River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-09-27
MORE wARsHIps FOR CHINA.
Washington Authorities Preparing
for TroubIe-Germany Urged to
Abandon Her Demand.

Washington, Sept 24.-Signifcant
preparations for warlike events that
are likely to occur in China were
made by the navy department Satur-
day afternoon. Secretary Long issued
an order directing the new battleship
Kentucky, one of the greatest fighting
machines afioat, the cruisers Albany
and Wilmington and the gunboats
Vicksburg, Dorotha and Annapolis to
proceed to China to reinforce the
American fleet already in Asiatic
waters.
The feet in Asiatic and Philippine
waters now comprises rs vessels. The
first class battleship Oregon, she ar
mored cruiser Brooklyn. the New Or
leans, Monocacy, Montery, Nashville,
! Princeton, Don Juan de Austria and
Iris are in Chinese waters, and the
Newark. Monadnock, Yorktown, Mari
eta, Castine, Concord Isla de Cuba,
IA de Luzon Helena, Glacier, Ben
nington, Petrol, Yosemite, Zafiro, CAL
lao, Celtic, General Alava, Manila,
Nanshan and Culgoa are at Manila or
near by.
That President Mckinley and his
| advisers discern a threatening war
cloud in the Chinese sky is made APP
parent by the sending of large naval
requirements 10 the admirals in
command on the Asiatic station. They
have been on the lookout for this
since the beginning of the Chinese
| troubles. Now they appear to be GER
! tain that a world war is almost in
evitable. The opposing and conflict
! ing aims of the various powers, their
mutual suspicion and dislike for each
other and their determination to en-
force measures of revenge or punish
ment upon which no two of them can
agree are signs that lead the admins
| tration to look out for big events.
Taku, Sept 20.-Four thousand
Russian, 1900 German and 1000
French troops, with a detachment of
Austrian marines began the attack
upon the Peitang forts at daylight.
The attack was answered briskly
| from the forts, the bombardment con-
tinuing until noon, but it was noticed
that the forts did not reply after ten
o'clock.
The allies sent forward at noon to
discover the reason of the cessation
of the firing from the forts and found
them deserted, there being only four
dead Cinnamon within the walls. The
allies were much chagrined, as they
believed they had the place complete
| ~ surrounded, making escape impos-
sible: yet over 5000 men got away in
broad daylight. The Russian artil-
lery fire had proved effective and the
forts were badly damaged.
The British and Italian command
ers had decided to join in the attack,
but their troops had not arrived in
time.
The entire line between Tientsin and
Taku shows requirements were
heading for the forts.
Three members of the allied forces
| were killed ana 50 were wounded
through the explosion of mines laid
along their line of march.
London, Sept 24.-It is rumored here
that Prince Tuan has been appointed
secretary to the Chinese emperor.
This will place him in the position of
inspecting all messages to and from
the throne. His appointment is looked
on as direct slap at Germany, who de-
manded that the prince be severely
punished for the Boxer uprising.
London, Sept. 25.-A semioflicial an
nouncement has been issued in St.
Petersburg that the European cabi-
nets are engaged in an endeavor to
induce Germany to abandon her de-
mand for the surrender of the insti-
gators of the anti-foreign outrages as
a preliminary to peace negotiations.
The Vienna correspondent of the
Daily Chronicle asserts that Russia's
reply to the German note is very
friendly, but that, although it APP
pears to consent to Germany's proposal,
it practically disapproves by asking
whether it would not be best to open
peace negotiations first, and to make
the punishment of the instigators of
the outrages the first subject of dis
cusson.