Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-25
NO WORD FROM DENBY . The State Department on the
 Anxious Seat. RELIES ON NEWS SERVICE Acting seefg Adee Says He Has Not crti-
 cy ', the Minister at Pekin. COURT s BEYOND REACH OF THE WIRE 1. Tel Nns From Shanghai and Hongkong / ,s,lst Be Taken With salt-Report SS That Commissioners Are Pris-
 oners Not Confirmed.
RELIES ON NEWS SERVICE
BEYOND REACH OF THE WIRE.
COURT

Washington, Aug. 4.-The silence of Minister Denby with reference to the Kucheng inquiry still continues, despite the actually anxious feeling at the state department that has been caused by the press dispatches, the departments only source of quick information. Mail from China more than a month old was de- livered at the state department today, and this contained letters from MT. Denby regarding events up to that time. The press dispatches have told of the refusal of the Chinese authorities to per- init the American commissioners to at tend the investigation at Kucheng, of the departure of Captain Newell of the cruiser Detroit from Foo Chow to Ku- cheng and of the appointment of Liu. the enemy of the missionaries and the al- legged instigator of the Cheng Tu riots, an imperial commissioner to investigate, the Kuchung affair but not line has come from Minister Denby on any of these subjects.
 Acting Secretary Adee said today that he had authorized no expression of the departments opinion as to the cause of Mir Denbys silence for the simple req son that no opinion had been formed or could rationally be formed in the absence of knowledge of the facts. The prompt- ness, SOOu Judgment dHu eHeI&yr WILL which Colonel Denby had acted upon the instructions heretofore sent him negativited any nasty conjecture that he was not endeaVoring with alacrity to fulfill the duties imposed upon him by the departments telegrams of the past week. It was to be remembered. MT. Adee said, that China is a country of slow communication. having practically no speedy mail services and few telegraph lines; that the problem of fitting protee- tion for the lives and property in this country of our citizens scattered over a territory covering 100000 square miles or more required constant conference and cooperation between the minister and the admiral commanding, as well as trustworthy information from the, con- sul that the tsung II yamen, which IS the practical government of China as far as foreign interests are concerned, is a cumberous body to deal with, it's de- libera tions often being protracted and the execution of it's decision depending on the doubtful zeal of the local viceroys and provincial governors; and that the necessity of bringing all these diverse factors in concurrent working might we'll banle Mir. Denby's natural desire to report to the department successful action upon it's instruction.
 Communication with the consul at Foo Choo was obviously necessary to any in- telligent action and MT. HiXson appeared to have put himself beyond telegraphic reach. The need of communicating to him by personal message, perhaps, ex- plains the press reports that Commander Newell of the Detroit had gone to Kuch- eng to See him. of which, however, the state department had no continuation.
 The telegrams from Shanghai and Hongkong, said Mir. Adee, are to be taken with some allowance, by reason of the apparent disposition in those quarters to work up a prejudice against the dplo- matic and naval service of the United States in China, and dependence upon such reports might be more likely 10 complicate and defeat than aid the gov ernment in carrying out its purposes.
 In the absence of information from MT. Denby the statements published In Lon- don papers that the British and Amerl- can commissioners are practically pfls- oners at Kucheng cannot be confirmed. The statement is not believed here.