The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-18
Cabinet Meets Under Exciting condi-
tions, and Decides That the
President Ia Able
TO MEET ALL EMERGENCIES.
Hopeful That Foreigners Are Still
Alive-1o,ooo Troops Can be
Landed by Sept. /. SIS

evening. The tide OF continent, which
had been markedly pessimis,ic, turned
with the announcement OF the victory
OF the allies ut TIen Tsln, and the cap
ture OF the forts and. native city and
gathered further strength from Minis
ter Wu's cablegram declaring that the
foreign ministers at Pekln were safe
July .. Aside from these dispatches the
arrival Of the President and the special
cabinet meeting called, to consider the
situation were the features OF the day.
The cabinet met at 2:3O o'clock this
afternoon. less than an hour after the
President reached the white house.
Over hundred newspaper men
thronged the corridors, while the cabi-
net was sitting behind closed doors.
The scene resembled the hottest days
OF the Spanish war.
There were present Secretary Hay.
Secretary Root. Secretary Long, secre-
tary Gage and Postmaster General
Smith.
At the conclusion OF the session.
which lasted two and one-half hours,
Secretary Root gave out the following
formal statement of the action of the
cabinet.
Extra Session Will Not be Called.
"The President has determined that
the facts now known to us do not re-
quire or justify calling an extra session
of Congress. Should future develop
mcnts Indicate that he Is unable to do
what is required with the means now
at his command and the action Of Con-
gress is necessary TO furnish either men
or money, or authority. he will not hes
itate TO call 1t together"
While only this meagre formal state
ment was given out, 1t was ascertained
that the whole Chinese situation was
thoroughly discussed by the cabinet.
The decision that an. extra session Of
Congress was not demanded by existing
conditions, was the outcome OF the
showing which both Secretary Root
and Secretary Long were nole to make
MS TO the force that can be thrown into
China without the authorization Of ad-
ditional troops by Congress and also the
decidedly more hopeful feeling enter
talned by the President and the mem
bers of his cabinet as TO the safety Of
Minister Conger and the other foreign
ers In Pekin, due to the cable Of Min
lister WI reporting the safety Of the
ministers July .. two days af-er their
reported massacre. While this cable
is not regarded as conclusive, 1t Is ac-
cepted In good faith for the present.
Will Ascertain the Truth.
But the administration. it can be de-
finitely stated, has set In motion some
machinery by which 1t Is confidently
predicted absolutely authentic news as
TO the fate OF our minister and the
other foreigners at Pekin will be ascer-
tnined. Through what channel the nd
minlstrntion expects to receive this ALL
important news Is not known, but that
n definite statement OF the situation In
Pekin is daily. II not hourly expected,
can be stated with the utmost positive
ness. The advlccs received from Pekin
probably will be the determining factor
In blazing the future course OF this
government. II Minister Conger has
been murdered, an extra session OF
Congress seems inevitable. Admiral
Remey's message. OF the success follow
Ing the earlier hard fighting ut TIen
Tsln holped to relieve the anxiety OF
the President and his advisors, but Min
lister Wu's message was responsible for
the really hopeful feeling that prevail
ed. Secretary Root furnished TO the
cabinet n summary OF the troops avail
able not only in this country. but In
Cuba, and gave It as his opinion TINT
between 10000 md 1900 troops in all
could be spared for service in China.
Reinforcements Rushed Through.
These rcInforcements are TO BIZ rush.
cd through at the earliest possible mo-
ment. Most. II not Hll OF them, II is be-
lleved. can be landed by the end of
August or early In September. One
cabinet officer said that beyond those
soldiers already destined for China
from the Philippines, no further troops
from the Island would be withdrawn
unless the situation bnchmo much ,nnro
ominous. In figuring upon the number
OF additional marines available. Sccrc-
tary Long summoned TO the cabinet
meeting, General Haywood, who COM
mands the marine corps and who is IN.
miliar with every detail OF that branch
of that service. He HcScxplained that un.
der existing law the full strength of
the marine corps is G.0O0. But the on
lisimepts at the present time aggregate
only about 5000. This makes IN addi-
tIonai 1000 marines who can be brought
Into the service without congressional
nction. No order for recruiting those
mon is necessary. as the recruiting
stations are now In operation. but In
the presence OF the cabinet. Secretary
Lon6 directed General Haywood 10 use
Ills utmost endenrors TO complete tho
recruiting OF the additional 1000 mn
rlncs, II was decided also TINT tho hat.
TALON OF marines. 800 In number. who
were to have left for the far cast a, Tho
end of tho mnnth ahn,,,d 40. = i,