Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-30

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principal delays in the lines Of COM
munication are encountered between
Tien Tsin ara Pekin. The fact is eX
planned by newspaper advices that
small bands Of boxers are operating
on the line of communication Of the
Pekin campaign force. The fact tha5
more than a week was covered by the
last interruption gives rise to the be
lief here that these attacks upon the
lines of communication by the boxers
are more formidable than it is sup
posed possible after the heavy losses
inflicted upon them by international
forces in it's advance.
An important dispatch of the day
was one from Minister COnger relative !
to the military situation in Pekin.
Unfortunately it lacked the date, the
minister presumably not having yeti
received the department instructions
to include the date in the body of
his dispatches. Conger's reference
to the arrival Of 1000 fresh German
troops caused some surprise, no one |
APPARENTLY having closely watched the |
movements of the German contingent
which is now arriving with fairly reg
ular frequency in China, and which
consequently may be expected soon
to equal in numerical strength the
military contingents OF any of the
European nations there represented.
A significant statement in Conger's
dispatch is that respecting the expected
appearance in Pekin of some members
of the Tsung Ii Yamen. The natural
construction to be given to this state
ment is that these ministers wish to
undertake to represent the Chinese
government formally in the negotia
lions with the powers. 1t having been
found impossible up to this moment,
according to Conger's statement, to
meet any representative Of the Chi
nese government in Pekin who was
competent to open negotiations, it may
be inferred if the ministers actually
appear with proper credentials that
one of the problems connected with
the present difficult situation in China
will be solved. With some responsible
person or persons to deal with it
may be possible for the United
States to come to some agreement
as to a settlement of the Chinese trOu-
Bile Ever since the fall of Pekin the
principle difficulty confronting the
government here has been to arrange
for the next movement in it's program.
1t could not withdraw its troops, even
ii so disposed, without arranging for
naturalization for the heavy cost it
has been put to in the Pekin campaign.
Also, it must make arrangements with
some responsible authority for the flu
ture protection Of American interests
in China as our business interest there
cannot be withdrawn along with the
army of occupation Therefore as con-
veying faint hope that in the persons
Of these members Of the Tsung Ii va
men there may be found some author
lied representative of Chinese govern
ment competent to make arrangements
on these points, the message of COnger
is very welcome to the authorities
here.
Another statement in Conger's dis
patch relative to decision of the gen
erals not to enter the imperial palace.
appear to eXplcin the movement of the
American troops which the press dis
patches were unable to clear up. in re-
Taxing their attack upon the palace
gates after capturing all but
one OF them. Another event
OF the day of some interest
was an order dispatching Castine from
Shanghai to Annoy, distance of about
400 miles. The little gunboat can
make the run in about two days under
favorable conditions. Her force is
small, but is sufficient to serve the
moral purpose, if there be any need
for such 1t appears she was ordered
to Annoy quite as much on account of
the representations from well informed
business circles as from any official ad-
vice. The consul at Annoy agreeing
with representations of business in
teIests, it was decided it would be
proper to send a gunboat to Annoy not
because of any particular apprehen-
sion as to Japan's aspirations but to
prevent rioting at this dangerous
point
The first direct word from Chaffee
since August IS came yesterday in the
form of a cablegram, dated at Taku,
reporting an action of the sixth caval-
ry with the enemy near Tientsin on
August 10. This cable adds nothing
to the information in the possession
of the department relative to the mill
tary movements as it is simply Chat
fees belated official report of the en-
Sagement previously reported by Ad- I
miral Remey in a cable dated Taku, |
August 20. The explanation of the de- |
lay in the war departments report is |
that Col. Whit, who commands the |
Sixth cavalry, probably forwarded his |
report to his superior at Pekin Gen |
Chaffee who sent it officially to Wash
is dated raku, it is assumed that it
was forwarded from Pekin over the
field telegraph line or by courier. 1t is
assumed, however. that if the field tel
egraph communication is interrupted
the dispatch was received at Taku by
courier. The fact that the dispatch
was sent from Taku yester-
day is extremely gratifying as
it proves that the cable be-
tween Taku and Chefoo is working
and that there is no longer any inter-
rIption on the land lines from the lat
ter point to Shanghai. There is gen.
eral disappointment that Chaffee's