The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-05
RUSSlA'S PROPOSAL
Not Acted Upon-chaffee's Cable
gram Interesting and Valuable tc
State Departmcnt-Cong to Re-
main-Preparing for Winter Quar-

main-PreParing Tor WINTER 9uaf-
tiers.
WASHINGTON. Sept. IA very In
teresting dispatch was received to-day.
at the war department from General
;Chaffee. 1t described the military Sit
uatior as eminently satisfactory and
would have been of greater yalue. but
for the omission common. to all of the
other official dispatches from China,
namely. thc date line.
However,, taking into consideration
the fac. tina. a cablegram was received
I by the state department to-day, dated
FIVE days ago. from Mr.. Conger. the
conclusion was reached that General
chaffse's dispatch also was sent from
Pekln about August % or 80. General
Chafrre asks i very important question
as to the withdrawal OF the American
troops. The answer TO that question. 1t
Sisy said. might have been found in this
state departments answer to the Rus
sian evacuation proposition. Blu; that
answer. or rather u synopsis OF 1t, was
not cabled 10 General Chaftee until the
S8tt uttimo. and It Is assumed that, al
lowing for the same time In transmits
sion as was consumed by General Chat
fec's dispatch received to-day. the syn
opsis has Just reached him. When the
American answer TO the Russian pro-
pcsal was made public It was stated
here that General Chafree had been in
structrd some time before by telegraph
just what course 10 pursue In the mat
ter OF retiring from Pesin in the event
OF the emergency that afterward arose.
This being so. to-day's application for
Instructions might be regarded as an In
dlcation that he had not received the
original instructions when he sent his
message.
Our Position Unchanged.
1t is stated that no order has been
sent TO General Chaffee to leave Pekin
as the result OF any recent develop
mpnts. In fact, 1t would seem that the
war department is fet able to instruct
him more specifically on this point until
the decision of the powers relative to
general evacuation is known. It wns
stated at the war department that our
position was unchanged; II Russia
withdraws her troops. then General
Chatree will do the same. Meanwhile It
is gathered that conditions in China are
still dlsordered and foreign life and
property are still unsafe.
The dispatch received from Minister
tConger was gratifying to officials in
that 1t contained the date OF Pekin. Au-
gust 30, as IN integral part OF the mes
sage, and this part ir cipher. Aside
from bringing the Information up to n
reccn. day. 1t satisfied the officials that
the minister At the last had received the
Instructions to include the place and
date OF each message as an integral
part OF 1t. This promises to do away
With the great confusion caused thus
far in dateless messages. The text Of
the conger. dispatch was rot made pub
lie but It was authoritatively stated
that It did not change the situation.
and was devoted somewhat TO exprcs-
sions OF opinion.
r. Conger to Remain.
II was authorlta;irely stated In this
connection that Minister Congcr will
remain Mt his post until further orders
Up to this time France has expressed
no wish to be relieved and the state de-
partment holds that since he has passed
through the perllous ordeal OF the siege,
he IL not likely to desire relief un Ter
the present more favorable conditions.
In view of the abatement OF Count
Lansdors, Russian minister OF foreign
affairs IN the "eGIcia! messenger" that
orders already had been issued TO NJ. De
G!ers. and to the army 10 leave Pekin,
the statement was made Mt ths5 state
department to-day that no such deter.
m!nation had been communicated to
Washington. Probably nothing short
OF an official statement from pekin to
the effect that the Russians have
moved. would be regarded by our gov-
rrnmcnt as sufficient basis for such lm-
portaat action rs the withdrawal OF onr
troops. y. IA
In diplomatic quarters. Russla's mo-
'ti'1c continues to be fruitful theme.