The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1900-08-10
WAR IN CHINA CONTINUES
C0NGER WAS HEARD FROM.
nese Army Joins the Boxers i'm
Canton.

Washington, Aug. 5.-Some of the
features of the dispatch received from
General Chaflee yesterday and which the
war department refused to make public,
became known today. The first dispatch
received from General Chaffee by the war
department contained little information,
but closed with the statement that he was
going forward to Tientsin and would give
his views. That is what he has done.
His views, as cabled to the department
yesterday, would be far from palatable
TO several foreign governments, and that
is one reason why the dispatch was not
made public This much is asserted:
General Chaffee and the United States
forces available under his command have
gone forward toward Pekin with the Brit
ish-Japanese forces. The troops of the
other nations assembled at Iientsin did
not join in the movements, but the rea-
sons gwen by General Chaifee could not
be learned. 1t is understood that the
criticism contained in the Associated
Press dispatch received yesterday of the
sanitary conditions at Tientsin is borne
out in Chaffee's dispatch, but in discuss
he has been more specific and the names
of the commanders are given who failed
to take the proper precaution for the
health of the international forces.
War department officials generally re-
fuse to discuss the contents of the dis
patch and Secretary Root announced it
would not be given to the public, and
further, that no additional dispatches had
been received from General Chatiee. The
international questions involved make it
impossible, on account of diplomatic re-
lations, to give the dispatch to the pub
lie, and it is further desired that the pro-
posed movement of troops should not be
heralded to the world for the advantage
of the Chinese forces which are opposing
the advance for the relief of the be-
sieged.
The steady prosecution of the military
movements has frightened the Chinese
viceroys, who have been sparring for
time and endeavoring to use the diplo-
matte corps at Pelin as protection. The
tsung Ii yamen dispatch received this
morning through Yuan and WI fairly IL
Illustrated this condition and made it plain
the imperial government again is trying
to force a suspension of the advance on
the city of Pekin by menacing the for
eign ministers. Having formally refused
to put them in communication with theil
governments, and this having proved in
efTectual to stop the advance, it would
not be surprising if the Chinese govern
ment should next do one of two things
either come forward with threat to re
new the attack on the legations if the
advance is not stopped or resort to the
plan of delivering the ministers safely
at Tentsin or at least to the commanders
of the international column, trusting il
that way to abate the force of the in
vasion and induce the powers to consent
to negotiations for a settlement of trou
bles.
1t is learned here that Ii Hung Chang
actually undertook to do this, but sough
to make the condition for the safe de
livery of the ministers that the imperia
government should be blameless for wha
had occurred at Pekin. This condition
having been rejected abruptly by tn
terms of President McKiney's reply. t.
the Chinese government, it may be tina
Ii Hung Chang is trying to arrange TO
the delivery of the ministers without con
dition, trusting to the gratitude OF TIT
powers to secure the desired absolutiOn.
Conger's Message Sent July II.
Washington, Aug. 6.-The department
of state authorized the following state
ment in regard to the probable date o
the first message from Minister Congel
transmitted through Sheng at Shanghai
Minister WI at Washington and tsunl
Ii yamen. assigned the date of July Is.
The department of state is in possession
of the original cipher text of the entir
message as received by Minister WI, Jul,
20, and communicated by him to Secre
tary Hay on the morning of that day
1t is partly in the Chinese cipher cod
and partly in that of the United States
The two texts were separated by severa
groups not Ineligible in either cipher
As deciphered on July 20, the Congo
message appeared to begin with tn
words: "In British legation, under con
tinued shot and SHE'LL etc.
With the aid of the full text as tele
graphed from Chefoo by Consul Fowler
and already given to the press, the doubt
ful groups which were distorted in telt
graphic transmission, have now been col
rected and found to read: "For on
month we have been besieged." Whic
intelligibly completes the sentence, max
ing the telegram read: