Show YANG TSUNG CAPrURED I r In the Engagement Jhe Casualties to the American Forces Number About Sixty Men Ninth and Fourteenth Infantry and Battery F Fifth Artillery Participated Par-ticipated in the FightNearly All Wounded are from the Fourteenth Four-teenth RegimentCapture the Town an Important One and Regarded as High Military Achievement 1 Washington D C Aug 9The capture J cap-ture of Yang Tsun the first objective point of international forces was the supreme news of importance received i I re-ceived today on the Chinese situation The first word of this capture effected last Monday came to the signal office at the War department from Col l Scrlvcn the signal officer at Che Foo saying I Che Foo Aug 9 Signals Washington Aug G1nng Tsun captured today i Wlro up Need own transportation All well SCHRIVEN Half an hour after this message a cablegram came from Gen Chaffee g giving additional details of the capture and showing that it had been at tho theI cost of about sixty casualties among the American troops Gen Chaffees dispatch is as follows YANG TSUN FALLS Yang Tsuu Aug 6Yang Tsun occu 1 pied today Wounded Second Lieut i lrank R Long ICfnth Infantry Casual j ties about sixty men of the Ninth United Slntes Infantry Fourteenth United States i nfartry and baUer F Fifth United Statbs artillery Nearly all from Four teenth Names later Many men pros 2 trated from heat and fatigueCHAFFEE CHAFFEE I BIG INTERNATIONAL ARMY Hardly less Important was a dispatch from Gen Terauchi second in command com-mand of the Japanese staff sent < to the War office of Japan and transmitted to the legation here stating that the international army would total 50000 men on August 15th to advance on Peking This dispatch stated that on the 4th when It was forwarded the I advance had not begun This was at A first incomprehensible In view of the fact that fighting has actually occurred ri oc-curred But the later statement that the international force would total 60 000 men on the 15th appears to make clear Gen Terauchls meaning and to reconcile it with Gen Chaffees dispatches dis-patches The present movement of some 16000 men doubtless Is viewed in the light of c roconnolssance in fore the main movement oC the army of GOOCO to follow on the 15th CLEARS CHAFFEES DISPATCH This makes clear the meaning of Gen Chaffeos dispatch that Yang Tsun was the objective polht The War department depart-ment hao been puzzled on this point It would appear however from Gen Terauchls dispatch that the first force I of 16000 men having opened up communications com-munications to Yang Tsun brought forward supplies and established this advance base the way would then be clear for the advance of the larger force on the 15th I IMPORTANT CAPTURE The capture of Yang Tsun Js therefore there-fore an important strategic branch of the fast maturing military plans The place Is about eighteen miles beyond Tien Tsln and a little less than a quarter e quar-ter of the way to Peking It is at the I Junction of the ieI Ho and the railroad I leading to Peking Its capture will insure to the International troops It Is hoped two mutes of transportation to Peking COMMUNICATION WITH ARMY Col Scrivens statement Wire up contains much meaning as it is explained ex-plained as showing that there Is telegraphic tele-graphic communication with the army in the field Aside from the assurance this gives of speedy transmission of news from the front it gives the additional addi-tional assurance that the line Js intact back to the Oral base of operations The capture of Yang Tsun on the day C following the battleof Pel Tsang Is regarded re-garded as a highly successful military achievement I and especially In view of the fact that It was looked upon asa as-a stronghold whose capture might give the foreigners considerable trouble I DIPLOMATIC ASPECT Aside from the military developments tf the day the diplomatic aspect was made clearer by the publication of the demand made by the United States upon the Imperial Government of China 1 and transmitted to Minister Wu last evening The document Is as follows WHAT DOCUMENT CONTAINS I Wo are availing ourselves of the oppor tunity offered by tho Imperial edict of tho 4 Cth of August allowing to tho foreign p Mlnlslora frco communication with their V rcspealJvo Governments In cipher and I havcsi nt a communication to Minister Congerr to which we twall un answer Wo arc already advised by him In a I brief dispatch tccclvcd I August 7th that V Imperial troops arc tiring dally upon the Ministers In Peking Ve demand the Immediate Im-mediate cessation of IioaLllo attacks by I imperial troops upon the legations and urge the exorcise of every power und I energy of tho Imperial Government for I I I the protection of the legations and all foreigners therein I Wo aro alHo advised by the game dispatch dis-patch from Minister Conner that In his j opinion fcr the foreign Ministers to lenve 0 Peking as proponed In the edict of August Au-gust 2nd would be certain death In L view of the fact that tho ImpcUnl troops I aro now llrlnp Upon the legations and In I view of tho doubt expressed by thu Imperial Im-perial Government In Its edict of August lnd as to Its power to restore order and p secure absolute safety In Pelting It IH evident that this apprehension IH well founded for If your Government cannot I protect our Minister In Peking It will I p prcHunjably bo unable to protort him upon a Journey from Peking to the coast Wo therefore urge upon the Imperial Government that It Ure adopt the Bourse suggested In the third cluiKo of the letter I of the PiwJldLiil to his Majesty the Emperor J Em-peror of China of July 23 1SOO and enter into communication with the relief expedition expe-dition so thut cooi > eralton mny be secured se-cured bcupcn them for tho l liberation of p the lfg itloiw tho protection of foreigners and HID