The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-08-11
ALLIES ADVANCE IN TWO LINES.
Relief Force Ii Moving Along Both
Sides Of the Pei HO River.

Washington, Aug. S.-The dispatch Of
General Chaffee, written before the battle
of Sunday, confirms the dispatches re-
ceived at the navy department yesterday
and also the press dispatches received to-
day concerning the attack on the Chinese
at Pei Tsang. General Chaffee's dispatch,
dated Friday, was not sent from Chefoo
until today, an inexplicable delay.
The most interesting feature Of the dis
patch is the information regarding the
positions of the Chinese army and the fact
that the advance upon Pekin is made
by two columns, one on each side of the
Pei Ho river. The international force, as
given by General Chaffee, would aggre-
gate about l4,O0O men, while the other dis
patches say 10000, but this difference can
easily be accounted for as more men
might have been available when the move
ment began than when the conference
was held on the Sd inst. This conference
is supposed to have been between the sew
eral commanders present at Tientsin. 1t
is evluent that the foreign commanders do
not underestimate the task which they
have before them, as the dispatch shows
that a thorough reconnaissance of the Chi
nese position has been made, and that even
before the advance of the international
forces from Mentsin the commanders were
in possession of full information relative
to the Chinese posilion. This is one of
the most welcome features of the dispatch,
as it proves conclusively that the interna-
tional column did not blunder upon an
intrenched position Of the enemy.
According to the war department map,
the town Of Pei Tsang covers both sides
of the river, but the main portion OF :.
is on the left side, where the Japanese,
English and American forces had ar
rangeu, according to General Chaffees
dispatch, to attack the enemy in flank.
The left of the Chinese ON the other side
of the river, according to the dispatch,
was partially protected by flooded ground,
and practically unassailable for that rea-
son. According to the map there is a
lake five miles from the river at this
point, and the ground may have been
flooded from this lake through the dykes
which gridiron the country thereabouts.
The Russian and French forces were to
attack lne enemy's left on the right bank
of the river between the river and the
railroad. This makes i probable that the
flooded district only extended to the line
Of the railroad, which at this point is
about a mile and half from the river.
General Chaffee's dispatch also shows
another important feature of the plan Of
campaign agreed upon by the interna-
tiOnal commanders. 1t is expected that
the present objective point of the column
is Yang Tsun. This is town about Al
miles beyond Pei Tsang, at the point
where the railroad crosses the Pei Ho river
from the right on the way to Pekin.
Ministers Safe July 30.
. Rome, Aug. 8.-Information received
here from Taku, from Chefoo August 3,
says the commander of the Italian cruiser
. E.lba has seen a note of the governor of
, Shan Tung, dated Pekin, July 80, saying
the ministers and foreigners are safe; that
provisions have been supplied to them,
and that conferences had taken place on
the subject of measures to be taken to
protect the ministers during their trip to
Tientsin, where, it is added, they were to
, establish their headquarters.