The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-08-01
CHINESE PECULIAR.
Minister WI Explains Why Messages
Don't Come from Minis
tiers Direct.

Washington, D. c., July 2S.-Coming
from three separate quarters this morn-
ing the assurance that the foreign min
listers at Pekin were alive and well Oh
July a, had a tendency to dissipate the
pessimistic view which the state depart
ment has been taking for the last few
days as to the situation in Pekln. 1T is
true that comparison OF the various
edictS and statements bearing on this
sucject appear to demonstrate the fact
that they all came from one fountain
head. either Yuan Shin Hi or Ii Hung
Chang.
But the persistence with which these
stories Of the safety of the ministers are
circulated undoubtedly is shaking the be-
lief of those who heretofore have been
satisfied that all of the ministers in Pc
kin were dead.
Today's assurances came from Mr..
Fowler the American consul at ChefOo;
from Mr.. Wade, the American consul at
Canton. and from Mr.. WI, the Chinese
minister here. The latter came to the
state department early expressly to de-
liver an edict received by him to Secre-
tary Hay. 1t is similar in form to the
edict published yesterday in London. The
minister says that the only differences
are those involved in separate transla-
tiOns.
Alive on July "a.
If Mr. WI had any doubt as TO the
safety of the ministers it seems to have
been dissipated by this edict. He Ia
bored earnestly with Secretary Hay to
convince him that he was bound to &C
cept this official declaration OF the CHI
nese government. lie pointed out that
this last declaration differed materially
from most of the other statements that
have emanated from Chinese sources i'll
the important fact that it did not repre-
sent merely the belief of minor official
or a viceroy; it was the solemn declara-
ton of the Chinese government. In
making the statement touching the min
listers the Chinese government therefore
assumed q serious responsibility to the
world at large. He declared that it
could not be conceived that such respon-
sibility would be lightly assumed and
therefore he, Mr.. WI, did not hesitate
to assert his positive personal conclusion
that the ministers were alive on July "A
Different from Other People.
When his attention was called to the
apparent failure of Yuan Shin III to ac
cede to Consul Fowler's request that the
allied admirals be put into communica-
ton with the ministers, Mr.. WI
shrugged his shoulders in a deprecatory
manner. and merely replied that the Chi
nese were SO different from other people
that the usual tests could not be applied
to them; it would not be possible TO pre-
dict what they would do under condi-
tions that would be easily met by Euro
peanS or Americans. 1t was possible he
added, that Yuan was really undertaking
to do what the adnfiralS wished, only. it
would first be necessary for him to CON
suit the Pekn authorities and that would
take time He could not say when an
answer might be expected to his last
message to Minister Conger.
a Final Conference.
Csoo:,1 Co,an,iScioDor Rocl-hiH ool1oJ
at the state department this morning and
had a final conference with Secretary
Hay respecting his mission to China 1t
was not deemed proper to make public
the exact instructions given to Mr.. Rock
hill, but it is stated generally that he is
being sent out to ascertain the conditions
in China for the guidance Of the state
department, and to serve as it's direct rep
resentative in that country, in case it
should be necessary hereafter to conduct
negotiations there instead of in Wash
ington. There also is the possibility that
il commissioner will be required on the
spot in case anything in the nature of ali
international commission is created to
deal with the Chinese question.
Direct Communication Dema nded.
The dispatches by Consul Fowler CON
veying assurances from Yuan Shih XII
the governor at Shantung, that the for
eign ministers were we'll on July "a, and
had been provisioned, in connection with
constantly reiterated assurances from
other Chinese sources of the safety of
the ministers, have raised anew the the
DRY at the state department which is be-
ing speculated upon. These assurances
have been given in answer to the repeat
ed and urgent demand of the various Eu-
rOpean governments that they be placed
in communication with their min
listers, and the last assurance of
Yuan was in answer to the
specific demand of the foreign demands
for direct communication Yuan's an
nouncement that the imperial govern
ment at Pekin not only asserts that tn
safety of the ministers but declares that
they have been provsioned if accepted
as true, indicates that the ministers have
been communicated with. The inquiry
then naturally arises: IF the ministers
have been provisioned why does not the
ChlneSe government, knowing as it does,
that the whole world is demanding a di-
rect message from the besieged legation
ers, allow them to communicate with
their government? Why not furnish di-
rect and uneQuivocal evidence of the
safety Of the ministers instead of this
repetition of an assurance which the
world hcSltates to acceptT'
Concea1ing the Truth.
The failure to pursue the direct meth
cd which must be available tends almost
irresistibly to the suspicion that some
thing has happened in Pekin which the
Chinese government desires to conceal
from the powers; that it is afraid to all
low the true story to be revealed. until
some sort of terms have been made with
the powers which are waiting at the
gates of the empire. Just what that
something is furnishes a fruitful theme
for speculation. but no satisfactory con-
clusion can be reached until the forces
enter Pekin or the legationers arrive at
Tien Tsin
Mrs. Clark Gives $4,000.
London, July 2S.-The hospital ship
Maine committee has received a donation
of $4,000 from Mrs. Alfred Corning
Clark Of New York with request that
it be devoted to the aid of the Ninth
United States infantry wounded