Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-16
CRISIS At HAND
Continued from page ~
WASHINGTON IN SUSPENSE.
All Cables Kept Secret and Important News
Evidently Expected.

" aSi'i'S' oii' aug. Io.-I0e tension OH
the Chinese situation has been intense
throughout the day, for it is apprecat-
ed by officials that the crisis has reach
ed an acute stage which cannot be
continued many hours without bringing
word of momentous import determin-
ing, either for good or evil, the entire
course of events. 1t has been a day
CT extreme anxiety, of watching and
waiting, with only meagre and frag-
mentary information as to the mill
tary and diplomatic phases.
One Of the developments. today. was
the statement that messages are be-
ing received from Minister Conger
which are not transmitted through any
Of our officials in China, or through
the Chinese minister here, but directly
at the state department. These mes
sages come by the way of Tsi-Nan
Some Of them cannot be fully deci-
phered, and for this reason the state
ment cannot be definitely made that
the dispatches sent by the government
to Minister ConSer are received by
him. SO far as the messages have bee.
deciphered there is no indication that
Minister Conger has received any in
formation or dispatches from our state
department.
Nothing could be learned of the con-
tents of the dispatches received, al
though it was stated that there was
quite a number from Minister Conger,
some coming from the consular Off
GERS and General Chaffee, besides those
which came direct. The message trans
mitted through Minister WI was en-
tirely deciphered in the department.
In a conversation. today. between
Secretary Root and Baron Speck Won
d'affaires. Mr. Root gained con-
siderable information concerning
the route which has yet to
be traversed by the allied forces.
Baron Won Sternberg told him that
Tung Chow was strong place. ana
if the Chinese army should make a
stand at this point the international
forces would find il difficult to over
come the forts and walls. While 1t Is
not known what resistance may have
been or will be made to the advance
at Tung Chow. Secretary Root and 9TH
er officials would not be surprised to
learn of a serious battle at that place
1t is expected that the German force
now on its way to China will land ii
the vicinity of Lin Yu, which is direct
~ east OF Pekin. The advantages Of
this point are found in the fact that ice
will not interfere with the going or
coming of ships with supplies. II Is also
said that the road from Lin Yu to Pc
kin is much better than that between
Tien Tsin and Pekin. as the ground is
higher and the country more suitable
for military operations.
Word came. early in the day. TO the
navy department that Gen Chafee had
reached Matow. about 20 miles from
Pellin. This occurred. Friday or Satur-
day. though the dispatch from Gen.
Chaffee. sent through Admiral Remey
was not sufficiently definite to locate
the exact time OF reaching Matow
But in any event. three or four days
have elapsed since then and there is
time for a still further advance toward
the Imperial city. The feeling among
officials was shown in the extreme cir
cumspection shown about all messages
relating to China and it was announced
both at the state and war departments
that any communications from Minis
ter Conger or the United States con-
su!s concerning affairs in China would
not be made public.
1t was explained that this was in no
way due to any desire to keep from the
public Information of an important
character but was based solely on the
fact that the crisis involved so many
possibilities of extreme hazard to the
500 legationers in Pekin. that the
greatest caution must be observed
against disclosures which would fur
Their imperil those in danger.
The actual developments of the day
consisted of the Remey dispatch. here
tofore alluded to and one from Consul
General Goodnow at Shanghai. The
state department declined to make
known the contents of the Goodnow
dispatch. This opened wide field for
conjecture the most generally accepted
view being that Mr. Goodnow had ad-
vised against the plan of delivering the
leSationers outside the city of Pekin.
The cipher exports were busy with
from Consul Fowler at Che Foo.
which was so unintelliGible that it had to
be returned to the telegraph company to
pt itItdttu- 81 idI d. II tpuiu ne
Ciphered. it appeared to repeat a message
sent by Minister Conger to Fowler, tell
ing the latter that the situation was be-
coming more critical at Pekn and that
the Chinese authorities were seeking to
compel the legationers to leave the city
under Chinese escort.
1t is possible that the message, which
was quite long. will convey additional in
forma ton when its complication are I'M
ravelled.
With the army at Matow it is felt that
any one Of several conditions might soon
be presented. The Chinese officials con-
Cured in the belief expressed by the Chi
nese minister at London that there
would be a speedy ana sudden change
and a peace within the next few weeks.
On the other hand, Baron Speck Won
Sternberg regards Tung Chow, midway
between Matow and Pekin. as the real
battle ground. and Secretary Root is in
clincd to accept this view.
Some of the Japanese officials believe
that when the allies reach Tung Chow
they will find Il deserted city ahead of
them, as il was recalled that these tao
ties of withdrawal had occurred in 1860
when the British French expedition
reached Tung Chow. In the absence of
all positive information as to what the