The true northerner., 1900-08-17
CHINA MAY
GIVE UP
WASHINGTON oFFiCIAI.s uoPE THIS
WILL. SOLVE TUE PROBLEM.
ANxIousLY AWAITING NEWS FROM
GEN. CfIAFFEE
Br.SpDENTs FLEEING IN AEAHM
FROM THE CHINESE, CAPITAL

Washington, Aug. 15.-At the close
of the official day at the state depart
ment the following official announce
ment was bullettned:
'-rhe department Of state announces
that a message from Minister Conger
mas been received, bat of uncertain
late and rot in reply to the telegram
sent to him on Aug. S. IL VIII not be
made puhic-"
This came at the conclusion of pc
riod OF intense expectancy and yet oIe
devoid OF any actual developments
save in the foregoing meager announce
ment, Minister Oongers message was
received in Washington shortly before
noon. coming first 10 the Chinese leSa-
ton by the usual route through Chinese
officials. 1t was in the American cipher,
without date, and signed with the min-
ister's name. 1t was at once transmit
ted TO the state department ana CONFER
ences began between Acting Secretary
Adoo and Secretary Root Throughout
the afternoon, however, the state de
oartment maintained an unaccountabie
reticence concerning the Sub1ect, ue-
elining TO admit that the message was
in hand The suspense was cleared up
at o'clock by the above announce
ment
Confidential Message.
T, was stated authoritatively that
while the message was OF conndehtiai
character and for that reason colid not
and would not be given out YET as
means of allaying possible misinterpre-
tation II could be said that the dlspauch
showed neither a better condition nor
worse condition on the part OF the h.
rationers at Pekin- 1t did not lndlca'e
whether Minister Conger has or mas
not. received any messages from thls
government Nothing was contained III
tue message which would cause any
change in the Instructions to Gen. Chaf-
fee. In fact, it was stated IN this same
authoritative quarter that the Only al
diional instructions sent 70 Gen. ChaI-
fee since he left Washington were
those OF a more specific and explicit ma
ture which the developments III China
and the information received by the
war department necessltated.
waiting for News From Chafee.
Throughout the day word was anxi-
ously awaited from Gen. Chaffee as 10
the development of the military situa-
Il.,l~ lAItt a UnFl
nor did Admiral Remey send anything
OIL the situation The Lst heard from
Gen. Chafree, he was at Ho-Si-Wu and
according to all calculations he must
now be very near Pekin, unless events
have occurred 10 delay the advance
The officials are taking into account
that an advance even up 10 Pekh
leaves much to be accomplished In "A
military way. 1t was stated yesterday
by an official who bas lived at Pekin
that nothing short of the heaviest artil-
lery could make any impression upon
the walls of the imperial city. He said
light artillery would be OF no avail and
for this reason the advance OF a hylng
column even up to the walls OF the city
could effect little if a stubborn defense
were determined upon. The walls are
SbIlt ulNN lttA hASl 'NAAh nv N''''N-+'
ON top for two coaches to pass abreast
From an offensive standpoint, the walls
afford opportunity for planting guns,
while from a defensive standpoint they
could not BE- preached except 10y the
use Of very heavy projectiles.
China Must Pay.
A high government official said yes
terday that the indemnity which the
United States would demand for every
American citizen Killed or manned by
the Chinese during the present trouble
would be sufficient to comfortably sup
port their families for the remainder Of
their lives This government does not
want "A province, town, village or
single square foot OF Chinese territory,
as indemnity" said the official who is
close TO the president. There is but
one indemnity which they can give our
people and that is monetary indem-
nity to the families of their American
victims. For every one OF these China
must pay q sufficient sum To keep their
families from want during their lives.
This government will exact assurances
of satisfactory character that such
q state OF affairs as now exists in China
shall not again occur The nature OF
these assurances will be determined Ia
ter"
Fleeing From Pekin.
London. Aug. ia special from
Shanghai. dated Aug. Is. says numer-
Gus reports from Pekin. dated Aug. ),
have arrived there describing the situ-
alton at the Chinese capital. 1t appears
the Chinese are again desperately at
tacking the legations which had very
few defenders left. 1t Is also alleged
that Prince Tuan and "A hundred high
officials have left Pekin and that the
news OF the capture of Yang-Tsun
caused heavy exodus of the residents.
Finally il Is said that the execution
OF Cheng Yin Huan. the Cantonese
who was special ambassador of China
TO Queen Victoria's jubilee has created
widespread terror and it is believed to
be fact that Yu Lu. the former vice
roy of Chi Ii, was killed in battle at
YangTsun.
Gen. Chaffee's message announcing
his arrival Aug. o at Ho-Sl-Wu stands
as the latest official intelligence of the
1 n. -. -.