The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-26

| from such important Chinese officials,
| these dispatches do claim attention. A
pessimistic view of them, however, at
| tributes to all a common origin namely
| some one high Chinese parsonage at Pc
| king 1t is noted that Talks assurance
| brings the ministers one day further to-
| ward ultimate rescue than has any pre-
! ceding message. The fact that it allows
| only three days to cover the transmission
| over the great distance between Peking
and Canton has attracted attention here
| and appears to demand explanation if the
| message is to be accepted as genuinely of
Peking origin.
| discussion OF the authenticity of the
! dispatch from Minister Conger dated at
| Peking on the 18th inst. developed the fact
that several years ago a copy of the State
| Department cipher code disappeared and
| never has been recovered These code
| books numbered and receipted for
| when placed in the hands of those entitled
| to them. The intimation was given that
the missing code book fell into the hands
| of the Chinese. This information was cal
| culated to inspire a doubt of the authority
| of the Conger message. State Department
| officials decline to discuss the story 1t is
| known that several years ago a copy of the
old cipher which since has been changed
was made. y copy of this, the authorities
have reason to believe. found ats way into
the possession of another government-not
the Chinese. This old code has been out of
| general use for many years, but Minister
| Conger is one of the few officials who has
been using It, He does not employ the new
| code.
| MESSAGE FROM GOODNOW.
The State Department to-day received
cablegram from Consul General Goodnow.
but it is stated that it contains nothing to
clear up the situation at Peking. Mr..
| Goodnow says that Ii Hung Chang will re-
main in Shanghai for the present and will
| conduct his negotiations from that city
| There is an intimation that Earl Ii is de-
tanned at the request of the foreign Off
| cials. although this was not so stated by
| acting Secretary Hill.
| No intimation has been received from the
Chinese legation or Chinese government in
response to President McKinIey's reply to
| the Emperor. No answer has vet been re-
| ceived from the second dispatch sent to
| Minister Conger, through Minister wu but
1t is stated that when reply is received it
| will probably set at rest all doubts as to
| its authenticity.
| 1t was not known to the State Depart
ment till the publication of the fact in the
| news dispatches that the French govern
| ment also had been addressed by the Chi
| nese government in the effort to secure
mediation. 1t now appears that still other
powers were addressed in similar strain.
| 1t is known that Great Britain and Ger
many and probably Russia have received
| such messages. The language is not the
! same, but the animating idea is. The State
| Department officials feel that, generally
| speaking. this idea is not so much to Sc
| cure mediation pure and simple as to in
| duce the powers to resort TO the settle
| ment of the difficulties between them and
| China by the substitution of negotiations
| for armed force. This appears more clear
| ly from a comparison of the various notes
| than it did in the single note addressed to
| the President. Being so, the chances of a
| successful outcome of this attempt of the
Chinese government. to secure an ameliora-
| ton of the consequences of the Boxer up
| rising are much diminished by the intima-
| ton that the powers are expected to re-
| frain from pressing the movement towards
| Peking. On the contrary, the United States
| War Department is moving at present with
| greater energy than at any time since the
| original orders for troops to get its con-
| tngent in position for the task before it,
| MINISTER wUs VIEWS.
| The Chinese minister was shown the
| Conger message by an Associated Press
| representative soon after it reached Wash
| ington. He read the communication with
| intense interest and seemed we'll satisfied
| with the information 1t contained. He
| called attention to the fact that this at
| least was unquestionably a genuine COM
| munication and proved that the legations,
| though in danger on the 4th. were not in
| absolute extremity This dispatch, he said,
| tended strongly to confirm the genuine
ness of the minister's cipher dispatch of
| the 18th. The situation since the 18th had
| changed decidedly for the better, he said,
as regarded the strength of the imperial
government in Peking. There was every
reason to believe, now that the imperial
| authorities had got the upper hand of the
revoutionists in the capital, that they both
could and would protect foreigners and
safely deliver them into the hands of the
allies.
When asked what the probable effect
| would be of a forward movement the
| part OF the allied forces Minister WI said:
| 'It is hard for me to speak on this subject
| without being misunderstood. L had all
| along been in favor of an instant advance
| en- Peking when we believed that the min
| listers were in desperate straits. In view of
| the information of the past few days and
| especially in view Of Ii Hung Chang's
statement as cabled to this country yester-
day / have changed my opinion. / believe
now that an advance of the allies at this
late date would be apt to do more harm
| than good"