The St. Louis Republic., 1900-07-31
MUST HAVE
CONGER'S ADVICE.
Washington Believes Ministers Are Alive, but In
sists on Free and Direct COmmunica-
tion With the Minister


that the Government can soon get in direct
communication with Minister Conger. The
| mass of testimony that he was alive as
late as July - is novp on NetVrarrant
| resuming consideration OF projects for the
| future.
With all Of its anxiety to get Mr.. Conger
and the Americans In Pekin safely away.
| the department is proceeding with proper
, caution and is by no means disposed to ac-
cept any preparation that would unduly
| JeopardiZe their lives. Such might be the
result OF an off-hand acceptance OF the
| proposition TO have the Chinese Govern
ment deliver the foreign Ministers at Tien-
| Tsin. for 1t is realized that the escort
| might be overpowered by superior forces
| or Boxers on the way TO the sea. The
| State Department has come TO the conclu-
! sion that Mr.. Conger himself is the best
! person to judge of the conditions under
| which his deliverance shall be effected and
| therefore. II is again looking to the Chinese
Government TO place II In communication
| with Mr.. Conger. in order that it may be
| advised by him. That requirement was the
| first OF the conditions laid down by Pres-
dent Mckinley in his answer to the appeal
| of the Chinese Emperor so that the situa-
| tion. automatically. cannot be said 10 have
materially changed by the developments Of
the day.
The State Department was inclined to
regard Consul Fowler's communication as
the most valuable piece of confrmatory
evidence yet received touching the safety
OF the Pekin diplomats. Up to a late hour
no answer had been received to the second
Conger message, but In view OF Consul
Fowler's news the officials were inclined
to look forward to an early reply.
1t is known here that Germany is one OF
the Governments that are putting forth
every effort TO get into direct communica-
tion with the beleagured Minister'S and
like the United States, has had recourse
to the UNDERGROUND route An object of
special solicitude is TO discover whether
Baroness Won Ketteler has escaped or
whether she shared the fate of her hus-
band. Up to the present nothing has been
received to throw any light the sub
ject.
The German Ambassador and the French
Charge called a. the State Department to-
day TO secure the latest information which
Secretary Hay had received. and both were
immensely pleased with the Fowler dis
patch.
Discrepancies.
Baron Won Holleben. the German Ambas-
sador, called upon Secretary Hay this
morning. He said he had not received any
word from Berlin Of the receipt of the
important letter from the German Lega-
ton at Pekin described by Mr.. Fowler.
As is always the case with these Chinese
advices. a discrepancy appears immediate
ly upon a comparison OF the German and
the japanese advices. The German report
says the attack stopped on the 18th; the
japanese report places the cessation of
firing on the 17th. The State Department
officials believe this is easily explainable
by a consideration OF tho differences be-
tween the Christian and Chinese calen-
ders.
Another curious statement. however, Is
contained IN the japanese report to the
effect that six legations were being still
defended on the I'D. This is in apparent
conflict with Mr.. Conger's last reported
statement that the legationers were 'in
British Legation. under continued shot
and SHE'LL" etc
It was understood that Mr.. Conger meant
that all the legationers were in the British
Legation. though this might have been a
strained Interpretation Of his message. and
the various legations mentioned in the
japanese dispatch may be still peopled.
Military men here are amazed at the
statement that the legations successfully
resisted nearly a months incessant she'll
ing by ten battalions of Chinese. That
any trace Of a brick building should remain
after such a bombardment is utterly in
conceivable by them.
ChaHee at Taku.
General Chaffee reported to-day his ar
rival at Taku In advance of the expected
time in this dispatch:
"Che-Foo. July 29-Adjutant General,
Washington: Left Nagasaki at daybreak on
July &C. Arrived at Taku at 10 on the night
Of July IS.
(Signed) "CHAFFEE.
Major General"
General Chan~e certainly has made re-
markai lie time in going from. Nagasah TO
Taku in two days. showing that the trans
port Grant must have been pressed to her
utmost The Generals horses are expected
to arrive there IT about a week.
wu Feels Vindicated.
The Chinese Minister. Mr.. WI. received
the Fowler dispatch with satisfaction. but
refrained from any decided demonstration.
He said:
Il am glad at last the public here and in
Europe has some news from Pekin that IT |
has no possible reason to question. This |
news bears out what have maintained ever |
since the receipt of the Conger dispatch. |
The Ministers are alive and they have been |
aided by my Government: otherwise they |
could not have held out all this time.
when these first horrible reports OF mas !
sacre came from Shanghai naturally l was |
alarmed and distressed. did my duty as a |
loyal citizen OF the Empire and tried to aid |
this Government In getting news of its Min |
ister When the Conger dispatch came / /
felt it was genuine II was accepted by this |
and I was satisfied. The rest |
of the world was not willing to believe any |
truth could come out of China. When i'm
perial edcts were issued pledging the faith |
of my Government that the Ministers were \
safe, there always was bad news manufac-
nese reports. The Chinese were made out /
to be a set of liars and murderers, as |
though there were not liars and murdererS
In all countries. (
Now comes this news from European |
sources and transmitted through American
hands. There Is now no chance for the un-
to doubt 1t. / am glad of it on my
own account, but more for Secretary !;
Hay, who has thus won great victory
against the skepticism Of all Europe
Regarding the report that the Ministers
were being held as hostages In Pekin, Mr.. /
WI said it was very unlikely. They might
possibly be under restraint for their own