restoration of order Such action I on ihrr part of the Imperial Government p would be a satisfactory demonstration of its friendliness and dwlrn to attain these ends ALVA A ADEE Acting Secretary Department of State Washlnetpn Aug 9 1900 TRANSLATING THE MESSAGE Minister I Wu workpd assiduously on the message during the day translating translat-ing It first from English lo HilnuPe 4 and then Into the cipher code df China Owing to the gravity of the document this work required exactness and time but It Js probable that the message is j by 1 this time on its way to the Chinese Government DIFFERS FROM ULTIMATUM This action by the United States was taken solely on its responsibility without with-out consulting other powers as to the advisability of the demand The use of the word demand in the note thoroughly thor-oughly Indicates the urgency of the message In the technical parlance of diplomacy It differs from an ultimatum which usually fixes a date or sets a time within which there must be compliance com-pliance the failure of compliance dur ing the stated time being a ground for war While a demand Is less specific as to time of compliance it none the less l asserts a positive right which the Government < will enforce if the right be not conceded Owing to the difficulties diffi-culties of communication with Peking it I is expected that some days must elapse before an answer can be received and there Is a disposition to grant all reo onble time for its transmission TROOPS LANDED AT SHANGHAI I Late in the day tho State department received an Important dispatch from ConsulGeneral Goodnow at Shanghai recounting the landing of British troops at that point The Consul docs not state that he has protested against this action and tho State department Judged from this that no protest had been made by him in the absence of instructions i He stated however that the merchants of the city strongly disapproved the landing of British troops fearing that It would incite the Chinese to hostilities UNCLE SAMS POSITION The Government at Washington has taken no action In the nature of a pro test and it is stated officially that no such action will be taken On the con trary the United States Government recognizes the right of any power to protect Its citizens or their Interests when they are supposed to be In Jeopardy As Indicative of Its policy i tIs said in the highest quarters that if the United States ciCiens at Amor China were reported tb be In danger this Government would proclaim its right to send an armed force4qr their protection This right 0 protection claimed by the United States Is con ceded lObe open to all powers alike power lee At the same time the State department recognizes that there Is a question of I wisdom Involved in this particular landing of troops As to whether our Government would express any doubt doubt upon the wisdom of the movement the officials decline positively to say SECRETARY ROOTS OPINION Secretary Root regards the situation both from a military and diplomatic point of view as much diplomatc promise of cipher communication with the Ministers In Peking together with the advance of the international forces toward that city Is beleved eratonaJ tohaye co relative significance I Is also believed beleved that the resistance by the Chinese has not been and will not be as great as geat anticipated by some authorities who said the Chinese force consisted of the best of their army The movement on Yang Tsun Is in accordance with in formation contained In the dispatch from Gen Chaffee which was not made waf public and also in a dispatch which was made public after Pel Tsang had been taken It Is tho expectation of the officials of the War department that the rcconnolssance force will continue although nothing is said wI coming from Gen Chaffee to that ef fS Chafee feet COMMUNICATION AGAIN OPEN Mr Wu the Chinese Minister said tonight that he had received Informa rma tion from China that eight foreign le elsh gations In Peking had sent cipher mes sages to their respective Governments This was permitted In permited accordance with the Imperial edict of the 5th of August allowing all the foreign Ministers free communication with their respective I Governments in respectve cipher A cipher tele gram intended for the Spanish Gov ernment was inadvertently sent to Minister Wu here who discovering tho mistake immediately had it trans mitted to Madrid The fact that the legations are being allowed to send cipher dispatches to their home olllces shows in Mr Wus opinion that his Government Is living up to the Imperial edict permitting tho Ministers to have free communi cation with their Governments Mr Wu says the Consuls cipher dIspatches dis-patches which were also reported as having been held up have been for warded ULTIMATUM SENT CHINA Mr Wu tonight sent to his Govern ment the ultimatum addressed to him by Acting Secretary Adee and demand ing the immediate cessation of attacks of Imperial troops upon the legations legalons and urging the Imperial Government to enter Into communication with the wIh relief expedition for the liberation of the legations The Minister accompanied accom-panied It with another explanatory statement In which he gave the reason rea-son why in his opinion a compliance with the representations of the United Stales would be for the beat Interests o all He expects It will take several days for the memorandum to reach the Imperial authorities MESSAGE SENT TO CONGER The latest message sent to Mr Conger Con-ger In response to that received from him Tuesday afternoon was filed for transmission last night State department depart-ment officials estimate that allowing for the Interruption of telegraphic communication the time required in declpherlnE the message and in framing I fram-ing a reply at least five days will I elapse before an answer Is received |