not yet having received his passports, which, in fact, were never presented him. An act of war when there was no war Kempff considered illegal. So the bombarding of Taku, which was successfully accomplished, was done without American assistance, and the troops landed and occupied the port. Kempff's course was heartily approved at Washington. His predictions were realized, for the rioting at Peking grew immeasurably after the arrival of the tidings of the capture of Taku. On June 16 the German ambassador, Baron von Ketteler, was cruelly murdered while on a mission of diplomacy to the Tsung-li-Yamen, and only a week previous the Japanese chancellor of legation had been murdered by the empress' own guards. The news of these outrages aroused the deepest grief and indignation throughout the civilized nations of the world. The situation was rendered doubly horrible by the period of doubt and fear which followed. One report of death and carnage after another reached the powers, only to be denied in the next cablegram, and replaced by others still more terrible. For weeks it was not known whether our ministers and their families were alive and under protection, whether they were being starved and besieged, or if they had shared the fate of the murdered German and Japanese officials.

Colonel Liscum landed at Taku with the Ninth regiment July 9. The battleship Oregon had set sail for Hong Kong, but the ship was un

fortunately a victim of an accident, and did not arrive in time to aid. Before this, however, Admiral Seymour with a strong force of allied troops had set out to relieve the legations at Peking, but had met with reverses at every turn. They had only proceeded a little way by rail when they found that they could go no farther because of the damage done to the railroad by the Boxers. While repairing the road, they had an engagement with the Boxers and killed 30. By this time an army of 100,000 had assembled at the capital to resist the entry of the relief column, although "official" information had been received that their entry would not be opposed, and it was said that the empress had herself gone to disperse the Boxers. On June 19 and 20, when the allied troops had proceeded as far as Tien-Tsin, they were met by a formidable army of about 4,000 men, and on requesting reinforcements from Taku, 600 marines were sent forward to relieve them. These, unfortunately, were outnumbered and overpowered before the reached Tien-Tsin. On June 25 another relieving force reached Admiral Seymour and conducted him. safely back to Tien-Tsin. His brave men had marched almost into Peking, but were obliged to abandon their hope of rescuing the legations, for they had neither food nor ammunition, and on every side were outnumbered by the swarms of Chinese. Many of this allied force were killed or wounded, of the num

ber, 4 dead and 25 wounded being Americans, among the latter being Captain McCalla, whose vehement insistence upon the saving of the legations had inspired the immediate movement against Peking. About this time Gen. Adna R. Chaffee, of El Caney fame, was selected to command the United States troops in China, and set sail from San Francisco. He arrived in China in time to take charge of the final movement against Peking.

The powers were receiving a rude awakening regarding the Chinese army. Ever since the war with Japan, in which it is said many of the celestial troops went to battle "armed. with fans," the Chinese had been considered a sort of military joke, to be feared like flies-only because of numbers. Yet it was in this war that the Chinese learned their bitter lesson, and following its close they had been making, quietly and surely, military strides that now amazed and startled the allied powers. The troops that the Europeans encountered had not only European arms of the latest make, but they were also versed in European military tactics, and fought with the zeal of fanatics. The revolutionized methods were mostly due to certain progressive viceroys and governors of some of the 18 provinces of China who had not only introduced modern equipments, but had also adopted methods of training that supplied the sole thing lacking to make the patient, obedient, and fatalistic Chinaman an admirable soldier. The

foreign powers, too, had done their share in working this transformation; from Germany had come 500,000 Mauser rifles, from England more than 500 cannon and machine-guns, with their ammunition; and, in addition, as the result of his journeyings in Christian countries, Li Hung Chang had established a military college at Pe-Chi-Li. The dragon's teeth had been sown, and now for the harvest.

The port of Tien-Tsin was stormed July 13-14 and the city occupied by the allied forces. It was during this affair that Colonel Liscum was killed. The tragic death of this brave officer was in accordance with the events of his whole career, for his death wound was received in protecting the flag of his regiment, when its bearer had been shot down. During the battles around Tien-Tsin the allies lost 800, of whom the Americans had 18 killed and 75 wounded. Of the conduct of the latter, one writer states: "These men marched ninety-seven miles in five days, fighting all the way. For six days they endured on one meal a day, and endured cheerfully." Admiral Seymour, in addition, paid the following tribute to the American soldiers in his command: "For dash and go, no one passed or perhaps equalled the Americans. The Americans were with us always."

After the battle of Tien-Tsin, the Chinese, through Minister Wu Ting Fang at Washington, requested that the President take steps toward declaring an armistice. Secretary Hay replied in terms of dignity and simple

firmness that no truce could be granted so long as America was denied communication with her envoys in China. It was well known that those ministers who had requested safe-conduct had been curtly denied it, and that the Peking authorities had desired the foreign envoys to leave the capital, when they knew that to comply meant death at the hands of the Boxers. He therefore demanded that the members of the American legation be delivered from their perilous situation, promising an active continuance of hostilities should this be refused. As no satisfactory reply was received, the allied forces under the command of Field-Marshal von Waldersee began the advance towards Peking.

In the meanwhile a message had at last reached Washington from Minister Edwin H. Conger which tended to relieve the situation, although it produced forebodings of disasters still to come. The members of the American diplomatic corps were still safe, but in a state of virtual siege. "Situation most precarious," he reported, "Chinese government insisting upon our leaving Peking, which would be certain death. Rifle firing upon us daily by the Imperial troops. Have abundant courage, but little ammunition or provisions. Two progressive Yamen ministers beheaded. All connected with the American legation of the United States well at the present moment."

It afterwards developed that so many of the embassies had been de

stroyed that the members united for mutual protection within the British legation, where they were being besieged by a ferocious and relentless mob. So terrible were the atrocities already committed, and so grave the fears of the men lest a similar fate come to their wives and children, they had all resolved to kill their families, and commit suicide, should no relief arrive. This, however, was soon to come, for the second column of allies, 18,000 strong, was battering its way through the hostile hordes, arriving at the capital August 14. Through a breach torn in the wall of the city by artillery, the foreign forces entered and released the little band of diplomats from their fearful plight. They were immediately removed to safety at Tien-Tsin. In the meanwhile the emperor and the empress had fled, the Forbidden City fell into the hands of the allies, and the mobs, now thorcowed and oughly disorganized, melted away before the rescuing forces. Li Hung Chang had been appointed imperial envoy to arrange for terms of peace, but the outraged and now deterindignant powers were mined to consider no terms but their own, and as each one had experienced a different degree of injury, and each had a different trade interest to guard (and, if possible, to better) the quibbling and bickering promised to be long and bitter before the troops could be removed and conditions restored to their normal state. America had not been so far wronged as Germany and Japan, whose honor was affronted seriously in the murder of