The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-27

military Telegraph line between Tien TSin
and Pekin, which has been interrupted
| presumably, is being or has been repair
ed Imperative instructions were sent
yesterday to the commander of the Unit
ed States forces at Tien Tsin to have
| the line restored at once under the pro-
| lection of cavalry detachment.
A suspicion exists here that the delay in
| messages, both from and to Washington,
Is rather between Chez Foo and Shang-
hal than between Tien Tsin and Pekin
From Chez Foo to Shanghai the telegraph
line is in control Of the Chinese author
tiles, and 1t is suspected they are not
so prompt in the transmission of mes
sages as they might be. Later in the
day dispatch was received at the jap
anese legation from the foreign office of
Japan, conveying the latest and most au-
thoritative information of the situation in
and around Pekin. In a measure the ad-
vices were of a disquieting nature as
they indicated that the Chinese had ral-
He'd their forces and were preparing for
an attack upon the allies in Pekin. If it
should prove that the allied forces were
besieged in Pekin, it would account for
the lack of a dispatch from Gen. Chaffee.
AS made public by Minister Takahari,
the dispatch from the Japanese foreign
office at Toxic Is as follows:
An official telegram dated Pekin, Aug
Is, was received at Toxic from Gen. Yam
aguhi, commander of the Japanese forces,
to the following effect:
" The capital is now entirely cleared of
the enemy. cavalry regiment, which
has been seen at Wan Shau Shan Cwhere
the empress dowager's palace IS located),
reports that the imperial family, who had
left Pekin Aug. IA, started, after a short
rest at Wan Shau Shan for the west,
and were under the escort of Gen. Ma
and his troops, consisting of only about
500 hOrSpYoaT1 and tive ri To-
anese forces occupied the treasury de-
partment, in which over 100000 taes in
silver and a large quantity of rice were
found. Another telegraph dispatch, dat
ed Taku, Aug. %. states that as the Chi
nese troops and Boxers, who had gather
ed at Nan Yuen, were about to attack
the foreign forces at Pekin, Japanese and
Russian cavalry were expected to encoun-
ter them on the Goth. The dispatch fur
ther states that the Chinese infantry
some 5000 strong, with Is guns are ad-
vancing forward from Shan Tung to make
a rear attack on the allies ="
A copy of the dispatch was trans
mitted to Acting Secretary Adee at the
department Of state and by him furnished
to the president. While the news of
possible rear attack upon the compara-
lively small force of the allies was not
received with surprise 1t generally was
not regarded as serious, as the foreign
powers are believed to be abundantly able
to take care of themselves against any
force Of Chinese likely to be sent against
them.
In the absence of official informal ton
from China, or from United States officers
there interest today centered in the diplo-
matte phases of the existing trouble The
rumor of a declaration of war by Russia
1t is explained, may have grown out Of
the operations Of the troops of the czar
n hn Af h.
frontier of his empire, or it may have
arisen from the reported statement of
the commander of the Russian forces at
Pektn that his government was at war
with China, and therefore he must pro-
hibit communica ton with the Chinese
Neither the operations of Russia on her
frontier, nor the prohibition by a Russian
general Of communicate ton with the Chi
nese would constitute, 1t is said, decla-
ration of war by Russia. No general by
a mere dictum could declare war. Even
his statement that his government had
declared war would not make it so. A
declaration of war, it is pointed out by
the best authority, is a perfectly distinct
and obvious proceeding. In this country
a declaration of war may be made only
by congress.
Once only in the present country has
such a declaration been made, namely
in 1872, against Great Britain. War may
exist actually between the United
States and another country, as was the
case between this country and Mexico.
without official declaration being made
The war had proceeded several months
before action was taken by congress.
The troops of the United States had in
vaded Mexico, and several important
battles had been fought before congress,
in order to legalize the action of the
United States, and to establish the status
of this country as probable conqueror
declared that a state of war had existed
from date four months prior to the ac-
tion of congress-
Congress did not declare war against
Spain. 1t declared solely that a state
of war existed from a specified time
Among European nations the method
of procedure is simple, but quite as OBJ
Vious. War is declared by them by edict
or proclamation. 1t may be a declaration
of war, or it may be the official recogni-
ton that state Of war exists. In either
event the news of such action would be
published to the world Immediately Dip
lomatic representatives of the power
making the declaration would be notf
fed instantly, in order that they might
communicate the Information to the gov
ernments OF the countries to which thew
were accredited. The information also
would be at once conveyed to the nation
against which this declaration was made
In any case the diplomatic representa-
tives of the country abroad would be no.
titled that they might be governed ac-
cordingly. Within three hours after the
official declaration of congress that the
United States was at war with the king
dom of Spain the Spanish government
had wired an identical note to all gov
ernments to which 1t had accredited rep
resentatives notifying them of a state
of war between the United States and
Spain.