Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-30
Announced That Further Delay is
Possible.
MAY NOT Be MADE UNTIL SEPTEMBER
Lieutenant Sanford Reports Mill
tary Conditions at Taku.
ARRIVAL OF GEN. CHAFFEE

tGrd, the volunteer signal officer serving at
Taku China, with the 9th Infantry. 1t is
dated Chefoo, July 81, 1900, and is as fol-
lows:
Conditions. prospects, health command,
good. Officers killed, 9th Infantry Col
Liscum. Wounded-Major Regan, Capts.
Noyes and Bookmiller, Lieut. Lawton, all
doing well. Marine corps officers killed.
Capt. A. r. Davis; wounded. Lieut.. Leon
ard, serious, arm amputated; Capts. Long
and Lemley, Lieut.. Butler; last three doing
We'll Coolidge, commanding 9th Infantry,
informs all necessary material been request
ed. Colonel Meade, marines, senior. opinion
battery Held artillery and some MaXims suf-
nclent Late experience would indicate
need of heavier guns. Further advance
may not be made before September Com
mand should have plenty of good food and
heavy clothing. Fairly reliable reports
states our minister and people in Pekin all
we'll on the 20th. Can you place funds with
cable company so l can keep you advised"
Steps have been taken at War Depart
ment to keep Lieut.. Sanford supplied with
money. and he has been instructed to for
ward news of Importance when the COM
manding officer of the 9th Infantry cannot
be reached
Gen. ChaHee at Taku.
The following brief dispatch was received
at the War Department this morning from
Gen. Chaffee, commanding American mill
tary forces in China:
'CHEFOO. July 90 1900.
"Adjutant General, Washington:
Left Nagasaki daybSeak. July 90. Arrive
Taku 10 night. July %. CHAFFEE"
Gen. Chaffee. whose arrival is reported by
cable this morning from Chefoo, has GER
dc III
Nagasaki to Taku in two days. showing
that the transport Grant must have been
pressed to her utmost. The generals horses
are expected to arrive there in about
week, when the forward movement on
Pekin will certainly begin.
TeIeEraphic Communications.
The telegraphic conditions in China Jus,
now are peculiar and unsatisfactory. For
this reason the governments interested in
China are endeavoring to better the condi-
ions. The real cable station from which
China news is sent is Shanghai. The only
way Shanghai can be reached by wire from
Chefoo is overland. This land line is fire.
quently interrupted. 1t is. of course, I'M
der the control of the Chinese authorities.
and Sheng, of whom so much has been puf-
ished. can control everything which goes
over the line. The only communication we
nave between Taku and Chefoo is by ves-
sells which go over from time to thine
1t is presumed but is not known that
the international forces have telegraphic
communication between Tien Tsin and
Taku. At Taku the conditions are rot
satisfactory. The international fleet in
Guiding the American warships lie far off
shore. Messages must be sent out to them
in tugs on the chance of a vessel being
dispatched from Taku to Chefoo.
Proposed Cable.
Efforts are being made to arrange for
cable from Shanghai to Chefoo. Already
arrangements have been made to lay
cable across from Taku to Chefoo and the
United States will pay its share, amounting
to $1J0.00O. Some difficulty is encountered
in arranging all the details for the inter-
national cable from Chefoo to Shanghai as
all the governments have to be consulted
and communication with the cable offices
and telegraph companies must be provided
for. 1t is the intention of the United States
government to secure at the earliest prac-
ticable moment uninterrupted telegraphic
communication with the forces at Tien
Tsin.
Small Abilities of the Troops.
The cablegram received last night by the
otCTetdTy Ol Sldle is TtSaFUtu Dy tnOSe
who have been unwilling to take a very
fiatterinS view of the power of the Chinese
for military operations against the allied
forces as confirming their small estimate
of the abilities of the Chinese in any war
like measures. They say the fact that the
legations Were under fire from June ~ to
July II and that they were still standing
shows how ineffective the tactics of the
Chinese soldiers. Those who take this view
of the powers of the Chinese suggest that
II any such buildings as the legations in
Pekin were in this country and thousands
of unframed men should undertake to force
them, having arms, against such guards as
are in the Pekin legations they would do SO
in much less time than a month II they re-
ceived no more opposition from government
troops than that which report shows was
exercised In Pekin. They declare, too. that
the Chinese army would show no more
efficiency acting against the allied forces
than have the insurgent Chinese in Pekin
Holding Ministers as Hostages.
The report that the ministers are to be
held as hostages and that a threat has been
made that they will be killed If the allied
forces advance on Pekin is regarded as ex-
tremely Chinese by men who are acquaint-
ed with the ways of the orientals As an
evidence of Chinese treachery the case of
the murder of the seven TAPPING princes Is
recalled. These princes, who were regarded
as the head of the TAPPING rebellion, were
captured by Chinese Gordon and turned
over to Ii Hung Chang, who gave his prom
ise that they should be protected. LII was
the governor or generalssimo at Canton
After making this promise he invited the
seven princes to dinner, and after the serv-
ing Of the last course had their heads
chopped off. Gordon was infuriated over
the bloodthirsty treachery, and, arming
himself, went personally to hunt Ii, deter
mined to kill him, but the willy diplomat
secreted himself and escaped harm. 1t was
then that Gordon left China and the service
of the Chinese government.
Possible Effect of the Threat.
1t is not yet known here what effect IL
any, threat on the part of the Chinese
to harm the ministers If movement is
made on the part Of the allied forces
against Pe<in would have. II such a threat
should succeed in causing the least delay
it might cause an indefinite delay, and it