The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-15


Remey at Taku was received at the Navy
Department this morning:
-.Taku. August -, 1900,
Bureau of Navigation, Washington:
Just received undated freR~ Chat
fee: 'Matow yesterday; opposition
OF no consequence. yet terrible heat,
many men PROSTATE. Please inform
Secretary Of War. REMEY.
A. the message left Taku Sunday and
as it refers to yesterday" the date OF
General ChaIee's arrival at Matow can
not have been later than Saturday, Au-
gust II, 1t is accordingly certain that
the allies were within twenty-eight miles
OF l'ekin at that time.
The reference TO the intense heat makes
& probable that the attack on MatoW was
made near noon on Saturday, and that the
bard work was done during the glare of
tzss midday sun. The view that the capt
RSe OF the place was accomplished Saturday
IS confirmed by the fact that Chaffeee's pre-
Fious dispatches went through TO Remey
II Taku in less than day.
The allies took Yangtsun on Monday.
After a brief rest there, they advanced
twenty miles and captured Ho-sf-wu On
Thursday.
They probably rested there for a day be-
fore starting on the march of thirteen
miles to Matow, and allowing for day in
making the advance and taking the place,
they would have reached there on Satur-
day, which agrees with the context of Ad-
miraI Remey's despatch.
With the allies at Matow, march of
twenty eight miles would take them to the
eastern wall of Pekin- The only important
point on the road TO the capital is Tung-
Chow fifteen miles from Aiatow. 1t is
believed that should the Chinese give bat
tie, outside of the capital they would MAKE
their stand at Tung-Chow
It has been expected from the outsids
that the real fight of the advance would
be made there The place IS well fortified
by four batteries and forts, which would
seemingly afford a fine system of defence.
Must BE Near the CAPITAL.
The message published this morning
from NJ. Doumer, Governor OF Indo-China,
announcing that the allies were within
sixteen miles of the capital, would place
the column just below Tung-Chow, with
the battle still to be fought if the Chinese
should contest the advance.
No official news has yet been received
here indicating that the allies had got be-
yond Matow. but there is no reason 20
doubt the truthfuIness Of the Doumer re
port. They could easily have rested q day
at Matow and still have reached the out
skirts of Tung-Chow by Monday That
would give time for message announcing
the advance to reach Paris by last even
ing.
Officials Become Reticcnt.
In the uncertainty which surrounds the
situation at Pekin the Government officials
have become more reticent and reserved.
They decline to furnish any information
in regard to the dispatches received from
officials il China, except that relating to
accomplished military operations.
Acting Secretary of State Adee said today
that he thought great deal of uncon-
scious mischief might come from speeu,a-
tion as to the contents of official despatch
es. and he therefore thought that in some
cases it would be improper for the State
Department 10 admit feven that message
had been received. Several messages cane
from China TO the State Department this
morning, but they were not made public
One of these was from Mr.. Fowler. the
United State Consul at Chsfoo. and while
it was very much mangled in transmission,
it is apparent from the transIatable words
that it embodies the contents of the mes
sage that came yesterday from Minister
Conger
Mr.. Conger says that the situation has
has grown more critical that the Chinese
Government is trying to force the minis
ters TO leave Pekin, and that they have
refused to go until escorted by the allied
troops.
Another message IS from Mr.. Goodnow,
the United States Consul General at Shang-
hal, who has been closely associated with
ii Hung Chang recently. It relates to
propositions for an armistiee Mr. Good
now sounds warning against putting any
faith in Chinese promises until the min
listers are safely out of Pekin, advising the
department. to distTust any Of the PROPOSE
tions which may be made by the Imperial
authorities.
One OF the callers at the State Depart
ment today was Baron Speel Won Stern
burg, the Charge d'Af1aires of Germany.
He brought letter of introduction to Sec
rotary Root and asked Mr.. Adee to accom-
pany him to Mr. Roots office.
The conversation between the Secretary
of War and Baron Won Sternburg
turned on China, and as the German dip
lomat had spent six years in the theatre
of political and military operations he
was able to explain much of interest to
Mr. Root. With the aid Of the War De-
partment's military maps, Baron Won
Sternburg gave an interesting exposition
of the campaign against Pekin. He called
attention to one important fact that had
been lost sight of by the authorities here.
that Tung-Chow, the river port at Pekin.
where the allies expected to have big
fight on Sunday or Monday, had been burn
ed by the Boxers last month Therefore.
Baron Won Sternburg thought, the defences
of the place had undoubtedly been weak
ened and the amount of Chinese opposition
al that point had been reduced.
1t is officially stated that no exchanges
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