The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-07
Russians and Japanese Were
the Chief Sufferers.
THE FIGHT BEGAN AT DAYLIGHT SUNDAY
The Chinese Finally Retreated. Their
Losses Presumed to be Heavy. OPP
inion Divided as to Whether
This is the End Of Opposi-
tion or the Beginning
of Titanic Struggle.
(By the Associated Press.) }

(By the ASS0clateu 1FeSS.g
Washington, August 6-The following
cablegrams were received today at the
Navy Department:
"Che Foo August 9Th.
Bureau Navigation, Washington:
British Fame reports (unofficiaD en-
gagement ~at Peit Sang, Sunday morning
to 10:30:
allies loss, killed and wounded 1900.
Chiefly Russiaps and Japanese. Chinese
retreating.
(Signed.) "TAUSsIG."
"Che Foo, August 9Th
Bureau Navigation, Washington;
Unofficial report believed reliable.
About sixteen thousand allies heavily
engaged Chinese at Peit Sang daylight of
the 5th.
(signed.) "REMEY."
According to the information in posses
sion of the War Department the town
of Peit Sang is at the head OF tide water
on the Pei Ho between eleven and
twelve mics by road beyond Tien Tsin
1t is village of mud huts. of considera-
Bile size, but not walled. The river at
this point is not navigable by anything
larger than a good sized steam launch,
and 1t is thought that the troops proba-
bly, reached there in small boats towed
by the naval launches. The country all
along the river between Pekin and Tien
Tsin Is a low, alluvial plain almost inn
passable for wheeled vehicles In the wet
season, and under quite high state
of cultivation. 1T presents no natural
defensive features, and the War Depart
ment knows no strategic reason why the
Chinese should have made stand there
rather than at any other of the dozen
villages east Of the walled town of Tung
Chow, where is stored an immense
amount of provisions upon which the
city Of Pekin would have to depend in
case Of siege.
From the fact that the engagement
lasted seven and u half hours 1t Is ar
gued in the department that either the
Chinese must have been heavily in
trenched or that there was an immense
horde OF them to SO stubbornly contest
the advance of the 16 900 international
troops 1t Is figured by military ex-
perts that a loss of 1000 killed and
wounded on the part of the allies proba-
bly, means a loss Of from three to six
times as many by the Chinese. 1t Is
possible that blow of this magnitude
may break the resistance of the Chi
nese to the advance of the foreign col
umn but on the other hand it is possi-
bic that this may be one of large num-
ber of places on the road that have been
intrenched with view to falling back
and contesting the foreign advance so
as to delay as long as possible the arri-
val OF the foreigners at Pekin. Unless
the opposition suddenly breaks down the
military experts look for q desperate en-
gagement when the troops reach the
walled city of Tung Chow which is said
to be even more favorably located for
purposes OF defense than was Tien Tsn.
COMMENT AT WASHINGTON.
Opinion among the various officials
now In Washington Is somewhat divided
as to just what Is presaged by today's
events. The more optismstic are in
clined to think that such a severe blow as
the Chinese must have received at Peit
Sang will result in the speedy disinte-
grafton of the forces now opposing the
march OF the international column. In
line with this prediction, It was pro-
phesied that the Chinese Government
would find means to send the Ministers
from Pekin under escort and thus stave
off the advance upon the capital. On
the otncr mana there were n number or
officers in position to judge equally
well, who thought the fight at Peit Sang
was only the beginning of a strenuous
resistance that would be continued to
the gates Of Pekin or beyond. 1t was
urged in support of this view that the
Chinese had hundred men to lose against
one of the allis !; that they were well
armed with modern guns and had appar-
emily an abundance OF ammunition 1t
is stated that considerable apprehension
exists among those conversant with
Oriental affairs at the temperance in
Pekin politics of that rabid anti-foreign
fanatic Ii Ping Hung 1t is understood
that his appearance in Pekin affairs may
have had something to do with the
Shanghai rumor OF Ii Hung Chang's sui
eide. 1t Is certain that with Ii Ping
Hung and Prince Tuan in control of the
de facto Government in China "A religi-
ousa war OF Dervish-lke fanaticism prob
ably will be waged against all foreigners,
and friends of the more liberal Chinese
statesmen are exceedingly anxious as
to their fate under the Tuan-L regime.
The position OF the United States diplo-