The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-20
MR.. HAY CONFIDENT.
Relieves the Message Was Really
Sent by Mr. Conger.

Sent by Mr. Conger.
Secretary Hay is convinced that the mes
sage handed him today by the Chinese
Minister came from Mr. Conger. and that
view is general in the State Department.
where the intricacies of the code are too
well known to lead the officials to be-
lieye that the message was forged. Meth
er Mr.. Hay nor Mr.. WI knew at the time
that the message was handed to the Sec
cretary that Il WAS genuine, for neither
could translate the cipher symbols in
which it was written.
Mr.. Hay sent the despatch Immediately
to one of the cipher experts Of the depart
ment, and in remarkably short space OF
time the copy was in the Secretary's
hands. The expert said that the symbols
translated perfectly, leaving no Doubt in
his mind as to the genuineness OF the mes
sage. Naturally Mr.. Hay was elatet.
He was anxious 10 have the good news
sent broadcast and the first thing he did
was to dictate to his private secretary a
statement showing how the message was
received. Then he went to the telephone
and dictated TO the White House a message
to be telegraphed to the President contain
ing the gratifying udings.
1t was a hot day. but Mr.. Hay moved
with alacrity from the telephone box 10
the Office Of Secretary Root, which is in
the same building. Nr. Hay and Mr. Root
congratulated each other over the fact that
Mr. COnger and presumably the other for
eigners were alive on the date Of the mes
sage.
To The Times reporter Secretary Hay
said that be could not doubt the genuine
ness Of the telegram from Mr.. Conger.
While preferring that the statement given
by him TO the press should embrace all he
! cared to say officially, Mr.. Hay spoke in
such a way as to leave no room for sus-
picion that he believed the message 20 be
other than absolutely authentic
One Of the cipher experts Of the State
Department said to the reporter that it
would have been impossible 70. anybody
in Pekin outside of Minister Conger and
the officials Of his legation to have written
the message.
Even had the cipher book OF the Ameri-
can Legation been in the possession Of
Chinese officials they could not have an
swered Secretary Hays telegram Of inqui-
ry to Mr.. Conger without having first
devoted considerable time to the study
of the intricate and arbitrary code which
the american Diplomatic Service uses.
The comparatively short period within
which the Secretary's message had been
answered from Pekin appears to dispose
of suspicion that Chinese officials OBJ
taiEed possession of Mr.. Conger's code
book aud had mastered its mysteries suf-
fciently to enable them to write correct
answer in cipher to the Secretary's de-
spatch.
Against this there remains only the pos
sibiiity that the Minister'S cipher book was
taken from the American Legation some
time ago and has since been studied care
fully by Chinese.
The contents Of Mr.. Conger's message
were transmitted to every American Am
bassador and Minister in Europe and the
the despatch before the Governments to
which they are accredited 1t is probable
that this Government will on the basis of
Mr- Conger's adyices urge the powers to or
der their troops in China to advance on
Pekin without further delay.