The sun., 1900-08-03
AMERICA DEMANDS
FREE ACCESS 70
MINISTER CONGER
Uncle Sam Steadily Declines to
Abandon Operations Against
the City Of Peking.
ADVICE TO Ii HUNG CHANG
Secretary Hay Urges Him to Per-
suade the Imperial Authorities
to Communicate at Once
With Relief Expedition.
Peking August IL.

Washington, Aug. 2-The state depart
ment having made public the correspond
ence with Ii Hung Chang relative to the
release of the ministers at PekinS and
the position of this government being
officially disclosed as one of unalter-
able opposition to the institution of nego-
tiati0ns in advance of free communication
with the ministers at peking, it is believed
that crisis has been reached, diplomat
ically speaking, in the Chinese situation.
Ii the ChinCge government decides to
accept Secretary Hays terms, il must da
so very promptly, and its answer may be
Forthcoming ut any moment. Otherwise
the march on Pcking proceeds. Neither
the military nor naval commanders at
Tien-tsin or Taku have advised the gov
ernmcnt here OF the reported forward
movement Of the international force. The
officials would not be surprised at the
lack of report. even were the march al
ready under way. owing to the delays in
kilograms between Tien-tsn and Chefu.
Doubt is expressed here, however, ms
to the actual forward movement in force
owing to the lack Of cavalry and artillery.
1t is stated that military practice would
not warrant the forward movement of
the entire international command until
thorough reconnaissance had been made
of the country i'll the immediate front
Moreover, it is said, the column would
not start forward as a whole. but in de-
tached bodies, leaving Il considerable
force al the b0se--Tien-tsin.
The Strength of the Allies.
The last advices from any official source
that have been received by the state de
partment regarding the strength Of tht
international force were TO the effect
that it numbered $4,000 men of all arms
This has since been increased by at leas
one regiment and one battery of Unite(
States troops. by $50 United States ma
rines and by an unknown number of Jap
anese troops. but the impression is tha
the aggregate strength Of the column il
not above 10000 men. This, however. il
regarded by our government as quite suf
ficient for the purposes of an immediat,
advance, and. holding that view, it La
lost no opportunity of quietly but earnest
ly urging the Europeans to action.
Advantage was taken Of the opportu
nifty afforded by the presidents return t.
Washington to hold Il meeting of the cal
met. Secretary Hay was prepared wit
n fill report Of all that he had done il
relation To the Chinese trouble since til
presidents departure, and there was lii
tie for the cabinet to do but to set th
seal of its approval upon the secretary
policies and particularly upon the enei
getic communication to Ii Hung Chang,
The Chinese Correspondence.
The following is the correspondence o
Ii Hung Chang's proposal for the ahai
donment of the campaign in Picking. Th
following telegram was sent TO the Uni
ed States embassies in Berlin, London
Paris, Rome and ST. Petersburg and I
the United States minister at Tokyi
Japan:
department of State, Washington, Aug
I'm reply to Il suggestion of Ii Hun
Chang that the ministers might be sci
under safe escort to Tien-tsin, provide
the powers would engage not to marc
on Peking, the secretary of state replie
OH July 30:
"'This government will not enter int
any arrangement regarding dispositio
or treatment of legations without fir.
having free communication with Ministt
COnger. Responsibility for their prote
tion rests upon Chinese government
Power to deliver at Tien-tsin presuppost
power to protect and open communic