Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-06
LANDING OF RI
Said to lie Due to Protest From
Japan.

Japan.
SHANGHAI June 6.-In consequence of
the representations of Japan the landing
of a large Russian force at Taku is al
legged to have been stopped 1t is believed
here that should Russia persist in sending
a preponderating military force to the
front a collision with Japan will inevitably
result.
Alarming reports are current here of the
the japanese fleet.
The Russian minister at Pekin, NJ. de
Gers. has made another attempt to induce
the Chinese foreign office to formally re-
quest Russian assistance to restore order,
but the offer has not yet been accepted.
Violent dissensions reported to exist
between the Chinese commander-in-chief of
the forces, Jung-Iu. and Prince Ching
Tuan, who. in accordance with the wishes
of the dowager empress, is strongly sup
porting the cause af the Boxers.
The mobs who murdered the English mis-
sionaries, Robinson and Norman, mutilated
and disemboweled the bodies.
The station at Yan-Tin. three miles from
Pekin. ha. been burned.
The British minister, Sir. Claude NJ. Mac
donald, is reported to be quite i'll.
Announcement of Engagement.
The Secretary of the Navy has received
the following cabegram from Admiral
kempff. commanding the United States
steamer Newark, lying at the Taku forts,
at the mouth of the Peiho river, dated
Taku, June >:
Engagement has commenced. Have
landed force of fifty seamen more-battal-
Ion Of marines"
The cipher message IS not entirely legible
and II is supposed AT the Navy Department
the admiral means that he has landed fifty
seamen to reinforce the battalion Of ma
Zines already ashore.
The break in the admiral's cablegram is
caused by illeSible group of figures in
the cableSram. Reading in one light ii
"ould seem that the Newark has landed
nifty sailors to reinforce the marines al
ready ashore. and in another aspect the gap
might be read TO state that fifty sailors had
been landed with another battalion of ma
rines- However that may be. the admraIs
news is regarded as of the utmost gravity.
Secretary Long has cabled him 20 send his
messages hereafter in PLAIN English in
order 10 avoid further Observation-Disclosures
and delays in transmitting the cipher The
admiral has said nothing about needing more
Iorce, Dut tne department stands ready to
supply TINS AT once, SuppoSing that he has
not communicated directly with Rear Ad-
miral Remy at Manila in quest of reinforce
Eeats,
Naval Force to lie Strengthened
Bad news continues to come from Minis
ter Conger and the naval force in the Pei
Ho river has been ordered to be reinforced.
The minister cabled today that the situa-
tion was worse at Pekin. and this state
ment. taken in connection with Admiral
kempns alarming cablegram of yesterday
Announcing that an engagement had be-
gun, decided the State Department to
strengthen the naval forces nearest the
scene of trouble. Accordingly a cab!egram
sent to Admiral Remey at Manila di-
recting him to dispatch at once to Admiral
hempn's command the gunboat Helena or
II that craft is not at Manila and ready
fOf immediate service then some other yes
sci of correspondingly light draft and
power The purpose is to place at Admiral
Ke empn's disposal an efficient warship capa-
be Of ascending the Pei Ho as far as Tien-
tsin. Admiral Kempff's flagship. the New
ark, drawing twenty-three feet three inches;
Of water, cannot ascend the river safely
beyond the Taku forts near the entrance
but the little Helena, drawing only eleven
feet nine inches. can safely ascend to
Tientsin. forty miles above She was spe-
ciiically designed for service in Chinese
rivers and so is likely to prove much more
effe ective than any other of the foreign
warships which can pass the Taku forts
and reach Tientsn. She carries a battery
particularly adapted to dealing with such
half-organiZed mobs the Boxers" Be
sides her eight four-inch rapid-fre guns
she carries four six-pounder rapid-firers
fcuI one-pound rapid -firers. two Colts and
three-inch rapid-fire field gun She is
commanded by Commander Swinburne and
her complement Is 10 officers and 1865 men
In view of the service ahead of her. how
ever, il is expected that Admiral Remey
will add 10 this force two companies
of marines. 1t is gathered from Admiral
Kempff's advices that the Boxers are
about to attack Tientsin, so that the
Helena will be particularly welcome addi-
ton to the foreign fleet in that part of
China If she leaves Manila today she
should reach Taku Sunday night or Monday
morning next.
Authority Given Minister COnger.
Secretary Hay for his part cabled Min.
lister Conger at Pekin an authorization TO
call for reinforcements from Admiral
Kempff and to make such disposition of his
naval force he deems proper to protect
the American legation and consulates and
American interests generally.
The administration IL still determined