The Yale expositor., 1900-08-24
CHINA WAR NEWS.

At the close of a day of intense anxi-
ETY. the department of state on the
night of the 10th made public the lat
est correspondence between the United
States government and China, constit-
uting not only remarkable series of
state papers. but at the same time dis
polling all doubt and uncertainty as to
the American policy in the present crit
ical iuncture. The urgent, almost
pathetic, appeal of Ii Hung Chang,
submitted early in the day, that the
victorious march of the allies stop at
Tung Chow and that the military com
manders on the field be instructed TO
arrange an armistice at that point, was
met with response that Gen. Chaffee
already had been given complete in
structions empowering him to carry
out an arrangement in concert with
other commanders for the delivery of
the ministers and persons under their
protection to the relief column, not at
Tung Chow, as had been suggested,
but at the imperial city of Pekin.
A cablegram to Vienna from Hong
Kong announces the capture of Pelxin,
other European powers, is still without
confirmation of this report. An official
telegram dated Taku, August IA, has
been received at Rome, which asserts
that the attack on PelSin began on the
18th, that Sir Claude Mac Donald, the
British minister, had opened communi
| cation with the relieving force, and
that the allies have established their
headquarters at Tung Chow. Chinese
officials in Shanghai are reported as
| admitting that the allies inflicted a
heavy defeat on the Chinese imperial
troops around Tung Chow, on the 18th,
and then marched direct on Pelkin.
This, if true, carries the Japanese Off
cial advices announcing the capture of
Tung Chow one step further.
Now that the primary object for
which the allied armies marched upon
PelSin, viz, the rescue of the besieged
| legationers, has been accomplished.
the drift of discussion in official and
| diplomatic circles reverts to the next
| step to be taken. Necessarily many of
the predictions as to what this will be
| are purely conjectural, as it is realized
/ that complete and definite information
regarding the conditions of affairs in
PelSin must be awaited before any pos
/ tive action can be taken by the gov
! ernments whose interests have suffered
| as a result of the Chinese troubles.
( The Chinese government on the Goth
made formal application through Ii
| Hung Chang, as its envoy, for the APP
/ pointment of an American commits
sioner to bring about the cessation of
| hostilities in China and the.restoration
of general peace. This, coming since
/ the capture of Pekin, is the first show
! ing of China's complete WEAKNESS with
the struggle and her desire TO make
terms. The reply of the United States
| government has not yet been made
| known.
The allied armies have captured and
! entered Pekin in the face of obstinate
resistance and the members of the
! foreign legations are safe. Official
confirmation of the fall of the Chinese
capital came to the United States gov
eminent on the night of the 18th in
/ the shape of two cablegrams, one from
Admiral Remey and the other from
! Consul Fowler at Che Foo.
The japanese cavalry left Pekin on
| the Goth in pursuit of the dowager en-
press and her court, according to tele-
/ grams from the north received at
Shanghai by Chinese officials. These
dispatches aver that the empress and
her treasure train, protected by 10000
troops, have already arrived at WI Tai
San, in Shan 81 province.
"Pel1in was relieved on the night of
the 18th" This message was received
on the night of the 18th at the imper-
ial customs Office in London from the
commissioner of customs in Che Foo
1t is the only official message that has
reached England in confirmation of
the earlier reports
The navy department at Washington
received dispatch from Admiral
Remey on the 18th announcing that
Gen. Chaffee had arrived at Matow,
the next town of Importance after Ho-
! Si-Wu.
Empress Dowager, of China, is being
held by Prince Tung in the inner city,
which at last reports was being bonn
barded by the allies.
During the fighting prior to the fall
! of Pelxin the Americans had eight
wounded.