which has all along been hope
full OF the ultimate rescue of the min-
listers at Pekin, has now joined Euro
pean chancellories in the belief that
they have all been killed. The Chi
nese minister, Mr.. WI, has under
taken to get through a cipher mes
sage from Secretary Hay to United
States Minister Conger at Pekin and
to have theanswer brought backif Mr.
Conger is alive,
-.---->-~-a-i..-ru -.
Washington, July l7.-1ne decision
OF the administration at the end of u
most eventful day is that the United
States government is still not at war
with the government of China. The
big happenings at Tien Tsin, coming
on top of the stories of the last strug-
giles at pekin, have not affected the
attitude of the administration on this
point; the United States and China
are technically at peace. But this
statement should not be accepted as
indicating purpose on the part OF
the United States government to hold
its hand in the administration of swift
and adequate punishment upon the
Chinese, without regard to station,
who may be responsible for the out
RACES of the past few weeks. 1t
means simply that the government of
the United States feels that it can
best achieve that purpose by regard
ing the status officially as one of
peace. To hold otherwise would Sc
riously cripple the government in its
efforts to obtain satisfaction for the
outrages the Americans in China have
suffered. We should find the ports of
China, now open to us, closed, and
all sorts of impediments would be en-
countered which are now missing.
Therefore, according to the admins
tration view, declaration of war
would afford not even technical gain
while it would actually be a heavy
drawback. Chairman Cannon, of the
house appropriations committee, is
authority for the statement that
money in plenty is at the disposal OF
the president to meet the present
emergency and that there is no neces-
sity for n called session of congress
on that score.
The day was the most exciting
Washington has known since the bat
tie of Santiago. At the very begin
ming came Admiral Remey's cable
gram announcing the defeat of the
allied forces at Ten Tsin and then
came the vivid Associated press ac-
count of the fight. A special cabinet
meeting was held on receipt of this
news. with such members present as
are in town. Great reluctance was
manifested on the part of the partic-
ipants to answer questions as to the
nature of the deliberations. The best
indication of its nature was the de-
parture for the white house of Sec
rotary Hay Immediately after the
He sat down and had
long talk with President Mckinley
over the long distance telephone and
it soon became known that the Pres
ident had decided that it would be
best for him to come back from Can
ton to the national capital.
1t was felt by the cabinet that the
United States should send what force
il could dispose of to China as far as
seemed necessary and should not
make any agreement with other pow
ers as to the number. This decision
lllNOlNtS Int lilNItuSt VI tlt IOlNt VI
troops destined for China. The re-
sponsible officials evaded any specific
statement as to the extent of this
increase; II was. however. gathered
that the reinforcemcnts would be
limited only by the ability of the
government to spare troops from
those commands now in the United
States and Cuba, The estimates
varied as to how many could be
spared, hut the general opinion was
that somewhere between 1000 and
5000 could he shipped to the east
from Cuba and the United States in
addition to the troops already under
orders, A statement prepared by |
Adjt. Gen. Corbin shows that there
are now n grand total of 1866 Off
GERS and men in China or en- route to