The evening times., 1900-07-25
Circulation Statement.
Another Message From ConEer.

The Navy Department this morning re-
caived q despatch from Taku, by way OF
ChetOo. stating that a written message
signed by Minister Conger and dated July
4. had reached Tientsin on the list. 1t
reads as follows:
Have been besieced for two wec'lS in British
legation. Grave danger Of a general massacre by
Chinese soldiers who are shcliHg ii, legation d1i
~ Relief soon If al all. City W5,hout govern
ment except by Chinese Army determined
sICrc all foreigner, IN Pckin. Entry Of relief force
INTO city viii probably be hotly contested -
The British Foreign Office has a'so Ie-
ceived a message from Sir Claude MacDon -
aid, by way Of Tiertsin, OF even date with
this last from Mr.. Cong5r, and it is pco5-
able aat both came by the same rurner-
The news is not Of 4 character to Sllay
fear. On the contrary. while i, serves To
show that our minister and many other for
eigners were alive on independence Day il
does not suggest any probability that the
defenders Of the British compound wou i
be able TO hold out much logger, and there
have been half q dozen persistent native
reports within the past week to the eI-
feet that the legation was sJoTmed and al
the foreigners mass2cTed either on July S
or Z
The English and European deduction
from the despatch viii be unfavora5le. be-
cause it has already been so in regard to
The synchrOnOus message OF the British
Minister. Perhaps Alr. Mckinley and Mr.
Hay may find some COMFORT in the prem
isos- We are unable 20 II. on the Fourth
Of July. as M C1uEer declares. there was
no government il the city except that
Of the Chinese Army. and il was deter
mined 10 massacre all foreigners. there
would appear 10 be very little upon WI d
TO hang a theory that, within the ,ew
days during which we might assume q
bility of continued resistance. .ay
other authority or force could have over
thrown the army and its SeraraIis,i-o.
The Prince Of Tuan. restored order. ana
scuCd the legation people. The odds 5re
deadly in favor Of the belief almost u1.-
v5Tsal among pHblic men in England agI
on the Continent. that the massacre has
taken place according 60 the general "a
tive understanding in China. and TIA par
jial admission OF the Tao-ai, Sheog at
Shanghai on July s or Q.
II is probable that the We I'D Will in some
way manage to hear the truth within the
next few days There is encouragement in
that direction in the fact tlat the messages
Of Mr. C0nger and Sir Claude Macdonald
Of July / have reached TicEtsin. As the
distance from PeIin TO hat place is only
eighty miles. and fabulous money Cfers
have been made for reliable information.
the prospects are that some one or mere Of
the many runners who have been sent in
will succeed in eIuding the vigilance OF The
Chinese Government. nd. escaping tie
doom Of the decapitation which undoubioji-
ly has overtaken most of them. return
with the full story.
With the single exception OF ;he United
States no Western Government accepts The
odicts. rescripts notes. assurances. and
what not purporting to emanate from Pc
kin. as anything but subterfuges to gain
time, until the Empress Dowager. the
Court and the Imperial treasures can be
moved TO the interior. and the whole OF
the Empire PREPARED for war