The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-16
DAY OF ANXIETY.
Many Messages Received, but Little
News Given Ont by Officials.


WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-The tension on
the Chinese situation has been intense
throughout the day. for ii is appreciated
by officials that the crisis has reached an
acute stage which cannot be continued
many hours without bringing word of mo-
mentous import determining. either for
good or evil. the entire course of events.
1t has been a day of extremist anxiety,
of watching and waiting. with only meager
military and diplomatic phases. One of
the new Developments to-day was the
statement that messages are being received
from Minister Conger which are not trans
mitted through any of our officials In China.
or through the Chinese minister here, but
directly at the State Department. These
messages come by the way of Tsi-Nan.
Some of them cannot be fully deciphered,
and for this reason the statement cannot
be definitely made that the dispatches sent
by the government to Minister Conger are
received by him. So far as the messages
have been deciphered, there is no indication
that Ministr Conger received any informa-
ton or dispatches from our State Depart
ment. Nothing could be learned OF the
contents of the dispatches received, al
though IL was stated that there was quite
a number form Minister Conger, some COM
ing from the consular officers and General
Chaffee. beside those which came direct.
The Chinese minister here. who also is
the accredited minister to Spain, received
yesterday, in company with the Conger
message, a cable dispatch from the Spanish
minister at Peking to the government at
Madrid. 1t was in the Spanish code and
was forwarded to Madrid. The message
transmitted through Minister WI was en-
tirely deciphered in the department.
TUNG-CH0w ron s-KFfEF.
During the course of a conversation be-
tween Secretary Root and Baron Speck
Won Sternberg, the German charge daft
faires, Mr.. Root gained considerable in
formation concerning the route which has
vet to be traversed by the allied armies.
Baron Sternberg told him that Tung- Chow
was very strong place and If the Chinese
army should make stand at this point the
international forces would find il quite diff
ficult to overcome the forts and walls.
While il is not known what resistance may
have been, or will be made TO the advance
at Tung-Chow. Secretary Root and other Of
fcials would not be surprised to learn of a
very serious battle at that place.
1t is expected the German force now on
its way to China will land in the vicinity
IL Lin-Yu, which is directly east of Peking.
The advantages OF this point are found in
the fact that ice will not Interfere with go
ing and coming of ships with supplies. II
also is said that the road from Lin-Yu TO
Peking is much better than that between
Tien-Tsin and Peking. as the ground is
higher and the country more suitable for
military operations.
Word came early in the day to the Navy
Department that General Chaffee had
reached Matow, about twenty miles from
Peking. This occurred Friday or Saturday,
though the dispatch from General Chaffee,
sent through Admiral Remey, was not suf-
ficiently definite TO locate the exact time
Of reaching Matow. But in any event three
CT four days have elapsed since then. and
there has been time for still further ad-
vance toward the imperial city.
The feeling among officials was shown in
the extreme circumspection thrown about
all messages relating TO China, and it was
announced both at the State and War De-
partments that any communications from
Minister Conger or the United States con-
suls 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 impor-
tant character, but was based solely on the
tact that the crisis involved so many possi-
bilities of extreme hazard TO the 500 Iega-
toners in Peking that the greatest eau
ton must be observed against disclosures
which would further imperil those in dan
ger.
FROM GOODNOw AND FOWLER.
The actual developments of the day con-
listed of the Remey dispatch heretofore al
luded TO and one from Consul General
Goodnow at Shanghai. The State DEPART
ment declined 10 make known the contents
of the Goodnow dispatch. This opened a
wide field for conjecture. the most gem
orally accepted view being that Mr. Good
now had advised against the plan of deliv-
ering the legationers outside the city of
Peking.
The cipher experts were busy with a
dispatch from Consul Fowler at Che-Foo,
WdS 81 tldt IL mad TO
be returned TO the telegraph company to
be repeated. So far as il could be de-
ciphered IL appeared to repeat a message
sent by Minister Conger TO Fowler. telling
the latter that the situation was becom-
ing more critical at Peking. and that the
Chinese authorities were seeking TO COM
pei the legationers TO leave the city under
Chinese escort. IL is possible that the mes
sage. which is quite long. will convey addi-
tional information when its complications
are unraveled.
With the army at Matow IL is felt that
any one of several conditions might be
presented in the near future. The Chi
nese officials concurred In the belief ex-
pressed by the Chinese minister at Lon
don. that there would be a speedy and sud
den change, and peace within the next few
weeks. On the other hand, Baron Speck
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