The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-08-23

affair that, while the Chinese are in
 force enough around Tien Tsin to make
 considerable show, they are evidently
 not in the humor hotly to contest in en- gagement.
 The casualty list in this fight seems to
 indicate a sudden rout.
 The signal service contribuated it's quota to the news in the following dis patch from Major Schriven, chief signal | officer of the expedition, dated Pekin, Aug. IF:
 "City occupied All well.
 "Schriven.'
 The signal office says that while this dispatch was several days in coming through to Washington there is reason to believe that the military telegraph 1 line is now working into the Chinese l capital Some delays are expected at l first as the line is simply an insulated wire laid on the ground, there being not enough timber in that region to |! erect it on poles, until lumber or iron | poles are shipped in. Notice also was | received at the department to-day that | the Taku-Che Foo cable is in working order. It is thought there soon will be a direct and reliable line of wire com | munication from the war department to General Chaffee's headquarters at Pc. kin.
 | The most important dispatch of the | day was not made public by the war department, but was the subject of an | extended conference at the White house this morning between the presi- dent, Secretary Root and Acting Secre- tary of State Adee. It was from Gen. | eral Chaffee and arrived at about the same time as the casualty list of the Pekin fight. It was dated the 18th and therefore was not reply to the mes i sasge sof inquiry sent to General Chaf- sages of inquiry sent to General Chaf- night. Still 1t answered a number of the queries contained in that message. Itdealt entirely with militar yoperations and conditions. While it cannot be said to have contained any bad news and recorded the brilliant successes of the American troops who have borne themselves 80 gallantly in the assault on Pekin it contained enough as to the un- settled conditions of China and the pros. pect of long and arduous work in rastor- ing peace, to form the subject for a consultation of some hours between the president ard his advisers It was hop ed in official circles that when General Chaffee should be heard from he would report that the work of the American eXpeditionary force had been accom- plished by the rescue of the ministers and that the blow struck by the Boxer insurgents by the foreign column had dissipated these revolutionists and left China with hands free to make her peace with the civilized world. Instead of this, however General Chaffee had to report m utterly chaotic condition of affairs and the capture of a capital whence all the heads of government had fled. There was nothing for the victcrs to do but to prevent anarchy by admin istering on this derelict of empire. which had fallen into their hands. Therefore the prospect opened up by General Chaffee's dispatch is that the American | contingent of necessity will be detained in China for some time to come, prob | ably for the whole winter. This will | recessitate the hurried completion of preparations that already have been be- 1 gun for comfortably to subsist our army through the severe winter weather | which will soon close in on northern | China