The sun., 1900-07-21
A MESSAGE FROM CONGER,
MINISTER WI RECEIVES IT AND
TAKES IT TO SECRETARY HAY,


the Chinese Minister Undertook to Forward
+. to Pekin. but 1t simply Says That He ID
In the British Legation. Under Continusvs
shot and Shell Fire From Chinese Troops,"
and That quick Relief Only Can Prevent
General Massacre About IL
Dste-secretary Hay Believes It Is Genuias.
WASHINGTON. July 20-wu Ting-fans, the
Chinese Minister, brought to the State Depart
msnt this morning and personally delivered .
Secretary Hay message In the dipoms1e
cipher code OF the United States. signed
"Conger." which was forwarded to Mr.. WI By
the Tsung-li- Yamen. or Foreign Offloe at Pekin,
with an explanatory statement that It W.
Minister Conger's answer to Secretary Hsy1s
cipher message OF July II. The message signed
"Conser" follows:
In British legation under continued 6hot
and shell from Chinese troops, Quick re,isf
only can prevent general massacre"
To make plain the significance to be attached
to despatch from the American Minister at
Pekn. and to have the American people know
It's history, Secretary Hay dictated and gave
to the press the following statement:
'On the iith OF this month the Secretary q
State communicated brief message asking
tidings Of Minister Conger. In the State Depart
ment code. Mr.. WI undertook to get this into
Minister Conger's hands II he we're alive. Hs
has succeeded in doing this. This morning
the Secretary Of State received a telegram
from the Consul General at Shanghai.
saying that the Governor Of Shantuns In
forms me that he has sent you to-day q cipher
message from Conger Of the 18th. A few
minutes later Mr. WI appeared at the Stats
Department with telegram from the Tsotai
Of Shanghai. dated the goth Of July. which had
been received by Minister W. at $50 this
morning. The despatch reads as follows:
Your telegram was forwarded as requested.
l sent you the reply Of Tsung -li-Yamen a.
follows: Your telegram OF the 18th day Of this
moon uith Of july received and the Secretary
Of States telegram has been handed to Minister
Conger. Herewith Minister Congers reply 10
the Secretary Of State. which please forward
Ac iOHOWHk 10 ah NoukCI IVptys
"Tn British legation. Under continued shot
and shell from Chinese troops Quick relief
only can prevent general massacre
This reply was in the State Department
cipher and its contents we're. OF course. I'm.
known TO Minister WI. 1t Is regarded by the
State Department as genuine. as forgery seems
under the circumstances impossible"
The above statement covers briefly the story
Of the despatch and the Slate Departments
comment The opinion expressed by Secretary
hay In the last paragraph Of the statement
must be regarded as the opinion Of the Govern
ment Doubts are plentiful among officials.
expressing themselves as individuals. and even
Mr.. Hay admits that there Is room for suspicion
that the message is not genuine. But major
ity OF the higher Government officials, who may
have reasons Of which the public is not aware
for knowing that the Conger despatch b
authentic. maintain that the evidence that the
message was not written by tho American MIN
ister in answer TO Secretary Hays despatch
amounts TO practically nothing while the en-
dence that 1t was written In response to the
Seoretary's inquiry Is overwhelming.
Before proceeding to tell the story Of this
notable despatch. the receipt OF which unoues-
tionably created more interest In Washington
than any other piece Of news concerning the
Chinese troubles, attention should be given b
three messages which came to-day from John
Fowler, the United States Consul at Chefoo. I'll
bearing to some extent on the Conger despatch.
These three messages were given TO the pres
in the following bulletins prepared by the State
Department:
A despatch from Mr.. Fowler. the
United States Consul at Chefoo, dated
midnight, July 10, says that the Shanghai
papers OF the 10Th said that all foreigners In
Pekn were niassacred Upon this Consul Fow.
Ter wired the Governor demanding to know tho
truth. The Governor answ wered that his courier
had left Pekin on tho nth. that the Ministers
were then alive but that Pekin EAST City had
been broken into by the rebels with intent 10
kill
Another telegram from Consul Fowler dated
the afternoon Of the 2Oth. says that he had re-
ceived the following telegram from the Cover
nor Of Shantung dated 10 clock
Received flying express from TsunG-lt.
Yamen forwarding cipher telegram dated July
49, from American Minister. Pekln, which, r.
have transmitted and by which you will ses
that the newspaper accounts are entirely
rumors
In another despatch dated the night OF the
2Oth Consul Fowler communicates a message
telegraphed 10 him on that day by Yuan Gov.
ernor of Shantung n follows.
Il have just received definite information
that the var Gus ministers in Pekln are well.
and the proper Chinese authorities are dsvlsing
measures for their rescue and protection"
As shown by the Official statement OF Secre.
tary Hay. Minister WI Tlng-fang received the
Conger message in telegram from the Taotai
OF Shanghai MIR, Wu could hardly contain
himself with excitement, and when he had
finished breakfast he went to the state Depart
ment In his automobile. He was impatient
until ne was admitted TO the diplomatic room.
where Secretary Hay received him. Mr.. WI
told briefly the important news that cipher
despa tch from Minister Conaer had come In his
care, and handed Secretary Hay a COPY OF the
Taotai OF Shangha's cabegram. or coune
Mr. Hay did not know the meaning OF the
numerals above the signature "Conger" but he
set about finding out. without the loss OF a 7
moment Calling Mr., Alvey A. Adee. the Second
Assistant Secretary OF state. who is an expert
In the diplomatic cipher the Secretary and Mr..