The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-27
ORDERED TO PEKIN.
CHAFFEE TOLD To PROCEED TO
CHINESE CAPITAL.
OFFICIALS ARE Determined.
STRONG MILITARY FORCE WILL
BE SENT ONCE.


Forces VIII Be Sent to Such Points
as Is Necessary to Protect Ameri-
cnn' Interests-Chaffee Will BE in
Command of All American Forces
in China-Ninth Infantry to SniI mt
Once.
Washington, June 26,-The purpose of
the government to place an adequate mill
tsry force in China was made perfectly
clear to-day when orders were issued to
Brig. Gen. A. r. Chaffee to take COM
rnand of the forces in China and 10 pro-
ceed at once to assume his new duties.
More significant probably than the as
signment itself was the wording Of the
formal orders to Gen. Chaffee, issued late
in the day by Acting Secretary of War
Meiklejohn, directing him ito take com
mand of the troops ordered to China"
and TO proceed to Pekin by way of San
Francisco and Taku, accompanied by his
aides.
1t has been expected that the military
forces would be concentrated at Che Foo
or some other convenient military base,
but the direction to proceed TO Pekin, the
capital of the Chinese empire, indicated a
firm determination on the part of the gov
ernment authorities to have a strong mil
itary force at the seat of the Chinese gov
eminent.
Must Get to Pekin.
The announcement of Gen. Cheffees as
signment and the orders to proceed to
Pekin, came after the State Department
had declined to accede 10 a second propo-
sition from the six great viceroys of
China that foreign troops be kept out of
China until Ii Hung Chang reached
Pekin. In more formal manner, with the
signatures of the six viceroys represent
ing the greater part of the empire. Min
lister WI repeated to-day his pea of yes
terday that the foreign troops be kept out
of the country. Secretary Hay laid the
formal request of the viceroys before the
cabinet meeting, but there was no dispo-
sition TO vary from the Presidents de-
termination already made known by Sec
retary Hay to the Chinese minister, 10
send our forces to such points as were
naensced and where our officials and citi-
zens were in danger.
While the viceroys spoke for the prov
inces, they could not speak for Pekin, and
1t Is TO Pekin that the officials must anx-
iously look Minister Conger is still silent,
and the latest advices show that little re-
lance can be placed on the dispatches
from Shanghai saying that the minister
and legation at Pekin Swere safe. For this
reason the orders to Gen. Chaffee TO pro-
oeed to Pekin took on an added meaning.
Gen. Chaffee was in conference with
the war department authorities much
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 min
gled with military action.
Another Grave situation.
Secretary Long received nothing during
the day beyond the early dispatch from
Admiral Kempff stating that the combined
forces had entered Tien Tsin, and that the
Seymour expedition was reported ten miles
from Tien Tsin, surrounded. This cleared
up one situation, only to present another
condition which may prove even more
grave. The casualty list on the first en-
gagement was awaited anXiouly and ar
rangements 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 pub
lie at the first opportunity.
The navy department to-day received a
telegram from a 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 dispatch
we're Capt Reiter, Lieut. Commanders
Milton and Mayo. Lieuts. McEiroy. Ack-
erman and Vogelgesang and Ensign
Cronin.
The department to-day accepted the
services of an officer on the retired list,
under authority conferred by recent
act of Congress. The officer is ]. G..
Townley, retired, who is ordered to sail
on the steamer leaving San Francisco
July TO- 1t is expected that many other
retired officers will be called back to ac-
tive service If the emergency becomes
pressing.
Chaffce to Go mt Once.
Gen. Chaffee said tonight that he would
leave the city tomorrow morning for
San Francisco, whence he is to sail on
the transport Grant for Japan and China.
The only person accompanying him will
be Lieut.. Harper. one of his aids. The
two travel on the Grant simply as pas
sengers. The vessel also is to take two
squadrons Of the Eighth Cavalry, which
are intended for service in the Philip
pines. but will be diverted to China If
needed when the Grant reaches Nagasaki,
Japan. At that place Gen. Chaffee will
receive whatever further orders the war
department may have for him.
ONLY THE NINTH INFANTRY.