New-York tribune., 1900-08-16
THE ADVANCE UNHINDERED.
COLUMN MAY BE NOW BEFORE GATES
OF CHINESE CAPITAL.
[Br TELEGRAPH TO THE rnIBuNE.l


Try TELEGRAPH TO TIE TnBuNEl
Washington. Aug 15-The following dispatch
was received at the Navy Department to-day:
Tal<u. August 12, 1000.
Bureau of Navigation, Washington
Just received undated from Chsnee. Ma
Tow-Yesterdny's opposition of no conse-
quence, yet terrible heat. many men pros
trnte. Please inform Secretary of War.
REMEY.
According to the War Department maps and
charts, the distance from Ho-Si-Wu to Ma-Tow
is twelve miles and the road is deep and
heavy" It is inferred that Major-General Chat
fees dispatch which Admiral Remey received
on Sunday August u, was sent from Ho-SiWu
the same day. and that the reference to yes
terday's opposition" applied to the march of
Saturday August II. At Ma-Tow the inter
na tional forces were about twenty-four miles
from Peking according to the official maps. and
tonight they probably al TungChow or be
tween there and Peking
According to the dispatch from General Case
lee, dated at Ho-Si-wu on August 10 which was
published to-day. the distance between that
place and Peking is only twenty-seven miles
If the latter statement is correct, the expedi
tionary force is probably before the walls of
Peking tonight. unless its advance has been
temporarily checked at Tung-Chow. 1t will be
noted that General Gaselee's dispatch is the
first official one received from the expedition in
the last three or four weeks. A fall Of rain
mentioned. despite the fact that July and
August are usually the wettest months of the
year in North China
Fortunately the international forces had al
ready traversed the worst portion Of the route
before the rainfall began. From Ma-Tow to Pc
king the road leads through a more practicable
country than from Tien-Tsin to Ma-Tow.
he Of wins
transportation is practicable all the year. and it
is an artillery axiom that wherever a wagon
train can be hauled battery Of field artillery
can be moved.
The statement IN General Gaselee's dispatch
that the standards Of Generals Ma and Sung
we're captured is interesting and suggestive. It
has been known for several weeks that General
Ma was with the Chinese forces resisting the
advance of the expeditionary force When Sir
Charles Beresford was in China two years ago
he found that General Sung. who was reputed
to be very able man. but eighty years Old had
army supposed to be 10000 strong, and he
adds: LAS a matter Of fact. I could not make
out that there were more than 10000 men
5000 at Kin-Chow. 5000 at Chung Ho-So. and
1000 at Shan Hal Kwan." The capture of Gen
eral Sungs standard seems to indicate that he
and al least q portion of his army had been
recalled from the coast far TO the northeastward
Of Tien-Tsn. to aii in repeIling the advance on
Peking
At the time Of Sir Charles Beresfords visit
General Mich (who was reported killed in the
battle of Tien-Tsin) had some thirty camps,
containing about thirteen thousand men" be-
tween Ho-Sien- Ching situated a few miles
northwest Of Ma-Tow and Tien-Tsin. Of this
force the Englishnan wrote:
Some of these men had been well drilled by
German officers. They well armed with
Mauser rifles, artillery of mixed calibre and
Maxins but their discipline is very lax. There
were five Russian instructors there. asked for
permission TO visit these camps but the Chi
This is probably the main body of the force
which has been resisting the advance Of the
international forces. and appears to have been
under the command Of General Ma since the
death of General Nieh