The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-31

that it may be advised by him. That re-
quirement was the first OF the conditions
laid down by President Mckinley m his
answer to the appeal of the Chinese En-
peror, so that the situation automatically
cannot be said to have been materially
changed by the developments of to-day.
The State Department was inclined 70 re-
gard Consul Fowlers communication as
the most valuable piece of confirmatory ev-
idence yet received touching the safety
of the Peking 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 which is putting forth
every effort to get into direct communica-
tion with the beleaguered ministers 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 on the sub
ject The French charge and German am
bassador called at the State Department
to-day TO secure the latest information
which Secretary Hay had received and
| both were immensely pleased with the
| Fowler dispatch.
The Chinese minister. Mr.. WI, received
| the Fowler dispatch with satisfaction. but
refrained from any decided demonstration
| He said: az am glad at last the public here
| and in Europe has news from Peking that
| it has no possible reason TO question. This
news bears out what 1 have maintained
| ever since the receipt OF the Conger dis
| Hatch. The ministers are alive and they
| have been aided by my government, other
wise they could not have held out all this
| time When these first horrible reports of
| massacre came from Shanghai naturally
| / was alarmed and distressed. L did my
! duty as a loyal citizen of the empire and
| tried to aid this government in getting
| news of its minister. When the Conger dis
| patch came | felt 1t was genuine. 1t was
| accepted by this government and L was
| satisfied. But ever since then there have
| been contradictory reports. The rest of
| the world was not willing to believe any
| truth could come out of China. When other
| edicts were issued pledging the faith of
| my government that the ministers were
| safe there always was bad news manu-
| factured-some excuses made to offset the
Chinese reports. The Chinese were made
out to be a set of liars and murderers, as
| though there were not liars and murder
ers in all countries Now comes this news
| from European sources and transmitted
| through American hands. There is now no
chance for the unbelievers to doubt it,
am glad of it on my own account, but more
so for Secretary Hay, who has thus won
a great victory against the skepticism of
all Europe"
| Regarding the report that the ministers
| were being held as hostages in Peking, Mr.
Wu said it was very unlikely. They might
possibly be under restraint for their own
protection, but that was all, he thought In
the present disturbed conditions, the min
lister believed this might be wise precau-
| ton.
When Baron Won Holeben, the German
| ambassador, called on Secretary Hay this
| morning he said he had not received any
word from Berlin on the receipt of the
| important letter from the German legation
at Peking described by Mr.. Fowler AS is
| always the case with Chinese advices a
discrepancy appears Immediately on a
| comparison of the German and the Japa-
| nese advices. The German report says the
attack stopped on the 18th, the Japanese
| report places the cessation OF nring on the
18th. The State Department officials be-
lieve this is easily explainable by con-
sideration of the difference between the
| Christian and Chinese calendars. Another
curious statement. however. is contained
in the Japanese report to the effect that
six legations were still being defended on
the I'D. This is in apparent conflict
with Mr. Conger's last reported statement
that the legationers were "in the Britt
ish legation under continued shot and
shell,'' etc. 1t was understood that Mr.. Con-
ger 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 men,
toned in the japanese dispatch may be
still peopled. Military men here are amazed
at the statement that the legations sue
cessfully resisted nearly a months in
cessant shelling by ten battalions of Chi
nese That any trace of brick building
should remain after such bombardment
is utterly inconcevable by them
4