Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-27
Uncle Sam Decides to
Send a Large Force.
Gen. Chaffee Ordered to Make
His Headquarters at Pekin.
9th Regiment Will Sail, Today,
from Manila for China.
Relief Force Reaches Tien Tsin, June
%, with Small Losses.
Seymour Still Cut Off, About Ten
Miles Away from Pekin.
Further Outbreaks Expected--Li Hung
Chang Himself in Great Danger.

Washington. June 26.-The purpose
of the government To place an adc-
puate military force in China was
made perfectly clear. today. when or
dcrs were issued t. Brig. Cen. Adna L.
Chaffcc II take command of the forces
in China ana to proceed at once to as
sumo his new duties. More significant
probably than the assignment itself
was tn wording Of formal orders u
Cen. Chaffcc. issued late in the day by
Acting Secretary Of War Meiklejphn.
directing him ITO take command of the
troops ordered to China" and t. pro-
coed t. pckin by WY If Sln Francis
90 ana Taku. accJmpani n by his aides
1t han been expected that the military
forces would br concentrated at che
F.p or som" other convenient military
base, but the direction to proceed II
P"kin, tho capital IF the Chinese en-
pire, Indicated a firm determination on
the part Of the government authorities
70 have a strong military force Al the
seat Of the Chinese government
This announcement If Gnn. Chaffec's
assignment ana the orders to proceed
to Pckin. came after the state depart
ment had declined to accclc t. a Sec
nnd pr OPPOSITION from six great Viceroys
Of CHINA that foreign troops be kept
out Of China until Ii Hung Chang
reaches Pckin. In more formal man
ner. with the signature of the six vice
royS, representing the greater part uf
the empire. Minister Wa repeated. to-
day. his plea of yesterday that the for
ciEn troops be kept out # the country
Secretary Hay laid the formal re-
quest Of the Viccroys before the cabi-
net meeting. but there was no dispo-
sition u vary from the Presidents a.
termination. already made known BY
Seer, tary Hay To tine Chimes, minister
to send our forces t. such points as
We're menaced ana where our officials
and citizens We're in danger. While
the Viceroys spoke for their provinces,
they could not speak for Pekin and it
Is p Pekin that the officials most anX-
iously look. Minister Conger is still
silent ana the latest advices have
shown that little reliance can be- plac-
ed on the dispatches from Shanghai
saying that the ministers and legations
at Pekin We're safe. For this reason.
the orders to Gen. Chaffec to proceed
to Pekin took on an addad meaning.
NiNll- iItilltt Was Ill conference with
the war department authorities much
Of the day, and, in the afternoon. spent
nearly an hour With Secretary Hay 60
ing over those phases of the Chinese |
situation in which diplomacy will have
to be mingled with military action.
Secretary Long received nothing. |
during the day. beyond the early dis
patch from Admiral kempff stating |
that the combined forces had entered |
Tien Tsin ana that the Seymour expe-
dition was reported 10 miles from Iien |
Tsin, surrounded. This cleared up one |
only to present another con-
dition which may prove even more
grave. The casualty list on the first
engagement was awaited anXiOusly ana /
arrangements We're made by the oilic-
ials to have relays, through the night
IN order that this list might be handled
with the greatest dispatch and be
given to the public at the first oppor-
tunty.
The navy department, today. rcceiv-
ed telegram from a number of the
officers assigned to the Wisconsin. now
under construction at san Francisco.
asking to be assigned to active service
IN Chinese waters. The officers signing
the dispatch We're Captain Reiter.
Lieut. Commanders Milton and Mayo.
Lieuts McElroy, Alderman and Nogei-
5esang and Ensign Cronan
The department. today, accepted the
services of an officer on the retired
list under authority conferred by a
recent act Of Congress. The officer is
Lieut.. j. G. Townlcy. retired. who is
ordered to sail on the steamer leaving
San Francisco. July 10. 1t is expected
that many other retired officers will be
called back to active service if the
M regency becomes pressing.
The officials here received with re-
gret and concern the reports from che
Foo that discDrd existed between the
Russians and the sO-called Anglo
Americans. Coming from the officers
Of the Terrible, it is considered as
largely sailor talk
At the same time it has been rccog-
nized from the outset that such het-
force gave opportunities !
for serious division, as is is we'll known
hat the sailors and soldiers Of certain
countries do not like to serve under