Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-18

No. 14,759.
state of war and state of riot. So far the
State Depart ment has had no proof that the
Chinese. government 1T pPlsin n;;S sane
toned or ordered any attack upon the inter
national column upon the international
fleet 1t is possible that the Chinese COM
mandant at Taku may himself have :c-
volted with his troops and Joined the HoN-
ers Therefore it cannot ne assumed thtt
we are at war until formal assurance 10
that effect has been received from compe-
tent authority.
Secretary Hay on Our Policy
Secretary Hay was asked If the latest de-
velopments had made any change in the
policy which the United States ha. adopted
toward this Chinese trouble. H replied:
.Our naval forces in that region have been
directed to act concurrently with the forces
of the other powers for the protection OF
all American interests.
How kempn's Cables Came.
1t appears that the Yorktown did not
bring the cablegrams from Admiral
Kempff and, in fact. it is not known here
just how the news got through to Chefoo
from Taku. The general belief is that the
Japanese torpedo boat referred to in the
Berlin dispatches brought down the cables
for all of the foreign commanders at Iaku.
The State Department this morning re-
ceived a cablegram from United States
Consul GoodnDw. at Shanghai, repeating
to the department the same news that had
been previously conveyed TO the Navy De-
partment by Admiral Remey and Com
mander Taussg.
Communication Again Interrupted.
The eccentric action of the telegraph
wires and cables is cause of veXation to
the naval officials. Word came this morn
ing that the wires were working with Taku
and Tien Tsin. and just as the department
had begun to make its plans on the basis
of communication with its officers at those
ports a message was received from the
cable companys Office at New York as fol-
lows:
"10:5O am.-We are advised that tele-
graphic communication with Tien Tsiu is
totally interrupted.
Inasmuch as Taku is connected with the
cable system via Tien Tsin, of course that
cuts off Admiral kempff from direc; COM
also with his superior officer, Admiral Re
mey, at Manila
Independent Command for kempG.
This difficulty of communication between
the two officers may lead the Navy Depart
ment to ADOPT the expedient of giving Ad-
miral kenlpff an Independent command in
the interests OF quick dispatch of business.
According to naval rules, Admiral Remey
should be the person to whom orders are
addressed from the Navy Department. al
though these orders are to be executed by
Admiral Kempff 1900 miles distant This
seems tCo much like circunlocution, and
the Navy Department will probably cut this
away by making kemptfs command indie
pendent and directly responsible to the de-
artmtnt uder the conditions nrb
ton would involve no reflection whatever
upon Admiral Remey
Admiral Rcmey's Readiness.
There has been no friction whatever be-
tween the two adInirals and the mmand-
er-in-chief of the station, Admiral Reney
has lent due support to Admiral kerlpff
during the crisis. Indeed, it may be that he
has done more than the department itself
has ordered in that direction. Til" York
town was sent from Shanghai TO Chefoo by
admiral Remey without express instruction
from the department. and has served a very
useful purpose there. She was prepared
yesterday to have started with the depart
meHt message 10 Admiral kempff had not
the necessity been removed by th, delivery
of the latters dispatches al Chefoo before
the Yorktown could sail Il is supposed al
the Navy Department that Admiral Rcmey
has pursued a similar course with reSIe.Ct
to the guuboat Concord. the sister shin of
the Yorktown The news dispatches from
Mania this morning report the sailing of
the former yesterday from Manila ,nder
scaled orders, presumably bound for China
IL was said al the department that no in
struction to that effect had gone forward
from here so that Admiral Remey is again
acting voluntarily to strengthen the hands
of Admiral kempff.
Apprehensfve About Marines in Pekfu
Great apprehension exists at the NAVY
Department as to the fate of the United
States marine
1fen Tstn and dispatched by rail to Pekin
before the railroad was Interrupted This
force preceded the combined force of SAIL
ors and marines from Admiral Kempft's $
force, which formed part of the interria-
lon;I relief column The first detachment
was made up of hfty-SiX marines The de-
partment does not know who commanded
them. They went forward to Pekin under
an authorization granted by the Chinese
government to the United States minister
at Pekin in common with other ministers
to employ naval guard at the legation
Just before the wires from Pekin We're cut
word came that Minister Conger had de-
tached twenty of these marines from his
legation and placed them a guard at the
Methodist compound. This is an iuclosure
of some ten acres believed to b.. nearly a
mile distant from the legation, where many
missionaries and their families. as well as
large number of native Christians are
believed to have taken refuge If the
United States legation at Pekn has been
taken with the others, then there is war
rant for the gravest apprehension as to the
fate of the United States marines, for true
to the maxim motto of the corps, ''semper
fdelis, ii can be assumed that the lega-
ton was not taken while many of the
marines lived.
Concord Sails for China.
The gunboat Concord reported from Ma
nila as sailing with marines aboard for
China will be a valuable addition to Ad-
miral Kempff's fleet rendezvoused at Taku
Like the Monacacy the Concord is of light
draft, her displacement being 1,71O tons,
and 1t may be she will be able TO ascend
the Pei-ho river far TienTsin, sub
stantially augmenting the force now there.
Marine Officers In Relief Column.
Included in the detachment of 100 ma
rines with the international expedition sent
to the relief of the foreign residents at
Pekin are the following well-known officers
of the Marine Corps: Major l.. w. T.
Waller and Lieuts X. F. Wynne, G. c.
Reid A. E. Harding, II. Leonard and N. L.
Jolly. Most of these young men have
friends In this city who will be glad to hear
of their taking such an active part in
Chinese affairs.
Prearranged Plans to Send Troops.
The press dispatch from Manila last night
saying that the 9th Infantry had been or
dered to Manila for service In China ex-
posed the plans of the War Department to