Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-08-09
NO ANXIETY IN WASHINGTON.
Still Confident That Our LeRationers
Have Escaped Massacre,

Washington, Aug. GA belated mes
sage from Minister Conger was receiv-
ed yesterday at the state department.
1t came through Consul General Good
now, at Shanghai, who transmitted
messages received by Mr.. Ragsdale,
United States consul at Tien Tsin,
from Mr.. Conger and Mr.. SQuiers, sec
retary of the United States legation at
Pekin In effect the advices are the
same as those received a day or two
ago by the state department from
Consul Fowler, at Chefoo. Mr.. Good
now's message was transmitted to
President Mckinley at Canton, and
Mr.. Adee, acting secretary OF state,
later in the day, issued the following
statement concerning it:
Consul General Goodnow, in a
cablegram dated Shanghai, Aug. 5.
which was received at the department
Of state at 4 o'clock this morning, re-
ports the receipt by Consul Ragsdale.
at Tien Tsin, OF messages from Min
lister Conger and the secretary Of the
legation, Mr.. Squiers, dated July 21, to
the following effect:
"'All. WELL No fighting since the
18th. by agreement. Enough provis-
ions. Hope for speedy relief
"Mr. GOodnow adds that the directos
of posts, Sheng, had, on the 5th, COM
municated to him an imperial edict,
dated July 80, ordering Jung Lu to pro-
vide an escort for the ministers to
Tien Tsin when the ministers fix the
date. The edict says the ministers can
receive messages not in cipher. but
Notwithstanding this, plain messages
were returned to some consuls Aug. A."
While the messages from Minister
Conger and Secretary Squiers bear
date of July 21, the belief. founded not
only upon them, but also upon collat'
eral and later information, Ia that the
Iegationers are yet safe from at least
Immediate harm. At present there Is
no means of knowing whether the
ministers will accept the offer of the
Chinese imperial government to pro-
vide an escort for them to Tien Tsin,
but It is surmised they will prefer to
remain within the British legation at
Pekin until the arrival of the allied
forces. Should they leave for Tien
Tsin, in all probability, it would be
because they regarded it the safer
course to pursue. 1t Is thought to be
not unlikely that the Chinese govern
ment may be very insistent upon the
departure of the ministers, in the
hope, II they can be gotten to Tien
Tsin in safety, the storming OF Pekln
may be averted.
The Inhibition Of cipher dispatches
TO the ministers, while serious breach
Of diplomatic usage, Is not regarded
here with apprehension. The Chinese
government, 1t is pointed out. is sus-
picious Of the actions and intent OF the
powers, and probably has adopted this
precaution to prevent communication
to the ministers of details Of the mill
tary movements. 1t Is evident from
the adoption of this measure that the
imperial government regards itself as
antagonistic to, il not actually at war
with the powers. Thus far no inhibi-
tion has been placed upon cipher dis
patches passing between the various
governments and their consular repre-
Bentatives In China, outside of Pekin.
The state department h4 taken the
ground that the dispatch from the
tsung=li=yamen delivered at the state
department Saturday by Minister WI
is not an answer to the dispatch OF
Secretary HAY sent on Aug. !: In