The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-31
No Move Toward Rescue Till
Minister Is Heard From.
f0WLER'S CABLE FULLY CREDITED
some Discrepancies Are Noted. However,
Between the German and japanese Dis
patches from Pekin, Both of Which Wauld
seem to Contradict the Conger Cable
creduIOas on a Certain Point.


China was to freshen the hope that the
government can soon get in direct COM
municatiOn with Minister Conger. The
mass Of testimony as to his beng alive
as late as the I'd instant. is now so great
as to warrant the department in resum-
/ ing the consideration of projects for the
future.
With all of its anxiety 10 get Mr.. Cong
er and the Americans in Pekin safely
away the department is proceeding with
proper caution, and IS by no means dis
posed to accept any proposition that
would unduly JeOpardiZe their lives. Such
might be the result OF an offhand ac-
ceptance OF the proposition to have the
Chinese government deliver the foreign
minister At Tientsin, for it is realized
that the escort might be OverpOWered by
superior forces of Boxers on The way TO
the sea.
The State Department has come TO the
conclusion thar Mr. ConGer himself is the
best person to judge Of the conditions IN
der which his deliverance shall be ef-
tected. and. therefore. it is again look
ing 10 the Chinese government to place il
/ in communication with Mr. Conger in
order that it may be advised by him. That
requirement was the first of the condi-
tions laid down by President Mckinley,
in his answer 10 the appeal of the Chinese
Emperor. SO that the situation, diplomatic
cally, cannot be said TO have been ma
terially changed by the developments of
yesterday.
No Reply frsm Conger Yet.
The State Department was inclined To
regard Consul Fowler's communication
as the most valuable piece of confirma-
tory evidence yet received touching the
safety Of the Pekin diplomats. Up to a
late hour no answer had been received
TO the second COnger message, but in
view Of Consul FOwler's news, the Off
cials We're inclined to look forward to an
early reply.
1t is known here that Germany is one
of the governments which is putting
forth every effort TO get into direct CON-
munication with the beleaguered minis
ters. and. like the United States. has had
recourse TO the underground" route An
object of special solicitude is to discover
whether Baroness Won Ketteler has es-
capped, or whether she shared the fate of
her husband. Up TO the present nothing
has been received TO throw any light on
the subject
Baron Won HOlleben, the German Am
bassador. called upon Secretary Hay yes
terday. He said lie had not received any
word from Berlin on the receipt of the
important letter from the German lega-
tion at Pekin, described by Mr.. Fowler.
AS is always the case with these Chi
rese advices. a discrepancy appears i'm
mediately upon a comparison of the Ger
man and the japanese advices. This ap-
plies particularly 10 the date of cessa-
In ION or the attack upon the legations.
Inc German report says the attack stop
PED on the 18th; the Japanese report
places the cessation of firing on the nth
The State Department officials believe this
Is easily eXplalnablt by a consideration
of The differences between the Christian
and Chinese calendars. The japanese ad-
vices probably are based on the Chinese
calendar, which is about FIVE DAYS ahead
Of the Gregorian calendar. and this would
account for the apparent discrepancy.
Does Not square with C0nger Cable.
AnOthe" curious statement however. is
contained in the Japanese report to the
effect that six legations were still de-
Tended on the I'D, This is in apparent
conflict with Mr.. Conger's last reported
statement that the legatiCners were IN
British Legation unGer continued shot and
she'll" &c. 1t was understood that Nj
COnger meant that all the legationers were
in the British Legation, though this might
have been a strained Interpretation of his
message, and the various legations mer-
toned in the japanese dispatch may be
still peopled.
The letter referred to by the consul as
coming from the German Legation at
Pckin is supposed here to have been an
photographic letter. and as such absolute
y removed from the possibility Of fraud
The Japanese report also is understood
10 have come down 10 the sea without
having passed through Chinese hands 1t
was one of the first results of the private
messenger system inaugurated by the
commanders of the allied forces.
Military men here are amazed az the
statement that the legations successfully
resisted nearly a months incessant she'll
ing by ten battaiionS of Chinese. That
any trace of a brick building should re
main after such a bOmbaFdment is utter
~ incOnceiyable by them.
Gen. Chaffee yesterday reported his ar
rival at Taku He certainly has made
remarkable time in going from NagaSakf
TO Taku in two days, showing that the
transport Grant mist have been pressed
70 her utmost. The generals horses are
expected 10 arrive there in about a week
when the forward movement on Pekin
. .. - mill f..eF