The Portland daily press., 1900-07-28
Possible Explanation Of
This.
America viii Have Strong
Force When Advance Begins.

thentic assurance as to the condition of
the Americans in Pekin reaches the state
department within day or two, the adj
ministration is likely to abandon What
ever faith it has manifested thus far in
the truthfulness Chinese information.
The Chinese minister is confident that
within that time, there will be news from
Pekin of character to satisfy the most
skeptical as to its accuracy and he also is
confident that this will be good news
from the American point of view. The
contributions of the day were from Con
sui General Goodnow at Shanghai and
Consul Fowler at Che Foo. The cables
rnangled these messages and there is rea-
son to doubt the value of the information
attempted to be conveyed through them.
MIR. GoodenoN also had something to
say about the political situation, and it
is believed that that part of his message
was not of an encouraging character.
At any rate it was withheld from the
press probably because the department
did no regard 1t as wise to give the
stamp Of it's approval to matters which
Mr.. Goodnow wishes to be taken in
purely speculative sense
Ever since the receipt at Tien Tsin of
the autograph message from Mr.. Conger
dated Pekin, July 4, state department.
officials have had grave. doubts as to the
authenticity of the cipher message attri-
buted to him, dated Pekin July l8. There
have been many little side lights on this
message that afford ground for suspicion,
and now the British authorities have
added their quota to the growing distrust
of things Chinese. 1t seems that a Mr..
Warren, at present acting as British
consul at Shanghai, has been told by
Sheng, the famous Chinese director of
posts and kilograms that Yuan, the gov
ernor OF Shan Tung, told him (Sheng)
that a message had passed through to the
United States from Mr.. Conger on the
18th July, telling of the condition at the
British legations. This cipher despatch
was 'faked'' by Chinese officials. 1t is
pointed out at the state department., how
ever, that there are plausible explanations
of this curious fact which tend to show
the authenticity of the cipher despatch.
Secretary Hay cabled Mr.. Conger that
he might have implicit faith in the
person who brought the despatch to him.
Mr. Conger therefore had right to trusa
the man and possibly he told him in q
general way the contents of the de-
spatch in case the messenger should be
obliged to destory it to ensure his own
safety,
However that may be, the British gov
Mn ,,o,,~,,f
worthy the attention of our own govern
ment. The state department officials do
not like the European criticisms more or
less directly attributing to our govern
ment lack of whole-heartedness in the
effort to get to Pekin.
% 1t is reported that %, 600 soldiers are
already at lien Tsin-not half of the
force regarded as necessary to begin the
movement The state department advices
this afternoon, however, were to the
effect that all of the Japanese troops have
now been landed, in which case the in
ternational force should be considerably
augmented. The war department., lack
ing exact information, owing to the slow
means Of telegraphic communications,
believes that it has now about $500
trained and seasoned Americans in the
vicinity OF Tien Tsin under the immedi-
ate command Of Gen. ChafTee, and If the
splendid marine force under Major
Waller is also placed under Chaffee's
command, that officer will have altogeth.
er 4,2OO troops. In addition to this force
about 5000 regulars are under orders,
some of whom are on the way for China,
SO that altogether the United States
should have a respectable contingent in
the international column when it starts
for Pekin.
DIPLOMATS SEE HAY.
Washington, July 27--The Portuguese
charge, Senor Duarte, called on Secretary
Hay to inform him that his government
had sent as reinforoements for the Port
luguese troops in the Portuguese colony
Of Macao, in China, two regiments of
troops. These troops, be explained, had