Show = UNCLE SAM INFIGHTl Considerable Part of Chaffeets Force Was t in the Battle With Yellow Men 4 1atPe Tsang t T > 0 Gen Chaffee Cables that the Engagement Would Take Place on SundayAllied Forces Numbered 14000 StrongAmericans I i Japanese and English on One Side Pei Ho RiverRussians and French the OtherChinese Force Reported 30000 j I Washington Aug 7The Information Informa-tion which came today that American troops were engaged In the battle at Pel Tsang established positively for the i first time that notwithstanding the difficulties which Gen Chaffoc had encountered In debarking troops nnd supplies at least a part and a considerable consid-erable parlof our force was In the Vanguard of the forward movement AGREED UPON PLANS Gen Chalices dispatch to the War department conveyed the most satisfactory satis-factory evidence that the commandcis had thoroughly agreed in advance upona plan of action and that there Is every Indication that this plan has I been j followed a Gen Chalice on Friday Fri-day sent a cable saying that the attack upon the Chinese at Pel Tsang would be made on Sunday the day when Admiral Ad-miral Remey and the press correspondents correspond-ents say the fighting occurred YANG TSUN THE BASE Gen Chalices announcement that the present objective of the International cQlumn In Yang Tsun Is Interpreted by the ofliclalg at the War department to mean that this point where liver i railroad and wagon road meet is to be made the advanced base for the operations I opera-tions on Peking Gen Chalices dispatch dis-patch Is as folloWsS CHAFFEES MESSAGE Che Foo Aug AdjutantGeneral Washington Tien Tsin Aug 3 Conference Con-ference today decided battle Sunday Chinese Intienched east and west through Pel Tsang Left of Chinese protected by flooded ground practically unasalabe Japanese English American Amer-ican forces about 10000 strong attacked at-tacked Chinese forces west of river In I fiank Other forces Russian French about 1000 strong opposite side between apparently river and railroad strong Chinese Army reported position II I 30000 between Pebang and Yang Tsun QEcrog5lrigof road over PciHo Yang I Tsang objective Our foice2000 and battery ConemauRh arrived Sixth I cavlary left at Tien Tsin for guard of city and awaiting mounts Ministers safe on 28th of July CHAFFEE CONFIRMS PRESS DISPATCHES The dispatch of Gen Chalice written before the battle of Sunday confirms the loss lecelved at the Navy department depart-ment yesterday and also the press dispatches dis-patches received today concerning the attack on the Chinese at Pel Tsang Gen ChafToes dispatch dat d Friday was not sent from Che Foo until today an Inexplicable delay ADVANCE IN TWO COLUMNS The most interesting feature of the dispatch Is the Information regarding the positions of the Chinese army and the fact that the advance upon Peking Is made by two columns one on each I i side of the PclHo river The international Interna-tional force as given bj Gen Chalice would aggregate about 11000 men while the other dispatches say 1GOCO but this difference can easily be accounted ac-counted for more men might have been available when the movement began be-gan than when the conference vas held on the 3rd Instant TASK NOT UNDERESTIMATED I This conference Is supposed to have been between the several commanders present at Tien Tsin I is evident that the foreign commanders do not underestimate i he task vhlrli they have before them as the dispatch shows that C thorough reconnolSHance of the Chinese position had been made and I that oven before the advance of the International force from Tien Tsin tile commanders were In posSession of full Information relative t the Chinese position po-sition This Is I one of thE most welcome features of the dispatch as It prove conclusively that the International I column did not blunder upon an In trenched position of the enemy WHERE BATTLE OCCURRED According to the War department of Pel both map the town of Ttung covers sides of the river but the main portion I of It is on the left side where the Japanese I Jap-anese English and Amciican JOICLS had arranged according to Gen Chaffees dispatch to attack the entniy in Hank The loft of the Chinese on the other side of the rivet according to thu dispatch was partlallj protected by I flooded ground and practically unassailable unas-sailable for that reason According to the map there Is a lake five miles from the rtlver at this point and the ground may have been flooded from this lake through the dykes which gridiron the country thereabouts The Russian and French forces were to attack thu enemys left on the right bank of tile river between the river and the railroad rail-road This makes It I probable that the Hooded district only extended to tile line of the railroad which at this point I river Is about a mile and a half from tho I PLAN OF CAMPAIGN Gen Chalices dispatch also shows another Important feature of the plan of campaign agreed upon by the international Inter-national commanders I Is expected that the present objective point of the column Is Yang Tsun This Is a town about fifteen miles beyond 5Pei T ang at tho pplnt where the railroad crosseSt the Feliro river from the right on the way to Peking Once In possession of this point the International force would have both the railroad and river In Its rear for keeping open communication naturally would become with Then Tsin I nnurl come the advance base from which the operations on Peking could be pro Jocted At this point the river veers to the right and from I the column would have to move over and along the line of the river rer CHINESE RETREAT The Chinese evidently are as much I I impressed with the strategic advantages advant-ages of Yang Tsun a tho International Chat commanders themselves as Gen commal I feo says In hla cable that the enemy is reported 30000 strong at the crossing of the road ovor the Pel river without r with-out doubt after the fight at Pel Tsang fhe Chlndsefor < e4ther > < 5yJiV the Voport of Admiral Romcy tht1it wa forced to retreat proves correct retired to Y ng Tsun TUl Tliero 1 no information lto the number o the enemy which met tno advance at Pel Tsang but Judging from the casualties to the international force It must have been large and may perhaps double the Chinese army which the column must encounter when it reaches Yang Tsun SEVERE FIGHTING AHEAD The general feeling at the War department de-partment Is that unless the Chinese I Generals have been completely demoralized j demor-alized by the Pel Tsang attack there Is very severe fighting ahead for the internatlonl forces and that the ground i will be disputed all the way Peking FORCES ENGAGED I In addition to the news of the day was a line from the Associated Prcsa correspondent at Tien Tsin stating that the Ninth and Fourteenth Infantry Rellleys battery and the marlhes ivere In the battle of Pei Tsang I was this force which with the Japanese bra the brunt of the attack on the left flank which was to turn the enemys i position This plan had already been made clear by Gen Chalices dispatch although he did not mention what American troops would be engaged ANXIOUS FOR CASUALTY LIST 11 In view of participation of the American I Amer-ican troops the War and Navy de paptments ore anxiously expectant of n J report of the part taken by oOr troops I and of any loses which the Americans I may have sustained 1 NO LIGHT ON COMMANDER j No light has yet been thrown upon i the subject of whether the commanders comman-ders of the international forces have agreed upon a commander The Chalice dispatch would seem to Indicate that none Imd been agreed upon The movement I move-ment was planned evidently by the i commander In conference and the part which each command was to play agreed upon In advance J WHERE R THE GERMANS I Is perhaps noteworthy and significant signifi-cant that in this plan 1 1 of attack upon the enemy at Pei l Tsang the American British and Japanese were Joined In the movement to turn the enemys flank while the Russians and French operated together on the opposite side of the river against the enemys left l This Way Indicate the line of cleaveagu I among the allies whose general dissensions dis-sensions were reported at Tie Tsin 1 j Is also exceedingly significant that Gen j Chalice does not mention the German force at all The War department officials do not believe that this could have been due to an oversight on his part if It was arranged that they were to participate In the movement It therefore seems likely that the Germans were not engaged en-gaged at Pel Tsang I Is thought possible pos-sible that they may be acting independently inde-pendently |