Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-08-02
MR.. CONGER'S CHANCES:
HOPE OF EARLY DIRECT COMNU.
NICATION WITH HIM
Freshened by the Days News from
China The State Department in
Proceeding with Caution Dis
posed to Regard Consul FOwIer's
Message as Valuable Confrmatory
Evidence of the Safety of the PeIkin
Diplomats.

Washington, July 30.-The effect OF
the days news from China was to
freshen the hope that the government
can soon get IN direct communication
with Minister Conger. The mass Of
testimony as to his being alive as late
as the 22d instant, is now so great, as
to warrant the department in resuming
the consideration of projects for the
future. With all of it's anxiety to get
Mr.. Conger and the Americans in Pc
KIN safely away, the Department is
proceeding with proper caution, and IS
by no means disposed to accept any
proposition that would unduly teopar-
die their lives. Such might be the re-
suit of an off-hand acceptance of the
proposition to have the Chinese GOV
ernment deliver the foreign ministers
at Tien Tsin, for it is realized that the
escort might be overpowered by su-
perior forces Of Boxers on the way to
the sea. The State Department has
come to the conclusion that Mr. Conger
himself is the best person to judge Of
the condition under which his deliver
ance shall be effected, and therefore it
is again looking to the Chinese govern
ment to place it in communicate ton with
Mr.. COnger in order that it may be ad-
VlSed by him. That requirement was
the first of the conditions laid down by
President Mckinley in his answer to
the appeal of the Chinese emperor. so
that the situation automatically can
not be said to have been materially
changed by the developments of to-day.
The State Department was inclined
to regard Consul FoWler's communi-
cation as the most valuable piece Of
confirmatOry evidence yet received
touching the safety of the Pekin diplo-
mats. Up to late hour no answer had
been received to the second Conger
message, but in view of Consul Fow-
ler's news the officials were inclined to
look forward to an early reply.
1t is known here that Germany is one
of the governments which is putting
forth every effort to get into direct
communication with the beIeaguered
ministers, and, like the United States,
has had recourse to the underground
route" An object Of special solicitude
is to discover whether Baroness Won
Ketteer has escaped or whether she
shared the fate of her husband. Up to
the present nothing has been received
to throw any light on the subject.
The German Ambassador and the
French charge called at the State De-
partment to-day to secure the latest in
formation which Secretary Hay had re-
ceiVed, and both were pleased with the
Fowler dispatch.
General Chaffee reported to-day his
arrival at Taku, in advance of the eX-
pected time.
London, July 30-In the House of
Commons to-day the Parliamentary
Secretary for the Foreign Office, Mr..
BrOdrick, read the dispatch from the
British consul a Tien Tsin, saying that
the foreign Ministers at Pekin We're
safe July 22d. Mr.. Brodrick also read a
dispatch in which the statement was
made that a strong body of troops,
composed almost entirely of HWang
the Chinese were forced to block the
river with sunken craft, with a breach
on the left bank in order to flood the
country to the eastward.
Mr. Brodrick added that the council
of admirals decided, July 18th, that the
railroad between Taku and Tien Tsin
should be guarded and managed by the
Russians. The government has inform
ed Russia it acQuieSced, as the arrange
ment might be the most convenient,
but that it must be clearly understood
that the line would revert to its for
mer mana gement,-i. e., the BrltiSh-On
the termination of hOstilities Mr..
BrOdrick added that he did not yet
know who was to have supreme COM
mand. British troops would be aVaila-
Bile to cooperate with the allies, but no
arrangement has been made to put
them under command of foreign off,
GERS.