The age-herald., 1900-08-09
OFFICIALS ALARMED Many Consultations Between
 Members of the Cabinet. MESSAGE SENT TO u HUNG CHANG Contents Are Not Made Public But the
 Communication Is Said to Be
 in the Nature of An Ultimatum
MESSAGE SENT TO u HUNG CHANG

|
 Washington, August S-The Chinese situA alton is considered very grave by the au- thorties in Washington. The receipts of
 the message from Minister Conger last night, which indicated continuation of the | firing upon the legationers, and the l Chinese governments insistence that the Ministers should leave Pekin, which Mir. | Conger considered would mean certain death, brought matters to an acute stage All day the Cabinet officers who are in town have been consulting with each otlfer and the President has been communica ted with by telegraph and over the long dis, tdnce telephone. Secretary Root held two conferences with Attorney General Griggs and several with Acting Secretary of State Adee, and their views were communicated to the President. As a result of these con, sultations it was announced officially that a message to the imperial government at Pekin had been delivered to Minister Wu for transmission to his government. This message, which was not made public, in- forms the Chinese government that the re- moyal of the restrictions upon communca- tion with our Minister evidenced both by the receipt of MT. Conger's message and the transmission of the edict of the 5th, is very gratifying, but is not entire com, pliance with the original demands of the President in his reply to the appeal for ediation. The President, in his original communication to the Emperor of China, laid down three conditions pending any acA ton looking for negotiations looking to a settlement between China and the powers. These conditions, in the Presidents own. words, were as follows:
 T most solemnly urge upon your majes- tvs government to give public assurance whether the foreign Ministers are alive, and if so, In what condition.
 "To put the diplomatic representatives of the powers in immediate and free com- munication with their respective govern ments and to remove all dangers to their lives and liberty.
 'To place the imperial authorities of China in communication with the relief expedition, so that cooperation may be secured between them for the liberation or the legations and the protection of for eigners by the restoration of order.''
 Demands Reiterated
 These three demands practically were re- iterated in the dispatch which Secretary Hay sent to Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai August l. for submission to Lii Hung Chang The authorities consider that the opening of communication with Minister Conger, therefore, only partially complies with the Presidents demands, With the legationers still under fire tho Chinese government cannot be said to have removed "all dangers to their lives and liberty" and moreover, so far as known here, the imperial authorities of China have made no efforts to -communi- cate and cooperate with the relief expe- dition. The new demand upon the Chinese government Is for square-toed compliance with these demands. There is hope grow ing out of the fact that the Chinese gov- eInment has yielded partially, and when confronted with the firm position taken by the United States will be sufficiently impressed to make complete acquescence.
 The State Department sent a cipher ca- ble message to Minister Conger, respon- sive to his message made public last night, and intends to test the assertion of the Chinese edict that free cipher communica- tion would be allowed
 Minister Wu, early in the day. brought to the State Department the Imperial edict removing the restrictions from free com- munication with the Ministers. He point ed out the fact that the advance of ar tillery fire might indicate that there were no regular troops engaged in the assault and that the rife fire spoken of by MT. Conger simply might be the snping of dis- gruntled irregulars, who were engaged in guerilla tactlcS.
 Two Dispatches Received
 Two dispatches were received during the day, from Admiral Remey and the other from General Chaffee. Both related to the fighting at Peitsang. Admiral Reb- eys dispatch stated specifically that the Americans were not engaged, and General Chaffee's dispatch shows that they prao- tically were out of it. They occupied the rear of the turning column Owing 10 the limited ground of operations. which he mentions it Is probable that the AmericanS could not be brought into the thick of the fighting, and they thus escaped without casualties. The fact that the American troops did not have opportunity to dis tinguish themselves was a matter of dis appointment to the officials at the de4 partment, but notwithstanding General Chaffee as director, they are confident if his men were not engaged it was beca1se it was physically impossible to bring them into action.