The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-28
America Strong For Action.

government
America Strong For Action.
The, state department officials do not
| IKE the European criticisms more or less
qlreclly 3ttributing to our government a
lack OF Observation-Disclosures in the effort
10 get to Pekin. They point to what the
american troops end marines have al
reS9y zone; to the loss of life and limb
suffered by them, and to the repeated
urglngs of the American officials at every
Pekin.
And in answer to the intimation that
they are responsive to Chinese efforts 10
| bride this government by the delivery of
Mr.. COnger al Tien TSin. and thus seduce
! Us 10 ABANDON the Pekin campaign, the
department lost no time this morning in
making known the fact that it had not
and would not COuntenance anV such
proposition. The intimation was given
| that the purpose was to head off a fOrna
proposition. As the state department had
Deen informed by Mr.. GOodnow and Ad-
mlral Remey, il is presumed that the slIeN
gesuons had been thrown out by Chinese
Vlceroys or their agents, although this
had not been reduced to an official form
Chaffee May Command.
1t is the earnest desire of this gov
eminent that the forward movement on
Pekln be made at the earliest possible
moment Although General Chafee's
rank and the number of troops under him
are neither of them sufficient for the gov
eminent to press him for command of the
international forces, the government feels
mat ne personally ii fit for such an
honor, and If chosen would acquit him
self with credit. If another commander
IS selected II Is the wish of the president
that the American force should not be
divided as to command, but that in carry
ing out its share of any movement all
orders to the American force should 20
through General Chaffee.
In case { commanders of the allies
cannot rea agreement as to who
snail commah may become necessary
for the govern rents themselves to de-
eide the matter. While the secretary of
state has sent no circular on this subject
to those of the foreign ministers who
have seen him and who have preached
the subject he suggested this solution in
the event of a hitch 1t is earnestly
hoped, however, that no such necessity
will arise. but that the commanders
themselves will reach an agreement
Force at Tien Tsin is $4,000.
1t is reported that 2S.G0O soldiers are al
ready at Tien Tsin-not half of the force
regarded as necessary to begin the move
ment upon Pekin. The state department
adviceS this afternoon, however, We're to
the effect that all of the japanese troops
have been landed, in which case the in
ternational force should be considerably
augmented.
The war department. lacking exact in
formation, owing TO the slow means of
Geographic communication, believes that
IL now has about $3.50 trained and sea-
SOned American troops in the vicinity of
Tien Tsin under the immediate command
of General Chaffee, assuming that the
Grant has landed her passengers, which
she should have done if she sailed from
Nagasaki, as was the intention.
The department believes that the last
reinforcements ordered from the Philip
pineS-tWo battalionS of the Fourteenth
infantry and a battery of the Sixth ar
tillery, about 200 men in all, have ar
rived at Tien Tsin. If the splendid ma
riIe force under Major Waller is placed
under Chaffee's command, that officer
will have altogether 400 troops. In ad-
ditiOn to this force, about 5000 regulars
are under orders, some of whom are on
the way for China, so that altogether the
United States should have a respectable
contingent in the international column
when il starts fer Pekin.