Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-08-09
WE CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH
BELEAGUERED MINIS rERS.
so SAYS Ii HUNG CHANG
State Department Receives 4 Very Dis
couraging Reply from Ola Viceroy-
Other Chinese Officials Intimate
That Further Advance on Pekin
VIII Result in Murder of Foreigners.

/ was mdue yesterday IN the QlplOmdCc
| situation by the return OF an evasive
answer by Ii Hung Chang to Secretary
Hays peremptory demand to be put in
communication with the foreign min
| listers at Pekin. Lis answer is not
| final and leaves the matter open to
diplomacy. But Lis actions, as report
| ed by Consul General Goodnow, are
unquestionably sinister and VIII
amount to a final rejection of the
American proposition if persisted in.
Goodnow's dispatch contains some
| further information bearing on the
question Of responsibility for Pekin
conditions. 1t is learned here that Ii
| Ping Hong, the commander of the
J Chinese troops, is a civil official well
known to all Chinese officials abroad as
one of the most rabid anti-foreign lead
ers in China. He is a close friend of
! Prince Tuan, and the ass citation of
these two in Pekin affairs with power
enough behind them to cause the igno-
minious death of two high officials is
/ regarded here as a bad sign.
! Simultaneously with Goodnow's
dispatch came a enthusiastically dip
lomatic message from Yuan Shin
kai, governor of Shan Tung, repeating
he story of two days ago that the
Chinese government was arranging to
deliver the ministers in safety at Tien
tsin. No effort was made to reconcile
that statement with Earl Lis refusal
to allow communication with the min
listers.
Gen. Chaffee's message as to the I'M
expected resistance offered to the Jap
aneso reconnaissance is regarded by
| military men here as forecasting
greater degree of opposition to the in
ternational advance than has been an
ticipated, and they are now satisfied
the Chinese troops will furnish ma
| terial for at least one severe battle
before the way is clear to Pekin. The
navy department yesterday issued or
ders for the cooperation Of its Off
GERS abroad with the officers of the
army in landing and transporting
troops destined for Chinese service.
Thii revivea the situation that exist
ed in Cuba when Skaters army corps
landed largely through the efforts Of
the navy 1t appears some misunder-
standing exists as to the St Petersburg
dispatch saying the Chinese minister
there had cabled the COVER
nor of Shan Tung. demand
ing that free communication be
opened between the Pekin ministers
and their respective governments.
This communication was in fact joint
memorial to the throne concurred in by
all the Chinese ministers abroad, in
Guiding Minister WI in Washington
1t was forwarded by Minister Yeng Lu
at ST. Petersburg, because the latter is
dean Of the Chinese diplomatic service
II was transmitted through the govern
or Of Shan rung to be forwarded to
Pekin. This action is considered very
important as indicating that the Chi
nese ministers abroad have at last
reached the unanimous conclusion
that the situation can no longer be
trihed with. Their action may be re-
garded as the final effort on their part
to influence the home government and
its outcome is awaited with grea, in-
terest
Meanwhile the government of the
United States. like the governments Of
Europe has not abandoned It's efforts
to establish communication with its
ministers at Prkin by independent
means and the state department has
instructed Consul General Goodnow
at Shanghai and the other consuls to
spare no effort and expense to open
UP direct communication with Conger. |
Gen Chaffee made another and
direct cable report yesterday after
noon. The Message was withheld from
publication by Secretary Root, who
declined to make It's purport public II
was presumably devoted to a recital Of
Gen Chaffee's needs in a military way.
In view of the London statement that
the advance on Pekin was actually be-
gun with the present week there is also
a possibility that Gen. Chaffee's mes !
sage has some bearing on that subject, |
though it Is evident from his report of !
yesterday morning that the advance, if |
started could not have progressed far I
beyond Tientsin, as the outpost affair |
described by him took place only ten |
miles out OF town Second Assistant |
Secretary Adee is 70 act as secretary
OF state for q few weeks during the I
absence Of Secretary Hay. who left in I
the afternoon to visit his family at his 4
summer home at Sunepee Lake, y. Fl. /
Dispatch from Chaffee.
Washington. Aug At was stated .
las, nigh: the dispatch received by /
the var department yesterday from /
Mai. Gen. Chaaee, commanding the
American troops in China. was dated /
rign.sln July 31 AT at the time II |
v'as fled there had been nc general for
tpa 81 yrt-y y, r4,+ 80 -T, = rs 81 e~Y4s.sr