Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-26

Department Putting Forth Every
ETort-Chaffee to Hasten Matters.
None but an American Escort for
Conger.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 25.-The
receipt at Tien Tsin of an undoubtedly
genuine and autographs message from
Minister Conger has done nothing to
dissipate the doubt as to the situation
at Pekin. The message which was for
warded by the naval officers at Tien
Tsin, Taku and Che Foo has indeed
served only to deepen the darkest and
saddest mystery of the century. The
official conclusion remains unchanged,
of course, but it is admitted that
careful scrutiny of the autograph mes
sage in comparison with the famous
cipher message from Minister Conger
admits OF the belief that the two mes
sages were indited by Mr.. Conger at
about the same time The situation at
the British legation is represented to
be the same in each case, and as Mr..
Conger declares that relief must come
quickly if at all, there is ground for
the supposition that conditions could
not long have remained unchanged in
such a crisis. The assumption that
this reasoning is correct involves the
further conclusion that Mr.. Conger's
cipher message, if genuine, was re-
dated as of the 18th of July, two
weeks later than the date of actual
writing, and of course, if related at
all that was done by Chinese officials.
On the other hand, and in support Of
the State Departments position came
to-day a message from another Of
The Great Chinese Viceroys,
TAX, at Canton, he who took charge
after Lii Hung Changes departure. This
also affirmed solemnly the safety OF
the legationers, and coming from SO
many different sources this news from
such important Chinese officials, the
dispatches do claim attention. A pes
simistic view of them, however, at
tributes to all a common origin, name
ly some one high Chinese parsonage
at Pekin. 1t is noted that Talks as
surance brings the ministers one day
further towards ultimate rescue than
has any preceding message. The fact
that it allows only three days to cover
the transmission over the great dis
lance between Pekin and Canton, has
attracted attention here, and appears
to demand explanation, if the message
is to be accepted as genuinely of Pekin
origin.
1t was not known to the State De-
partment until the publication of the
fact in the news dispatches that the
French government also had been adj
dressed by the Chinese government in
the effort to secure mediation. Now
it appears that still other powers were
addressed in a similar strain. 1t is
known that Great Britain and Ger
many, and probably Russia, have re-
ceived such messages. The language
is not the same, but the animating
idea is. The State Department Off
Gals feel that generally speaking this
idea is not so much to secure media
ton pure and simple, as to induce the
powers to resort to the settlement of
the difficulties between them and China
by the
substitution of Negotiations
for armed forces. This appears more
clearly from a comparison of the vari-
Gus 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 amelioration of the con-
sequences of the Boxer uprising are
much diminished by the intimation
that the powers are expected to refrain
from pressing the movement towards
Pekin
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 contingent in position for the
task before it.
Gen. Chaffee reported to the depart
ment formally to-day from Nagasaki,
and there received the orders which
have been sent by cable since his de-
parture from San Francisco. An idea
of their general character can be
gathered from the generals report that
he was about to push forward at once
with his big transport for Taku. He
will not even stop at Che Foo, and it
is even doubtful whether he will de-
tain the Grant at Nagasaki long
enough to take on coal. He is also
energetically taking steps in advance
to meet the evil of which all the foreign
naval commanders have complained,
but none have remedied, the lack of
landing facilities at Taku. To this
end he has instructed Lieut. Col. Cool
idge, of the Ninth infantry, at Tien
Tsin, to carry at once
All of the Tugs and Lighters
necessary to a speedy landing of the
achievements and stores that are be-
ing carried out by the United States
transport Grant
In spite of the alarm with which the
Chinese officials. including Ii Hung
Chang. profess to view the advance of
the allied forces on Pekin, so far as it
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