Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1900-06-13
An ATTACK IS EXPECTED.
American General May Command
Foreign Forces,
CHINESE SITUATION ALARMING
Lives of FDreigners in Great Danper-
mcCaiia Pat in Command of the
Forces.

washington. d. c.. Special.-The fol.
lowing cablegram was received at the
Navy DepartmentFriday morning from
Admiral kempff. on board the Newarl,
OFF the Taku forts:
Tong Ku, June s. 1900.
There was battle yesterday he
tween Chinese and Boxers near Tian
Isin- \ large number of Boxers ex
pected to reach Tien-Tsin tomorrow.
(Signcdl ..Ko.,r.s..
minister Conger, at Pekin. also has
been heard from. His message 10 the
State Department said thai there was
no Improvement in the situation and
asked for Instructions. Secretary II,v
took The message to the cabinet meet
ing. where the answer will be framed
me state Departments is staadfastlv
pursuing the line of policy laid down
at the beginning of this Boxer trouble
OF avoiding any interference with CHI
nese internal affairs. beyond such
measures as may be absolutely neces-
Sary FOR the protection of American
lire and property there Especially is
1t determined to avoid commitment TO
the policies of any of the Euronean
powers which might involve the United
states in trouble. Therefore. notw;th
standing the ominous news conveyed
In Admiral KempTs cablcgram. II
seems entirely probable that Minister
Conger will be directed to stick to the
same line of policy which he had pnr-
sued up 10 this time.
III is not TO be understood by this
that the United States government is
desTous of evading any proper meas
ure of responsibility and the State De-
partment officials are careful to noint
out mat while retaining our independ-
ehce OF action, our government is real
4! acting concurrently with the Euro
pedh governments respecting this Box
er agitation. Thus, at Taku. Admiral
Nempn Is acting in n similar manner
10 ohe commanding officers of the for
elgn navy there assembled. although
MS orders are subject TO the anprovol
OF no one
AZ Iien-Tsin. forty miles up the riv-
en- which the admiral expects TO he ot
lacked the foreign naval commands
are acuhs together. 1t is said that in
cuse OF an emergency involving icon
ardy to the lives of foreigners. the
united States forces at Tien-Tsin might
even he directed in their general move.
meht by the senior naval officer achore
even though that officer should hanDen
10 De a German, a Russian n French
man, or an Englishman. This tempor-
ary suDordination of authority might
De brought about. and in fact would ex
lst solely through a military eXjgencv
IT lien ISin Is TO be attacked by y vast
horde of Boxers it is entirely conceiv-
aple' according to military practice
that a successful defense of the foreign
hVes and property in the city can be
maintained only through the assump-
uon OF the command of the foreign ma
caI forces by one competent officer.
100 many captains may mean defeat
In view OF this possibility the assumD-
lloh OF the command OF the American
FORCES ashore by Captain McCaUa may
De significant Ii is an unusual course
Ior captain OF aship himself to take
command Of landing party. as has
peen done by Captain McCalla His
rank would correspond with tha: OF =
colonel OF marines and IL NAV be that
he would himself be che senior officer
AT Ilen-Tsin and thus be Obliged TO as.
sumo command of the EuroDean naval
parties landed there The naval ofTice.e
mere are confident that Tier -Tsin pro-
per Is not in particular danger Tho
suhDoat Helena viii soon have the
town under her guns ana there are he
heved TO be three foreign warships in
position 10 cooperate