The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-22


1t is not safe to place too implicit re-
lance on the good faith Of the Chinese
minister at Washington. neither is It
by any means certain that the cable
gram from Minister Conger. which has
been forwarded to Washington by the
Chinese authorities. has not been tam
pered with; at least TO the extent Of
raising the date many days. Oriental
diplomacy is proverbiaily sinuous The
"childlike and bland attitude" Of the
Chinese Is not the Invention Of the
poet OF all the Asiatic races. the Chi
nese are the most inscrutabla There
are few reasons for believing that the
cablegram from Minister conger was
Originally dated July IS. as II purports:
there are many reasons for believing
that IT is one of much older date, which
has been suppressed up to this time
and simply forwarded now. In response
10 the earnest request Of the Chinese
minister at Washington, in order to
allay temporarily public sentiment in
this country.
For weeks the foreign ministers at
Picking have been cut of from all COM
munication with the outside world. 1t
IL certain that during that time they
have made many attempts to communi-
cate with their governments The Chi
ness authorities have undoubtedly
numbers Of cipher kilograms. from
all of the ministers, which they
have refused to transmit Out OF
this number It would be SIM
pie matter to select one from Con-
ger. to be sent in response TO the re-
duest from Minister WI, II II not nec-
essarily 10 be presumed that the Chi
nese authorities had access TO the
American secret cipher, and were able
TO read Conger's message. They knew.
however, in any event, that II could
contain no information of much value;
and It's passage TO Washington would
have the desired effect OF convincing
the authorities that conger was still
alive. The receipt OF the alleged
message simply shows that 10 the Chi
nese officials communication with Pc
king IN still open. They can receive in
structions and transmit information.
The Chinese authorities In the sea coast
towns. and the Chinese diplomats at the
capitals OF the world. In all probability
know exactly what has occurred AT Pc
king. II the diplomatic representatives
there are safe. there 10 no reason why
the fact should have been suppressed
IT 10 much to be feared that the whole
business OF the cablegram from Con-
ger is a mere Asiatic trick. OF which
there have been almost innumerable in
stances In history that the re-
sponsible government of China has
been at the bottom of the whole AFFAIR:
that the outbreaks OF the Boxers were
deliberately contrived 10 bring on the
present crisis, for which the Chinese
government had been preparing by the
accumulation Of war material and the
drilling and arfning of troops. and that
the fatuous blsotry and self-eoncelt Of
the conservative advisers OF the EN-
press dowagsr has led them 70 believe
that they can successfully measure
strength with all Of the countries Of the
civilized world. can expel foreigners
from China for all time. and restore all
the barriers against communication
With the outside world which have been
broken down within the present cen
tary. This IS the object dear beyond
all others TO the ultra conservatives Of
the middle kingdom. with whom the
present ruling powers Ia China are in
the heastiest sympathy.