Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-25
ALLIES GUARD PEKING.
Conger Tells of Situation In
Captured City.
THE PALACE SOON TO BE TAKEN.
City Portioned Ont Among Allied
Troops For Police superSision--Nn
Chinese Government In sight and
Affairs In Chaotic Condition.

Washington, Aug 23-After long
conference at the White House yester
day the reply Of the United States to the
application of Ii Hung Chang for the
appointment of peace commissioners was
completed aud copy Of the reply sent
to the Chinase minister MIR. Wa, 10 be
forwarded to Earl Ii. The state depart
ment made definite announcement that
the reply had been conveyed 70 Mr. WI,
but added 10 its official utteranee that
the correspondence would not be made
public until today A copy of the reply
was sent to the other governments repre-
scented in China.
The American reply is chiefly charac-
terized by its firm tone and its brevity.
Its keynote is the presidents attitude as
laid down in the American note of July
3 and there is the strictest adherence TO
the points enunciated at that time. While
the document is open to the construction
of being rejection of Ii Hung Chang's
proposition for immediate negotiation,
vet 1t is stated by those who have read
the answer with care and have had
part in its preparation that rejection Is
probably too strong a term TO apply to It.
The United States places itself in the
position of being ready at the proper
time to take up peace negotiations, but In
the present unsettled condition of affairs
in the empire, the lack of knowledge as
to who are the responsible rulers and
what constitutes the actual Chinese gov
eminent, it is made clear that the time
has not arrived for pursuing the negotia,
ton proposed. The formal courtesy OF
diplomatic procedure is preserved but at
the same time the entire tenor of the
document is one of force and firmness.
Message From Conger.
The most important development of the
day as to the actual conditions in Pc
king came late in the afternoon, when
the state department made public dis
patch from Minister Conger, dated at
Picking only three days ago. 1t was CIV
sen out with the following statement:
The state department authorizes the
announcement of the receipt at an early
hour this "wednesday morning through
the consul at Chefu of telegram from
Mr.. Conger dated Picking, Aug. 49, in
the department cipher to the following
effect:
"The entire city. with the exception OF
the imperial palace, is occupied by Jap
anese. Russians. British, Americans and
French. 1t is being apportioned into dis
tricts for police supervision. The Chi
nese army fled. The imperial family
and the court have gone westward, prob
ably to Sian-fu, in the province of Shen-
81. No representatives, of the Chinese
government are in sight in Picking, and
she conditions are chaotic. The palace is
expected to be taken Immediately. Many
missionaries have started for home, while
Others remain in charge of the Christian
refugees, numbering about 1000"
Mr. Conger's message was particularly
IN afta al in hox
pletey the entire city is dominated by
the allies He states that it is occupied
throughout and that it is being districted
for police supervision. This last meas
ure shows the thoroughness with which
the allies are applying civil methods to
the Chinese capital. Mr.. Conger's state.
ment that "the conditions are chaotic"
was taken as another strong justification
for the firm reply given to China. He
emphasizes the facts that the Chinese
army has fed. the imperial family and
court have gone and no representative
of the Chinese government is to be seen
in Picking.
Minister COnger makes no mention of
his desire to come home, and it is stated
officially that this government has made
no suggestion that he return to this
country.
The military situation is of quite as
much interest as the diplomatic Ad-
miral Remey reported, bringing the story
of the Picking operations up to the 10th
in Picking and confirming the press re-
ports already printed of the death of the
gallant Captain Reilly in the final assault
on the outer walls of Picking. Almost as
important as the Picking news is the
statement that the Boxers are again con
centrating around Iien-tsin and that last
Sunday morning the Sixth cavalry, with
about 400 English and Japanese troops,
had lively brush with the Boxers eight
miles outside of Tien-tsin, where about
100 of the Chinese were killed and five
Americans wounded. 1t was evident
from Admiral Remey's account of the af-
fair that, while the Chinese are in force
enough around Tien-tsin to make consid-
cradle show. they are evidently not in
the humor holly to contest an engage
ment. The casualty list in this fight
seems to indicate a sudden and total rout.
Dispatch From ChatFee Kept secret.
The most important dispatch has not
been made public by the war department
1t came from General Chaffee and was
dated the 18th, and therefore was not
reply TO the message of inquiry sent to
General Chaffee by the war department
on Monday night. SIN, it answered a
number of the inquiries contained in that
message. 1t dealt entirely with military
operations and conditions. While it can
not be said to have contained any bad
news and recorded the brilliant successes
fthe American troops who have borne
themselves so calamity in the assault on
Picking, it contained enough as to the I'M
settled conditions in China and the pros
pect Of long and arduous work in restor
ing peace to form the subject for a con-
sultation of some hours between the pres
ident and his advisers.
The war department has made public
the following message sent TO General
Chaffee by Secretary Root.