The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-24

British Foreign Office How the
News C~ame-News of safety of Mis-
sionaries
Washington, July 2O.-Like a S Of
sunlight out of the dark sky came the
intelligence. at IN early hour to-day
that United States Minister Conger
had sent a cipher cable dispatch from
Pekin to the state department at
Washington, making known that two
days ago. he was alive and that the for
eigners were fighting for their lives.
The message was received by the Chi
nese minister WI Ting Fang, at $50
o'clock a. m. Within an hour the well
come intelligence that Conger had
been heard from, after weeks of silence
n evil report was flashed through
the country, and indeed throughout
the world, d1spelling the gloom which
had prevailed everywhere, and bring
ing to officials and to the public gen
orally a sense of profound relief.
The dispatch was in reply to Secre-
tary Hays cable inquiry to Minister
Conger IN July 18th, and as both mes
sages were in the American cipher code
they were regarded by officials as
above the suspicion of having been
tempered with in the course of trans
mission through Chinese channels.
Mr.. WI promptly communicated the
dispatch to the state department
where the translation was made from
the cipher figures and soon all Wash
ingtOn was astir with h intelligence.
1t was telegraphed by Secretary Hay
to the president and word of it was
sent to the various cabinet officers.
They gathered in Secretary Hays Of
flee and an impromptu cabinet confer
ence vas held in the diplomatic cham
Der, mainly for the purpose of ex-
changing congratulations and of TAX
ing a survey of the situation to see if
it had been materially changed by this
important development.
The consultation brought about no
pronounced change of policy, for it was
felt that already every energy had
been spent toward meeting the situa-
ton, and that there was absolutely
nothing more that could be done. At
ter all, the cabinet officials felt, and
so stated, that the message was an
evidence of friendliness and good
faith of the pro-fOreign element of the
Chinese, and that wisdom dictated a
course which would continue to utilize
this friendship.
AAS 81 ~ AAAASAA LII AANS
sage as authentic and Secretary Hay
transmitted it to all our ambassadors
and ministers abroad with instructions
to lay it before the respective govern
ments to which they are accredited
and to urge upon them the necessity
of cooperation for immediate relief OF
the foreigners at Pekin.
Secretary Hay explained his reasons
for placing reliance in the authenticity
of Minister Conger's dispatch, saying
that it was a complete reply in code to
the code message sent to him and that
it's authenticity was vOuched for by
the Tsung Ii Yamen.
Secretary Hay said he attached no
significance to the use OF the words
Chinese troops in the message. They
did not, in his opinion, mean that the
Chinese government troops were be-
sieging the foreigners. He seemed to
entertain little doubt that the Chinese
government itself was doing all in its
power to suppress the o inSurrec-
ton In his connection the message
from Consul Fowler that General Yuan
Shin kai, governor of Shan Tuns
province, reported that the Chinese
authorities were doing all in their
power to put down the ins%urrection is
exceedingly welcome intelligence. Yuan
is considered one of the ablest. if not
the ableSt, general in China He has,
according to a statement made by Lord
Charles BereSford to a prominent
official when he was here last fall, the
best drilled and equipped army in
China, under his command.
Throughout the day the Conger mes
sage remained the absorbing topic of
discussion. Secretary Hay was con-
graduated on the success of the steps
he had adopted to open up communi-
cation between Pekin and Washington
for while thechancellories of the whole
world stood hesitating and inactive,
he had adopted a course which had
brought a message from our minister.
Later in the day several messages
were received from United States Con-
sui Fowler, at Che Foo, all strongly
confirmatory of the news that the for
eigners were alive
ITS AUTHENTICITY DOUBTED IN
LONDON.
n fact that the cablegram from
Minister Conger was given scant ere
dence in London official circles had no
dampening effect upon h opticism OF
the administration officials.
1t was said at the state department
that it was not thought expedient tC
give either the text or a para
phrase OF the message sent by the
state department on July 18th 20 Min
lister Conger.
THF MESSAGE FROM G0NGER