The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-20

WI Ting-fang. the Chinese Minister,
called at the State Department at about
10 o'clock this morning and handed to
Secretary Hay a message written in the
secret code of the Diplomatic service
and signed in plain English with the
name. Conger. When translated, it read
as follows:
'Pekin, July IS.
Secretary OF State. Washington:
In British Legation under continuous
shot and shell fror Chinese troops.
Quick relief only can prevent general
massacre, CONGER-"
This message is believed by the State
Department officials to be an answer TO
the one sent to. MT. Conger by Secretary
Hay on July II. which the Chinese Minis
ter agreed to forward to Pekin and have
placed in Mr.. Congers hands, if alive and
to which he agreed to obtain a reply if
possible. Mr.. Hays message simply asked
the question:
Is all well?'
The first effect OF the receipt OF the mes
sage was a happy one. There were cheers
in the corridors and offices Of the great
State, War, and Navy Building for several
minutes. and then there was a sudden
change to almost complete silence.
1t seemed as if everybody had charced
to remember at one and the same time
that the Chinese officials had sent out a
great many conflicting reports in the past,
and a suspicion that even this message
might have been one OF the Illustrations Of
the adeptness of the Celestial in ways
that are dark and tricks that are vain -
found whispered expression in the corri-
dors that a few minutes previously had re-
sounded with joyous exclamations.
Opinions the Message.
OF course, everybody went to work at
once on an analysis Of the message, eager
10 prove, not that there was ground for
suspicion, but to find a reasonable basis
for hope that Mr.. Conger and the other
foreigners in Pekin were still alive and that
they might yet be rescued.
But the deeper the probe Of analysis was
sent the stronger suspicion grew, until,
at last, there resulted a condition of dis
tressful doubt that was all the more heart
sickening. because Of the revulsion from
ba briaf r,a~inI oF fovo4rc b0ra
The first thing that seemed to furnish
evidence Of possible deception was the
fact that Mr.. Conger's name. as signed
to the message, was written in pain Eng
Iish, whereas the text was in the usual
cipher code. 1t was pointed out that it is
customary for diplomats in using the code
TO sign their names also in cipher.
The reason for this is obvious. If
message Of great importance were p'ainIy
directed to q high official OF a Government
and signed equally plainly by another cfi-
ciai OF that Government. il would be a9-
parent to any person under whose oh erva-
tion it might come. that it was a commu-
nication that might better be SUPPRESS
as possibly menacing TO the interests Of,
perhaps, an unfriendly power.
The edict issued by the Tsung-li-Yamen.
ii was recalled. admitted the assassination
of Baron Won Ketteler several weeks ago.
at which time also the legations were be-
ing besieged and bombarded.
In view Of these conditions. it was ar
gued by many that when the American
Legation in Pekin was destroyed it was
possible for the Chinese officials to obtain
possession Of Mr.. Conger's cipher code.
which could have been used, it was said.
in sending out what might purport to be
messages from him. With a cipher sig
nature, no one could know who it was
from. and. therefore. it would have no
more significance than thousands OF other
communications passing through the ca
bles and land lines.
Then it was pointed out that the Iega-
tions had been reported TO have been de-
stroyed and all foreigners massacred at
various times since the last previous word