The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-08-28

I"Yes,sFasy opposition ~ ~ consequence.
yst terrible heat many men Frustrated
Please inform Secretary % wa
II viii be- seen from this message ihs,
the date of uenetni Chances ativAi 81
Matow h uncertain. n " tskrn 81 the
Navy Department 10 mean that Msinr
was occupied on the prrvinua day, the
nth. and that the opposition was eilrht
both on the road and IN taking the towh
Natow u about twelve fniicu hy fond
frtm Ito NJ Wa and tho road, ~ tnsh 1.
Gated on the War Department man. ~ OF
the werst possible character Matow is
not a walled city and no serious cprorl
ton was expected here II II about ulcvrn
miles by road from Matow to ChinE chia
Wan, which ~ really the suburb OF the
walled city OF TunE Chow and tho key TO
the gates of rcking. II Cen. Chaffee
was at Matow on the nth. It IL quite poe
slble that by today he H. either ia pbE-
session OF Tung Chow or engaged with
the retreatlng Chimes" army, that IL was
thought might make stand behind it,
" alls Tho War Department Is highly
crati1cd at the report Of General Chnf-
fccs steady advance, which f0r week
mast has been secuted as u fuo'hnrdy ad-
venture by yom, Of the European war
officials.
or quite as much interest as tho record
Of the army's advance ia the, speculation
nov current about the state Department
10 to the status Of diplomatic negotiu-
tCLs, The State Department has throw
around these proceedings sudden aud
CEacoustomed veil of secrecy that is taken
to presage important developments. O1c
thing is well-nigh certain, namely, that
the Conger message OF yesterday, which
was not made public. is one of series
of Identical notes addressed by the be-
leaguered Ministers TO their Govern
ments.
+ Minister Wi, who besides being the
Chinese Minister here, also is the accred-
tied representative of China to Spain. re-
ceived along with the Conger message of
yesterday cipher message from the
Spanish Minister in Picking, which Mr..
WI forwarded to Madrid. II was not
made public there. Sir Claude MacDon-
AIDS dispatch to the British Foreign Of
flee, evidently of the same vintage az the
two other dispatches referred to- also was
withheld from publication. This is taken
as a fair indication that negotiations of
importance are on foot, but their nature
is entirely speculative. 5r,Et .
The State Department this morning
stated that not only was the text of the
Conger dispatch kept secret, but no ques-
tioEs would be answered in connection
with It's contents. 1t was pointed out by
tional forces practically at the gates of
Peking, any statement of Minister Con-
ger might involve him and all of the
other Ministers in very serious conse-
quences. 1t was said, however, that the
statement from London this morning.
credited to a member of Parliament, that
negotiations We're on foot in Washington
between the various Powers looking to
future form of government for China,
was without foundation. The State De-
pertinent announced that no note on this
subject had been exchanged between the
Powers.
1t is considered significant that no prep
arations are being pushed for the winter
ing of the American forces, in China. Both
the Commissary and Quartermaster's
Departments are ready to purchase and
ship supplies for the Chinese expedition
airy force such as would be needful in n
winter campaign. There are certain sup
plies which would be necessary for this
contingency and certain steps whci;
would have to be taken, and that quite
speedily, unless there was strong hope
that the American army would be out of
China before the Gulf Of Pc Chi LII freezes
over, which usually happens about the
first of November. Preparations made UP
to recent date looked to the quartering
of the American force on Chinese soil
through the winter season. 1t cannot be
said that this expectation has been en-
t!rely abandoned. but it is certain that
sc me of the final purchases and prepara-
lions are suspended for the present, as
though there is considerable probability
that they would not have to be made at
all The War Department has as yet
given no definite statement on this sub
ject but the suspension of operations is
considered significant.
CONTR VIEWS
NEW YORK, August ia dispatch to
the Tribune from London says:
The Chinese Minister in this capital, Sir
Chin Chen Lo Feng Luh. sticks to his
guns and is as resolutely optimistic as
ever. He has made another statement,
N which he relterates his conviction that
the Ministers in Picking are safe, and
positively ridicules the idea that they can
pc in any jeopardy. AS for the report
hat Ii Ping Heng has brought up guns
md bombarded the legations, he says this |
,annot be true. If it were, the legation
would have been reduced to
'uins in an hour or two.
Side by side with the Chinese Minister'S |
statement comes Sir Claude |
cipher dispatch of August !
It'll, in which the British representative /
'"scr'hes the s'tunt'on rs desperate.
,tates that the food supply viii not last
more than ten Gays, and declares that
inless relief arrives speedily a general
massacre is imminent. Between these /
statements anxiety and |
suspense are again reused to fever heat !
md will so remain for the rest OF this
week and until the relief force has actu-
lily arrived in Picking. On the whole,
however, n somewhat hopeful disposition
PREVAILS, though the gravity of the last
messages from Macdonald and Conger is
omitted 1t Is thought that even the
ianchu desperadoes in command of the
'hinese soldiery in Picking will hesitate
0 proceed to extremities with the cannon
Z the allied army almost sounding In
heir ears. There is significant varIa-
ION in the two versions of Sir Claude
lacDonalds message of the 6th as pub
shed yesterday morning and afternoon
In the dispatch, as forward
by the Hongkong correspondent of a
ews agency, Sir Claude Macdonald says:
The Chinese offered escort to Tien-Tsin.
ut II was refused" In the version cabled
y a correspondent of the Daily Telegraph