The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-09


transferred from the Philippines in case
of necessity The Chinese will be held
to a strict accountability for any in
jury thai ma be sustained by Ameri-
can interests in the present crisis What
should be done for the immediate re-
lief of the ministers is the problem
now confronting the administration
and is the subject of anxious confer
in telegraphic correspondence with the
president at Canton and the secretary
of state at Sunapee, N. H.
ALLIES LOSSES GROW.
London, Aug. 9-The flooded country
beyond Pei Tsang adds irnmeasurably
to the dificultv of the progress of the
allies toward Pelxin- This news reaches
the Shanghai correspondents from Tien
the situation at Tien Tsin is again peril
Gus owing to the assembling of Chinese
troops within striking distance.
The losses of the allies in the recent
operations are now said to be l, 1,130. men
of which number the Russians lost 600,
the Japanese 410 and the British 120.
Internatio suspicion has broken out
among the consuls at Shanghai on ae-
count of the determination of the Brit
ish to land there a brigade of Indian
troops. 1t is reported that the French
will also land troops at Shanghai to
the number of 200 men. While the
ministers at Pekin remain unrel1eved, it
is not understood why Great Britain
should divert forces destined for the re-
lief expedition to garrison a place where
peace thus far has been undisturbed.
A news agency dispatch from Che
Foo, dated Sunday, August 5, says a
messenger from Pekin reports that the
dowager empress sent four cart loads of
food to the legations on July 2S.
The British foreign office is under
stood to have suppressed portions of the
last dispatch of the British minister at
Pekin, Sir Claude Macdonald, on the
ground that his explicit statements re-
garding the quantity of food and am
munition available might be useful to
the enemy.
New York Aug. 9-The country over
wich the allied forces are now fighting
is, according to all accounts, of a sort
to make it a wonderful accomplishment
to reach Pekin in the face of q superior
force. W. Kai Kee of this city, who
has traversed the route between Tien
TSin and Pekin several times, having
gone from South China by the Grand
canal, says of the country:
Near Tien Tsin it is waste of
marshes with lagoons and wandering
rivers. The Chang Ho. the Hun Ho
and smaller streams join the Pei Ho
somewhere in this mesh, but they are
very much confused. About the city to
the north are rice fields and gardens
Beyond these are the marshes, across
which the railway IS hullt on an en-
bankment, made of bamboos driven in
the earth, the space between the two
rows being filed in.
AT Pei Chang (Pr Tsang) the first
good ground is found. 1t is so i(20 milesl
from the town. The newspapers have
much misstated the distances, because
Chinese miles are one-third Of English
miles.
Here are great rice fields stretching
for many miles, with embankments built
by the province along the river, which is
very crooked and with earth paths run
ming every few yards through the rice
The water being very low, these paths
a n n
trenches for lighting. Only on boats IN
the river or along the railway can artil-
lery be used.
For 20 miles here and al labout Yung-
Sung (Yang-Tsung) which means dust
and mud, are mud flats. which at this
season are very dry and baked. The last
summer I was along the road we often
had to lie down and cover up our heads
while the dust storms swept by. 1t is IS
bad to march through as water. Lafa-
Sang, or the last place of mud is where
the low hills. covered with grass, begin
to rise and the country there on to Pc
kin is fine and rolling with many viii
lagos. rich farms and gardens.
Before Lafa-Sang is reached there is
not one stone as big as a mans fist
which is natural to the ground, and not
one tree as high as a man to be seen
anywhere. If the soldiers stay long near
the rivers, which in the summer time
have an awful smell they will next
month become i'll with fever and very
many will die.
'eThere are not many people living
between Lafa-Sang and Tien Tsin, ex-
cept the Chinese whom the railroad
keeps at work on the track and to
watch it so the water, which sometimes
flows two different directions within
an hour will not carry away a mile Of it
some day"
MAKING IT EASY FOR CHINA.
Washington, Aug 9.-The state depart
ment at 10 o'clock this morning made
public the text Of the message addressed
to the Chinese government which last
night was delivered by Acting Secretary
Adee to Minister Wu for immediate
transmission to the authorities at Pekin-
1t is practically a demand for complete
compliance with the terms of the letter
of the president to the Emperor of China
sent July %.
1t acknowledges the receipt of the
edict allowing free communications with
the ministers and virtually serves notice
on the imperial authorities that their
good faith in issuing it is to be tested by
a cipher dispatch which has been sent
to Minister Conger. The strongest part
Of the note is embraced in the demand
for the immediate and complete cessa-
ton of the attack of the imperial troops
upon the legationers.
The note is not at all bellicose in tone
and its temper is generally commended
as the best method of using the pro-
fessed friendship of the imperial author
tiles to save the legationers- The demand
for the immediate ceSSiOn of the attacks
on the legation is stern and emphatic,
but the word demand gives way to
urge" when the imperial government is
requested to place itself in friendly COM
munication with the advancing allies.
1t is pointed out that while we have
the undOubted right to demand that the
firing upon our diplomatic representative
cease, to do more than advise and urge
the Chinese government to cooperate
with the forces of the powers for the re-
lief of the ministers and the restorati
of order might possibly be deemed pre-
sumptuous and offensive.
The authorities however, are very
hopeful that this moderation will carry
weight as it Will afford the Chinese gov
ernment an opportunity to comply with
out seeming to yield to a demand.
Although the note was delivered to
Minister Wa early last evening, it had
not been forwarded to the Chinese gov
ernment at 10 o'clock this morning. The