The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-26
Relief F Force Reaches international
Troops at Tien Tsin.
The Chinese Minister'S Proposal For an
Armistice.

London, June 25-3.35 a. m.-The Brit
ish cruiser Terrible has arrived at Che
Foo from Taku with the latest news,
which Is as follows:
Eight hundred Sikhs AMI 200 Welsh
fusiliers have effected junction with
the American, German and Russian
forces. which had been cut off by the
Chinese about nine miles from lien
Tsin. It was proposed to deliver an as
sault upon the Chinese forces at lien
Tsin last night (Sunday night. 1t is not
clear what forces united. 1t would seem
that the relieving force cut off had been
relieved by another. At any rate 1t Is
apparently certain that allies arrived in
sufficient force at Tien Tsin Sunday to
attack the besieging Chinese"
"Foreign official opinion here" says
a despatch from Shanghai 70 the Daily
Express dated yesterday, ''inclines to the
belief that the worst has happened to the
legations at Pekin and to Admiral Sey-
mour as well. Even IL the legations were
safe on June 10, there is no guarantee
that they ara safe now. The situation,
The entire absence of reliable news from
tho capital seems to justify the worst
construction which can be put upon IL.
"Bad news comes from Nan King,
where the unrest is said to be growing
hourly. viceroy Liu Kin Yih has tele-
graphe1 the British authorities that he
has ordered the five Chinese cruisers
which have been lying of the harbor
here, to proceed to Nan King"
"Gen. Mas army" says a correspon.
dent at Shang Hal Kwan, consisting OF
1000 men, left week ago for Pekin, and
Gen. Sung Ching's forces, numbering
2,500, left for the same place on June 10,
"A careful estimate of the number
and armament OF the Chinese troops
around Pekin puts the total at 800, 900,
and it is calculated that these troops
possess 220 7-centimetre Creusot guns,
Is Krupps and 100 Maxims. Their sup
ply of ammunition Is practically mex
haustible. 1t has been mainly supplied
by q German firm at Carlowitz. Fully
three-fourths Of the Chinese forces are
badly drilled, wholly undisciplined and
quite unfamiliar with modern weapons.
Another Shanghai despatch says:
Iii Ping Hang, former governor of
Shan Tung, who is intensely anti-foreign,
has gone to the Kiang Yin forts on the
Yang Use.
"He has declared his intention of re-
sisting the landing of British forces In
that region.n
According to Hong Kong despatch.
dated yesterday, strong reinforcements
of Indian police with three Maxims
have been sent to Kow-Loon on the
mainland. A Che Foo message of Mon
days date says:
-Four cannons have been added to the
west fort here where there now are 1000
soldiers permanently encamped, fur
ther force having arrived from Ming Hal
Chou. There is an uneasy feeling pre-
vailing here and an attack is generally
anticipated. Chinese merchants are
closing their offices and preparing to leave
the port. All business is at stand
still.
Elk tensive preparations by the allies are
going tOrWttu. 1no hrst Ic8Aihcut VI
British Indians, 1000 men, embarked at
Calcutta yesterday and SS3 more marines
received orders to go out from English
ports. The British war office in antici-
patton of prolonged campafng is con-
tracting for winter clothing and fur caps.
The Amhr army corps, ordered out by
Russia, numbers b2, 100 men, with 81
guns. Japan purposes to land 1900
men ON Chinese territory within fort
night. Among the military preparations
the Portuguese governor OF Hacac, Island
Of Hacaio, at the southwest entrance of
Canton river, Is sending arms to the
Portuguese In Canton.
The Germans In Hong Kong have
cablsd Emperor William TO ask IL they