The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-24
FLAMES, FIGHTING AND DISSENSIOG
IN WAKE OF RELIEF.
GEN. CHAFFEE WAS CONTENT.
BUT RUSSIAN COMMANDER WANTED
TO PUSH THE WAR.
Chaffee Thought Chinese Had Been
Punished Sufficiently Russian
General Said His Country Had De-
clared War and HOstiItties should
BE Pushed-MiddIe Course Was APP
pnrently AdOpted-Russia'< Man
churian Campaign Successful

churian Campaign Successful.
London. Aug. "a, $50 a. m.-Firee, fight
ing and dissension are apparently follow
ing in the wake of the relief of Pekin
The Daily Mail publishes dispatches from
the Chinese capital. dated as late as Aug.
II, declaring that a great fire was then
raging in the Imperial City. The Rus
sian commander had declined to accept
the decision of the other generals not
to violate the imperial precincts, and
street fighting was going on.
Gen. Chaffee. so it is asserted, main
taned that the Chinese had been ede-
quately punished already and that it
would be unwise to take the Imperial pal
ace. This explains the withdrawal of the
Americans after preaching three gates
as cabled by the special correspondent of
the Associated Press. The Russian gen
eral however, maintained that his gov
ernment had declared War against China,
and that, therefore, there was no reason
to prevent him carrying hostilities into
the sacred precincts.
Judging from various and in many
reached Europe this morning from Pekin
the commanders eventually adopted a
middle course, for a Reuter- telegram as
serts that sentrles were placed to prevent
looting. Hence it is presumed that the
imperial buildings. al hough captured,
will not be destroyed
The fires appear to be incendiary and
to be caused by the Chinese themselves.
All the dispatches point to the fact that
when the latest message received here
left Pekin, the commanders were some
what at sea regarding their future action.
all awaiting instructions from their gov
ernments. The foreign residents appear
10 have been sent to Tien Tsin, although
the St. Petersburg correspondent of the
Daily Mail says the ministers will not
leave Pekin until negotiations for indemni-
ty are under way
Neither the comma nders nor the diplo-
mats were in communication with the Chi
nese government on Aug H. They were
then searching for Prince Tuan
st. Petersburg dispatches announce good
progress in the Manchurian campaign.
The town of Mergen was captured Aug
IS, with trifiing Russian loss, while the
Chinese suffered severely, leaving ten
guns, 700 rifles, and large quantities of
ammunition i'm the hands of the Russians.
The reports of risings in Northern Curaa
are confirmed. 1t is believed that these
are not due TO ill-Will toward foreigners.
but to local dissatisfaction. The Corean
government is sending troops to the dis
affected districts.
Describing the engagement west of Tien
Tsin, Aug. g.. a special dispatch says:
THE Sixth United States Cav
airy worked with drill-like pre-
cision in the hand-to-hand fighting and
the Chinese only escaped through the
bungling of Gen. Derward."
Berlin learns that there has been fur
ther fighting west of Tien Tsin, which
creates the impression that the province
of Pechl Ii must be effectively occupied
before peace negotiations will become
feasible.