Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-23

China, and in the attempts to conmu-
nicate with Minister conger and the
aensIble methods employed in diplo-
matte endeavors to provide the allies
with common basis of action. Between
what is generally termed the lethargy
lin Downing street and the activity ut
washington, there are many compari
sons drawn that have all the sting of
acute self-criticism.
GREAT DIFFICULTIES AHEAD.
Almost Impossible TO Reach Pekin
| Via Ttcn Vsin-risussia and .Jnpnn
Take Pci.Ho Route.
4 Washington, July 23-Much doubt is
\ felt in well-informed circles in Wash
| ington about the success of amy at
4 tempt to reach Pekin by the Pei-Ho8
'route. The best informed officers of the
army and navy are now saying that
I they can not see any solution OF this
PROBLEM; that they can not see how
4 great army can gather in Tien Tsin,
| support itself and make the march
north thru well-nign impossible
country i'll time To rescue any OF the
/ foreigners in I'ekin.
This phase of the question is, OF
course, a strategica! one, but with it
the Chinese officials are unquestionably
we'll acquainted. The chief disadvan-3
stages of an nsattempt to send an army of
$4,000 to 100000 men along the Pei Ho
river to Pekin are said by experts to be
| as follows:
/. Tien Tsin has very poor supply
OF water at all times. and this, under
ordinary conditions, bodies i'll for a
I.l,
/ The people in Tien Tsin depend upon.
the rainfall to fill their cisterns, and
A this. excepting the water contributed.
by foreign warships. forms the only
base of wa,er, supply.
i 2. After leaving Tien Tsin no one can
! forecast What Typographical difficulties
will be encountered. The river is con-
i stantly changing It's bed and the
4 ground is soft and marstly.
4 g. An army on a march from Tien
4 Tsin to Pekin would find it Impossible
i Ito obtain water en- route. The Chinese,
having cut into the river bank of the
a Pei-H which runs up high over the
surrounding plains. have succeeded in
a reducing it to small, mnddyandnast
y rivuiet, of which 10 drink would breed
fever and pestilence.
A. 1t will be almost impossible to take
care of i he conln,fssarat of such Il
large army for TWO reasons: Boats can
not be hoated along the Pei-Ho owing
q Ito its present shallowness: and the foot
or foot and a half of mud and slime
that border this stream for TWO miles
s on either side would make the passage
z, of the army whgon and the four
n horse" mule teams well-nigh beyond
q. possibility
4 s.. The army that tries to go north
n against such odds will be subject to
& @lsconstant attacks from countless hordes
: of well-armed Chinese troops, and If II
succeeds in reaching Pekin its fighting
strength will be greatly depleted
} Thirst, hunger and fever on the one
: hand and the attacks of the bush
: whackers along the edges of the path
way on The other would combine in the
destruction of the troops.
Concerning the prevailing malades al
. Tien Tsin. the photographic office OF
the navy department furnishes in a re-
port this nformation: Cholera, ty-
phus and smallpox especially the last
are prevalent, and carry off vast mum
bers Of victims every year"
The Pei-Ho is the great highway U
( Pekin. That city, however, Is not or
! its banks but lies at least twelve mile.
) away from the river. The river run.
: thru an nlluvial country and is ex
tremely tortuous.
Because Of these difficulties it is sait
on good authorities that both Russia
and japan Will land troops farthe
. north on the Chinese coast. and try t
lreach Pekin along the .so-cailed inlpe
rial highway, that skirts the great wal
. Of China.
: The port selected. frcm last accounts
d is one that does not show up big on tn
. maps but is called Ming Hal Drectl.
: southeast of Ming Hal Is Port Arthur
: where the Russians are said to have I,
:. large army of soldiers. The Japanes
: are known TO be just as cognizant o
the strategic opportunities offered her
. for the landing of troops as are tn
:. Russians.
II the Pei-Ho. campaign proves
farce or failure. one started from Min
Hal. with Shan Hal Nuan as the bas
: of supplies, could be much better sus
Il tained, 1t is claimed by the we'll in
q formed.
) Shan Hal Nuan is a walled city tw
IS miles from the port OF Ming Hal on tn
Gulfof Pechi Lii. and is about 200 mile
from Pekin. IherelS good anchorag
on these cities.
Q From Shan Hal Nuan runs the srea
II highway to Pekin, along which grea
traffic Is carried. The road Is said to b
y rgood and fit for the passage Of countr
= carts. and, no doubt, would form goo
"a highway for army wagons. The grea
II wall of China runs into the sea at Min
II Hal. and the road to Pekin is within
8 short distance of it all the way.
n The region, instead OF being soft an
b, alluvlal, b kigh and mountainous. an
1t lis the best part OF northern China.
y Therefore. che news that the start fe
q Pekin via the Pei-Ho route will not b
ls made before the frst of August is take
D. by some to mean that II will hardly /
n- started then.
e, e r. r. I'm to a late hour last night nothin
,e had been heard from MAI. Gen. Chafte
Z 49, ~ =. ii - ~ = ~