Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-23

Tuan is a member of the tsang Ii yamen,
and might be in position to know the con-
ditions under which the yamen's messenger
delivered the dispatch from Secretary Hay
to Mr.. Conger. This would presuppose
Prince Tuan's being in Communication with
the imperial authorities. The minister did
not wish to be quoted t2any length on that
point. however, and merely said that there
might have been some scattering fire from
the rioters around the legation, but nothing
like an organized attack at the time to
which Prince Tuan's message referred. He
said that this fresh contradiction only
pointed out the extreme unreliability of a
great deal Of Shanghai news, and said that
1t would hardly be fair to attempt here to
draw conclusions from fragmentary state
ments that had filtered through so many
different sources.
The minister declined to either affirm or
deny the report that the President had re-
piled to the latest communication of the
Chinese government requesting the United
States to act as intermediary between
China and the other powers.
Doubt the Conxer Dispatch.
The State Department has received a
deluge of dispatches from all quarters of
the globe relating to the Conger message.
These show the attitude Of foreign govern
ments. Without exception the official view
taken by foreign offices is that the dispatch
is not genuine and does not afford a basis
for action. This incredulity is shared also
oy United States Consul Goodnow at Shang-
hal, who has communicated to the State
Department his disbelief in the authenticity
of the message. The text of these several
messages is not made public, they are
inconclusive and do not add anything in the
way of definite news on the situation at
Pekin, the entire tenor being one of doubt
and suspicion. The official doubts are based
on various theories One of them is that the
deception was practiced by the Tsung Ii
Yamen itself, the Chinese foreign office.
Still another is that 1t emanated from a
high Chinese official man holding a posi-
ton like that of Sheng or Prince Tuan. the
latter being the head of the anti-foreign
element, and at last accounts connected
with the Tsung Ii Yamen.
Secretary Hays Belief Unshaken.
Notwithstanding this flood of doubt from
foreign official quarters, the State Depart
ment has not varied it's position as to the
authenticity of the message, Secretary
Hays position being now, as 1t alway has
been, that there Is every probability Of the
genuineness of the message, although al
ways possibility that a fraud may have
been perpetrated. But as against this
remote possibility, Mr.. Hay feels that there
is absolutely no motive for the preparation
of such a monstrous deception. The Wash
ington government is unshaken, therefore,
in it's position on the message, while the
rest of the world has made it known to
this government that the message is not
18th instant.
The Appeal for Mediation.
Concerning the proposition of mediation
made to the United States by China. the
State Department was not prepared today
to make any statement. 1t was surmised
that Mr.. Hay was engaged in considering
the governments answer, which would
probably be delivered to Minister WI
later, but no statement as to the
course Of procedure could be obtain
ed in any official quarter. As COM
munlcation will be required between Wash
ington and the President, it is hardly like
ly that the answer will be forthcoming
at once
Both the State Department and the Chi
nese officials took occasion early in the
day to deny a report that plans were on
ger by the Chinese authorities to Admiral
Remey at Tien Tsin.
To Command Relief Column.
1t Is unknown to the State Department
even yet who Is to command the interna-
tional relief column on its march to Pekin.
which begins the end of this month. News
dispatches Of late date have assigned the
command to one of two Russian generals
Dragomiroff and Binevieh. The State De-
partment knows nothing of this, but has
been rather assuming that in the possible
event Of the failure of the internationals to
agree among themselves on any other basis
the Japanese field marshal. Nodzu. would
command, by virtue of seniority and rank.
Remey Going to Tien Tsin.
Secretary Long received the following
message from Admiral Remey this morn
ing:
"TAKU, July %, 1900.
Bureau Of Navigation, Washington:
Going to Tien Tsin today to look into
matters, leaving Thomas senior officer
here. Newark has gone to Nagasak for
docking. REMEY."