Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-08-17
Little of Importance Received from
China.
CONGER SENDS ANOTHER MESSAGE.
officials Decline to Make Its Cont tests
Public-Thcy Say, However, 1t
Shows No Change in Condi-
ton of LexatiOncrs.


in reply to the telegram sent to him OIL
August S. 1t will not be made public
This came at the conclusion of
period of intense expectancy, and vet
one devoid of any actual develop
ments, save in the foregoing meagel
announcement. 1t was stated au
thoritatively that while the message
was of a confidential character, ant
for that reason could not and would
not be given out, yet. as means Of
allaying possible misinterpretation, il
could be said that the dispatch showed
neither better condition nor worse
condition on the part of the legation
ers at Picking. 1t did not indicate
whether Minister Conger has, or has
not, received any messages from this
government. Nothing was contained
in the message which will cause any
change in the instructions to Gen
Chaffee. In fact, it was stated in thi.
same authoritative quarter that the
only additional instructions sent tt
Gen. Chaffee since he left Washington
We're those of more specific and ex.
plicit nature, which the Developments
in China and the information received
by the war department necessitated.
No Word from Chafee.
Throughout the day word was anX-
iously awaited from Gen. Chaffee as
to the development of the military
situation near Picking, but not a word
came, nor did Admiral Remey send
anything on the situation. The last
heard from Gen. Chaffee he was at
Ho-Sl-Wu, and, according to calcula-
tons, he must now be very near Pc
king, unless events have occurred tic
delay the advance The officials are
taking into account that an advance
even up to Picking leaves much to be
accomplished in a military way. 1t
was stated by an official who has lived
a ..--ieking that nothing short of the
heaviest artillery coykas make any i'm
preston upon fns walls of the i'm
perial city. He said light artillery
would be of no avail, and for that rea-
son the advance of flying column
even up to the walls of the city could
effect little If stubborn defense
We're determined upon. The walls are
some so feet high and wide enough
on top for two coaches to pass
abreast. From an offensive standpoint.
the walls afford opportunity for plant
ing guns, while from a defensive
standpointthey could not be preached,
except by the use of very heavy pro-
jectiles.
More Hopeful.
! Although the situation admits of
the prospect of an assault upon Pc
king, yet government officials were
decidedly more hopeful that solu-
ton of the Chinese problem would be
found without recourse to such heroic
measures. The improved feeling is
based largely on the belief that China
realizing that the sacred capital is
about to be besieged by the armies
of the world, will yield everything
and that the legationers will be de
livered on the terms of the allies.
Troops at Shanghai.
The attitude of the United States
concerning the landing of British
troops at Shanghai has been made
known to the foreign governments
through their representa- ives here.
This has had the effect of practically
eliminating the United States from
the question. Neither the French nor
the German government is DISPOSED
to accept calmly the landing of Brit
ish troops, and it is understood that
strong representations, both from
France and Germany, are now being
made at London. AS summed up by a
we'll informed diplomat, these repre-.
sensations in effect are that for every
British marine landed at Shangha al
France and Germany also would land
a marine. 1t is felt, moreover. that
the issue involved relates not only to
Shanghai, but virtually to the control
OF the entire Yangtse- Kiang Valley,
known as the Paradise of China.
Foreign governments have mani
tested desire also to learn the views
of the United States concerning the
instructions of Russia to her minis.
Ter at Picking, M. De Giers. In re.
spouse to inquiries made it has been
made known that this government
looks upon the course of Russia as
substantially the same as that of the
United States and that the powers
are therefore acting in substantial
unanimity.
The Road to Picking,
While the war department has no
speclhc information as to the future
movements of Gen. Chaffee. il is
thought that he may have covered the
20 miles between Ho-Si-Wu and Tunp-
Chow. The Pei river makes a great
bend between Ho-si-Wu and Matow
the next town of Importance on the
road, 1t is low, marshy countrs
where the river doubles back on it.
Sell III its effort to get forward. The
road here cuts across country. re.
ducing about 25 miles of boat travel
to II miles of deep and almost impass.
able road journey through swamps
and quagmires This country pre-.
sents no defensive features, but about
eight miles beyond Matow comes the
important city of Ching hai-Wan.
This is strongly defensive point,
where the Chinese will make a stand
if they make it at all this side of
Picking. From Ching Chai-Wan it is
practically all continuous city for
the next three miles, until the walled
town of Tung-Chow is reached. Here
are stored the immense supplies of
grain on which Picking would depend
in case of siege. The city would be
almost as hard to carry as was Tien-
tsin, probably more so, owing to the
labyrinth of streets and houses out
side its walls, where, in case of de-