Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-20
Communication Received From Ad-
miral Kempff.
RELATED TO ATTACK ON TEE FORTS
Return of the Yorktown From
Taku.
BRITISH MISSION LOOTEI

| has been again established with Admiral
| Kempff, commanding the American naval
| forces at Taku long message was re-
| ceived from him at the Navy Department
| this afternoon. but acting Secretary Hack
ett would not take the responsibility of
| making 1t public. He admitted it's receipt.
however. and said he might give it out
| later in the afternoon after he had signed
his mail.
| From another source 1t was learned that
| the message contained nothing important
| and that it was silent with respect to the
| relief expedition under Admiral Seymour
| and Captain McCalla. 1t is understood
| that 1t related principally to the action of
| the foreign warships in the capture of the
| Taku forts. and merely confirmed the press
| account of that engagement.
Message From Consul Fowler,
| The Secretary of State received a cable
| message this morning from Consul Fowler
| at Chefoo. 1t was principally in relation to
| the restoration of communication between
| Chefoo and Taku. Its contents as described
| at the State Department are follows:
| Consul Fowler says that he has trans
| mitted by the Phonix tprobably a char
| tered vesseD all the communications that
| have accumulated there for Minister Con-
ger and Admiral kemDff there being no
communication northward except Naval.
| He has also chartered small steamer
leaving Chefoo today at noon for Fang
Chikan for the rescue of American and
British missionaries
| The French consul from the northwest
| region of Shantung reports that the Hogan
| British mission at Tsang Chow has been
| looted. 1t is not reported that any of the
| missionaries were killed. but they We're
| carried off by the Chinese general and their
| whereabouts ls at present unknown. The
governor has left Chenang. the capital, for
1 Ia
| Chinese ships have left for the south
| Troops are leaving. Nothing has been
| heard at Chefoo of the Pekin force for six
| days.
| Yorktown Arrives at ChefOo.
The acting secretary of the navy also re-
| ceived a cable message from Capt. Taussg
| announcing the arrival of the Yorktown at
| Cheefoo from Taku. where she went with
| department dispatches for admiral kempn
The messages from Consul Fowler and
| Commander Taussig at Chefoo came to the
| offlclals here as surprise, for yesterdays
| advices were that Chefoo had also teen cut
| off from direct communication by wire with
| the cable terminus at Shanghai. The naval
1 officials calculate that the Yorktown started
| Monday from Taku. in accordance with the
| department instruction carrying a copy
| Of the departments original instruction 10
| Admiral kempff. which 1t is now believed
| never reached him in the original. If this
| supposition is correct then the admiral re-
Trained from taking part in the lombard
| ment of the Taku forts because Of lack Of
| instructions from his government. for the
| officials here say. these instructions would
| have empowered him to act with the other
foreign naval commanders If he felt 1t nee
| essary to do
| The Yorktown must have brought some
| Message to the department in return from
kempff. and the officials believe that the
| only reason this has not been delivered is
because Of the congestion of important
| me ssages on the newly restored wire COM
| munication from Chefoo.
| The officials take some comfort from the
| report of the French consul in Shautune
| transmitted by Consul Fowler, to the effect
| that the missionaries at Esang Chow were
| carried off alive by the Chinese general.
The hope is entertained that the mission
| aries were carried off to insure their pro-
| lection: an evidence that the Chinese troops
| at that point are not acting with the BOX
| ers.' Owing to the vague character of the
| French ccnsul's report, however, it may be
| said thai the above inference is certainly
| somewhat strained.
Aim of the Government.
| 1t is said at the State Department that
| the whole effort of the government az this
juncture is devoted to the re-establishment
of communication with Admiral Kempif and
| Minister Conger. That was the burden of
the talk in the White House conference this
morning. and the action of the United
States consul at Chefoo in promptly char
| messages far along possible has in
large part solved the problem. The Phoenix
| can certainly reach Taku, where Admiral
| kenpff lies aboard the Newark. and can
probably get up the river to Tien Tsin
| where the l.. 8. S. Nashville and Monocacy
have probably arrived by this time. Be
yond that point the communication with
| Minister Conger must, II Is said, be sent
| overland by military expedition.
ReinfOrcements of Marines.
| Tha ypb full "a f.
| TALON of marines from Cavite about five
| days ago is understood to have arrived at
| Chefoo on her way to Taku. 1t Is not pos
| sible for the Solace to ascend the Pei Ho
| river above Taku. so that, if the marines
are to be landed at Tien Tsin. their original
| destination, they must be transhipped In
| small boats Some of the officials are,
| however. of the opinion that, since they
| have come into possession of Taku. the in
| ternational naval commanders will take
| prompt measures to reopen the railroad
| from that point to Tien Tsn to facilitate
| the assembling at the latter place Of the
| international army.
1t was declared by the officials to-
day that additional reinforcements, ma
| val or military, have been ordered to Chi
ma The gunboats Princeton and Marietta
and the supply ship Zafiro are still lying at
| Cavite. ready to sail for Taku at a mo-
ment's notice. but the word has not yet
| been given.
Reported Relief of Pelxin.
| Nothing has been received here from any
official quarter confirming the report that
| Admiral Seymour's international relief coll
urnn entered Pekin On the 1ft4l. The report
| Is accepted with reservation, because the
! officials assume that the consul at Chefoo
| would have come into possession of the
| news upon the return Of the Yorktown from
| Taku and would have promptly informed
| the department. 1t was hoped, however,
| that some information on that point might
be forthcoming in the message expected
/ from Commander Taussig of the Yorktown
Japanese Troops Sail for Taku.
The American minister at Toxic also tele-
graphed the State Department that two
! transports. with 1900 men and 800 horses.
sailed today from Japan for Taku, that 600
Japanese troops have already landed and
that five japanese war vessels are now at
Taku; that the Japanese government is
| prepared to send additional forces shoulA
| necessity arise.
Delay I'm Sending Troops.
| The administration is said to be yery
much embarrassed because of ~the length
! Of time which will necessarily elapse be-