The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-08-18
TROOPS ADVANCING FAST
ARE HALF WAY TO PEKIN
Uncle Sans Reply to LII Hung Chang
First Relieve Ministers-Rus-
SLAMS Said to Have Made n Mistake
wild RumOrs AhOat.

Washington, Aug. IA dispatch has
been received at the war department from
General Chailee, dated August 10, which
is as follows:
arrived ut Hos ri WI yesterday"
This place, which is spelled Ho Wo on
the war department maps, is about half
way between Tientsin and Pekin.
Reply to Lii Hung Chang.
Washington, Aug. l4.-The department
OF state has made public the reply OF the
United States government to Minister
Wu's communication delivered ON Sunday
morning notifying the department Of the
appointment OF Earl Ii Hung Chang en-
voy plenipotentiary to negotiate with the
powers. This reply was sent to Minister
WI at O'Clock Sunday afternoon and is
as follows:
Memorandum: Touching the imperial
edict of August s, appointing Ii Hung
Chang envoy plenipotentiary to conduct
negotiations on the part of China with the
powers and a request for cessation OF
hostihties pending negotiations, communi-
Gated to MIR. Adee by Minister WI Oh the
18th of August, 1900.
The government of the United States
learned With satisfaction of the appoint
ment OF Earl Lii Hung Chang as envoy
plenipotentiary to conduct negotiations
with the powers and will, on its part, enter
upon such negotiations with a desire to
continue the friendly relations so long
existing between the two countries.
1T is evident that there can be no gen
eral negotiations between China and the
powers SO long as the ministers of the
powers and the persons under their pro-
lection remain in their present position of
restraint and danger, and that the powers
can not cease their efforts for the delivery
OF those representatives to which they are
constrained by the highest consideration of
national honor, except under an arrange
ment adequate to accomplish peaceful
deliverance. We are ready to enter into
an agreement between the powers and the
Chinese government for a cessation of
hostile demonstrations on condition that
a sufficient body of the forces composing
the relief expedition shall be permitted to
enter Pekin unmolested and to escort the
foreign ministers and residents back to
Tientsin, this government being provided
and secured by such arms and disposition
of troops as sha.. be considered safe by the
generals commanding the forces compos-
ing the relief expedition.
ALVAY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary.
Department of State, Washington, August
II, 1900.
The text of this reply to the overtures
communicated by Minister WI was tele-
graphed to the representatives of the
United States for communication to the
governments of the powers cooperating in
the relief movement.
That the United States has taken this
course had already become pretty well
understood by the announcement of the
message disclosing the firm policy which
the United States has adopted. The i'm
portance OF the action taken by this gov
eminent lies to considerable extent in
the wording of the message. China had
made. overtures for peace and had lnus
opened the way for possible compromise
or for further diplomatic temporizing. The
United States, in its response, lays down
certain specific preliminaries to any peace
overture, including an entirely new de-
mand, namely, that sufficiently large
force from the allied column shall be al
lowed to enter Pekin unopposed to conduct
the members of the legations and their
followers from the Chinese capital to
Tientsin.