Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-07-26
CONGER HEARD FROM
WELCOME NEWS COMES THAT
MINISTER is ALIVE.
BUT IN IMMINENT DANGER
With the Cheering Intelligence Comes
Ominous Statement That Only
Quick Relief Can Avert General
Massacre of Besieged Foreigners
Admiral Remey Urged.

Washington, July 21.-Like a flash OF
sunlight out of dark sky came the it,
telligence yesterday that United States
Minister Congei had sent a cipher
cablegram from Pekin to the state de-
partment making known that two
days ago he was all right, and that the
foreigners were fighting for their
sefety. The Chinese minister, WI
Ting Fang, received the message.
Within an hour the report was flashed
throughout the world. The dispatch
was in reply to Secretary Hays cable
inquiry to Minister Conger of the 11th,
and as both messages were in the
American cipher code they are re-
garded by the officials as above sus-
picion Of having been tempered with
in course of transmission through
Chinese channels. WI promptly COM
municated the dispatch to the state de-
partment, where a translation was
made from the cipher figures and an
impromptu cabinets conference wa
held. The most welcome feature of the
message was it's assurances that the
American minister himself was alive
two days ago; but with this cheering
news came the ominous statement that
tie besieged foreigners were in the
British legation under continued shot
and shell from the Chinese troops, and
that only quick relief could avert a
general massacre.
The consultation brought about no
pronounced change of policy, for it was
felt that already every energy had been
bent toward meeting the situation, and
that there was absolutely nothing
more that could be done. Secretary
Hay transmitted the message to all our
ambassadors and ministers abroad,
with instructions to lay it before the
respective governments to which they
were accredited urging upon them the
necessity of cooperation for the imme-
date relief of the foreigners at Pekin.
The message was also sent to Admiral
Remey, conveying intelligence of the
desperate situation in Pekin, and in
structing him to "use and urge every
possible endeavor for relief" Secre-
tary Root sent similar notification to
Col. Coolidge, the senior American Of
ficer ashore at Tientsin. 1t was real
lied that the land and naval forces of
the United States now in China could
not, single handed, push on to Pekin,
and the other powers accordingly were
appealed to.
Later in the day several messages
were received from United States Con-
sui Fowler, at Chefoo, all strongly
confirmatory of the news that the for
eigners we're alive. The fact that the
cablegram from Minister Conger was
given scant credence in London official
circles had no dampening effect ON the
optimism of administration officials.
The weight OF evidence in the dispatch
was in favor OF its genuineness. Be
sides, there were several strongly cor
roborative dispatches from Consul
Goodnow and Consul Fowler. The fact
that Conger mentioned the lombard
ment Of the British legation was con-
sldered good evidence that the message
was written subsequent to the 18th as
the best information here is that the
bombardment Of the legations did not
begin prior 10 that date.