Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-06-21
ANXIETY At THE CAPITAL.
News From China Interrupted and
Government Officers Get
ting Uneasy.
ADMIRAL KEMPF NOT EVEN HEARD FROM.
The Government VIII Make Extraordinary
Efforts to Open Communication ana
viii, Meanwhile, Dispatch Land Force
From Manila to Aid the international
Column.

Washington, June 1S.-The third day
passed without a single line of news
from any official source respecting the
critical situation in China. All day the
telegraph Offices at the White House
and in the state, war and navy depart
ments were manned, but no word came.
Inquiries of the cable companies
showed that rot only were the commlnl-
cations by wire with Pekin, Iaku, lien
'Tsin and all northern China suspended.
but the notices conveyed little encour-
agement for the hope that they would
be soon reopened.
Communication Cut OF.
The war department early in the day
received the following message from
the Western Union headquarters at
New York:
1.-The only news from the east to-
day is a notice of the interruption OF
the Great Northern lines between
Blaeowestchensk and Tschita, which
cuts off all communication with China
and Japan via that route"
| The line referred to is a land wire
.unning out of Pekin to Tschita to the
north and connecting with the Russian
run through Corea and by short ca
bile across to Nagasali, Japan.
No News From Admiral t<eInpff.
The navy department, during the
| Cav. made an effort TO reach Rear-Ad-
miral Kemptf on his flagship Newark,
| at the Taku office at the mouth of the
| Pei-Ho river. A cablegram was ad-
| dressed to the commander of the Unit
| ed States steamship Yorktown at Che
Foo, the nearest treaty port to Iaku,
ON the northern side of the Shantung
peninsula repeating the message in
| lited to Admiral Kempff last Thurs
| law. inouiring as to his situation, the
| conditions at Pellin at last report, and
into his need for more men and ships.
and directing the commander to take
| the message at once to Iaku ana IT,
turn with the answer
| Did the Best it Could.
The department does not know
whether the message to Chefoo can be
delivered, but made the effort. From
Chefoo to Taku is only single days
run for the Yorktown, so that an
answer from Admiral Kempff should
be received by Monday night, if Chefoo
can be reached to-day.
viii. Resort to other Means.
Failing in this effort, resort will be
speedily had to other measures, II,
meantime word is not received from
some one in authority in China. Just
what course will be followed is not
vet determined. Admiral Remey, at
Manila, is probably too far away from
the scene; the run to Taku would oc-
cupy weeks time. 1t is probable
that the nearest united States consul
to Taku, who is still within reach OF
the cables, will be wired instructions
to charter a speedy merchant steamer
= at once to run to Taku with the de-
partments message. Nagasaki, Japan
is the nearest port, but because the
wires from that point to the United
States cross Siberia and Europe over
land, perhaps, the best route would be
via Shanghai and The system of brie1
cables via India anG the Red and the
Mediterranean seas.
Dispatch Force from Manila.
Meanwhile if the communications re
main INTERRUPTED with Taku, it is Ger
tain that a message will be ordered a
once at Manila to dispatch more nava
force, or troops on transports, tc re
inforce Admiral Kempff and extend
aid to the international relief column
which. it is beginning to be. feared, /
itself in sore need ct help.
Inevitable Delays.
Gen. Macarthur probably would re
quire few days to prepare mlltar.
expedition, owing to the inadvisabilit.
of reducing his present small garrison
in Manila. Even Admiral Remy ma.
be obliged TO delay sending ships, oW
ing to the absence Ct the smaller Graf
suitable for such service as is re
uuired on scouting duty among the Isl
ands of the archipelago.
Anxious About Friends.
The state department to-day receive
: numerous kilograms from relatives an
friends of Americans in mortimer
China and in Pellin. praying for new
touching the welfare of their friends
Mr.. Ledyard of Detroit, father of tn
, wife of the GernaD AMBASSADOR a
Pekin, reported to Iave been killed D
| the Boxers, was one of the mos
/ | anxious of these inguirers, and eH
Secretary .Alger was another, each II
timating willingness to meet any es
pense that might be involved In an OF
/. der from the department. to some n
sponsible officials near the scene
i trouble to secure information by an
means in their power.
WASHINGTON IN THE DARK.