The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-27
Directed to Proceed to
Pekin.
Casually List at Tien Tsin Aux
iously Awaited.

Washington, June 26.-The purpose of
the government to place an adequate mil
itary force in China was made perfectly
clear today when orders were issued to
Brigadier General Adns X Chaffee to
take command of the forces in China and
TO proceed at once to assume his new du-
ties. More significant probably than the
assignment itself was thu wording of the
formal orders to General Chatfee issued
late in the day by acting Secretary of
War Meikeljohn, directing him ITO take
command of the troops ordered to China"
and to proceed to Pekin by way of San
Francisco and Taku, accompanied by
his aides. 1t had been expected that the
military forces would be concentrated at
Che Foo or some other convenient mill
tary base but the direction to proceed to
Pekin, the capital of the Chinese empire,
indicated firm determination on this
part OF the government authorities to
have strong military force at the seat of
the Chinese government. This announce
ment Of General Chaffee's assignment and
the orders to proceed 10 Pekin, came after
the state department had declined to ac-
cede to second proposition from six
great viceroys of China that foreign
troops be kept out of China until Lii
Hung Chang reaches Pekin. In more
form al manner, with the signatures of the
six viceroys representing the greater part
of the empire, Minister WI repeated to-
day his plea of yesterday that the forsign
troops be kept ont of the country.
N.aI he al
OF the viceroys before the cabinet meeting
but there was no disposition to vary from
the Presidents determination, already
made known by Secretary Hay to the
Chinese minister, to send our forces to
such points as were menaced and where
our officials and citizens were in danger.
While the viceroys spoke for their prov
inces they could not speak for Pekin and
1t is to Pekin that the officials most anx-
iously look. Minister Conger is still
silent and the latest adyices have shown
that little reliance can be placed ON the
dispatches from Shanghai saying that
the ministers and legations at Pekin were
safe. For this reason, the orders to Cen
eral Chaffee to proceed to Pekin took On
an added meaning.
General Chaffee was in conference
with the war department authorities
most OF the day and in the afternoon
spent nearly an hour with Secretary Hay
going over those phases of the Chinese
situation in which diplomacy will have to
be mingled with military action.
Secretary Long received nothing during
the day beyond the early despatch from
Admiral Kempff stating that the COM
blned forces had entered Tien Tsin and
that the Seymour expedition was re-
ported ten miles from Tien Tsin, sur
rounded. This cleared up one situation
only to present another condition which
may prove even more grave. The casualty
list ON the first engagement was awaited
anxiously and arrangements were made
by the officials to have relays through the
night in order that this list might be
handled with the greatest dispatch and
be given to the public at tine first oppor-
tunity.
The navy department today received
a telegram from number OF the officers
assigned to the Wisconsin, now under
construction at San Francisco asking to
be assigned TO active service in Chinese
waters. The officers signing the despatch
were Captain Reiter, Lieut.. Commanders
Milton and Mayo, Lieutenants McElroy,
Ackerman and Vogelgesang and Ensign
Cronana.
The department today accepted the SER
vices of an officer ON the retired list,
under authority conferred by a recent act
of Congress- The officer is Lieut.. j. &.
Townlsy, retired, who is ordered to sail
on the steamer leaving San Francisco,
July 10. 1t is expected tina. many other