The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-08-11
Chinese BADLY DEFEATED.
WERE ROUTED BY ALLIES.
JaDs and Russians Engaged
Fought ON Line Between Tien-
tsin md Pel<in-Allied Forces Loss
Was 1900 killed and wounded.

Washington, Aug. Interest in the
Chinese situation was intensified by the
receipt Of two dispatches from naval otfi-
GERS at Chefoo repeating unofficial, but
apparently reliable, reports of active and
extensive hostilities between the allied
forces and the Chinese ON the line between
Iientsin and Pekin. The dispatches indi-
cate unmistakably that the relief column
has started in earnest and that it is meet
ing with determined opposition. Al
though neither Of the naval dispatches
mentioned the presence of American
troops in the reported engagement, it is
generally assumed at the war department
that at least a part Of General Chalfee's
small army took an active and aggressive
part in the affair. The dispatches are
as follows:
News Reaches Washington.
"Chefoo, Aug. 7.-Bureau Of Naviga-
tion, Washington: The British Fame re-
ports unotlicially an engagement at Peit-
sang, on Sunday morning, from 3 until 10
o'clock. The allied loss in killed and
wounded was 1900, chiefly Russian and
Japanese. The Chinese are retreating.
TAUSSIG."
According to the information in posses
sion Of the war department, the town Of
Peitsang is at the head of tide water on
the Pei Ho river, between ii and IL miles
by road beyond Tientsin. 1t is village
OF mud huts of considerable size, but not
walled. The river at this point is not
navigable by anything larger than good
sized steam launch, and it is thought that
the troops probably reached there in
small boats towed by the naval launches.
The country along the river between Pc
kin and Tientsin is low alluvial plain,
almost impossible for wheeled vehicles in
the wet season, and is under quite high
state of cultivation. 1t presents no nat
ural defensive features, and the war de-
partment knows of no strategic reason
why the Chinese should have made a
stand there, rather than any of the other
Tung Chow, where is stored an immense
amount of provisions, upon which the city
of Pekin would have to depend in case Of
a siege.
From the fact that the engagement last
ed seven and a half hours it is argued il
the department that either the Chinese
must have been heavily entrenched OF
that there was an immense horde of then
to so stubbornly contest the advance O
the 10000 international troops. 1t is fig
ured by military experts that loss o
1900 killed and wounded on the part o
the allies probably means loss Of from
three to six times as many by the Chinese
The position of the United States dip
lomatically remains unchanged. Thi
government will not consent to the re
moval of the ministers and foreigner
from Pekin until there is free communi
cation by the powers with their ministers
Nor will this government consent to com
municate in plain language alone, but in
sists that cipher messages must pass free
ly between Minister Conger and our stat
department. 1t is emphatically statet
that unless such messages are exchanged
the United States can not know beyond
question that the messages were not gar
bled and both the United States govern
ment and the ministers misled.
There seems to be no doubt about tn
safety of the ministers at Pekin for tn
present.
| Drsuno IT, SIN nj Shauuh0
London, Aug. THE anti foreigl
power again has the upper hand at Pekir
According to the reports emerging iron
Ii Hung Changs lodgings at Shanghai
his baggage is packed preparatory to hi
departure for Pekin, but it is added, h
has applied to the throne for 20 days sicl
leave Ii Hung Chang claims that hi
representations to the Yang Use viceroy
and Taotai Sheng will be denounced b.
Ii Pink Hong, because they are friend
to the foreigners.
A dispatch received at the war office i
st. Petersburg from General Grodeof
dated Khabarvsk, August 4, says tw
squadrons accommodating near Teche, en-
gagged 1000 Chinese with two guns an
25O cavalry. After stubborn fight tn
Russians were reinforced by anothe
squadron with two guns and defeated tn
Chinese, killing 200. The Russian los
was eight men killed and eight wounded
This dispatch adds that the battl
around Aigun was continued August
the Cossacks losing six men killed ant
25 wounded, and driving back the Chimes
killing 200 and capturing two guns AM
two flags. An inscription on one of tn
flags read: ''The people of the larg
fist"
Aigun, when the dispatch was sent
was burning. Other dispatches repor
Russian successes near Port Artheur.
On the Upper Yang Tse Kiane.
Paris, Aug. THE French consul al
Chung King telegraphs, under date o
August 8, that the situation is becoming
more serious on the upper Yang rs,
Kiang. The English consul, he says, ha.
left, with the customs house staff, anG
| the French consul intends to leave will