Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1900-08-10
WILD RUMORS FROM China
MORE EDICTs WERE ISSUED
Plans of the War Offce-Massacre Is
More War Ships at Shanghai
Views of Germany, France and
England.

Washington, July 29-The day brought
forth the usual crop of edicts and reports
from various quarters and the usual visit
from Minister WI to the state department
bearing directly upon the welfare of the
ministers in Pekin. This constantly grow
ing mass of assertions is beginning to have
d cumulative effect upon the skeptics and
there is noticeable increase in the hope
full view taken in the state of affairs to-
day. Beyond the fact that it is scarcely
conceivable the Chinese authorities should
persist in repeating and strengthening
these stories up to the rapidly approach
ing moment when the whole truth must
be disclosed by other agencies, it appeared
upon careful consideration of the reports
that there really was little more ground
for hope as to the safety of Mr.. Conger
and his colleagues at Pekin today than
there was yesterday.
The depressing fact is always in mind
that the Chinese authorities by their own
statements are able to communicate with
the legationers but, for some mysterious
reason, do not permit these unfortunates
to communicate with their own govern
ments. Minister Wu's explanation of this
that the Chinese methods are different
from our owns scarcely sufficient for
the officials here The minister, however,
is honestly trying to get a further COM
munication through from Mr.. Conger, and
it may be that success in this undertaking
will afford him brilliant vindication. At
least he shows a wonderful lot of con-
fidence in the fate of the legations and
manages to impress this in degree upon
the officers and others with whom he
comes in contact.
There is nothing of interest from China
respecting the military Or naval forces
there. The war officials now calculate that
General Chaffee, with his troops on the
Grant, will arrive at Taku this evening"
though it may be several days before his
report of the fact can reach the depart
ment. The irregular and unsatisfactory
character of the present system OF COM
munication between Taku and the cable
office has been taken into account by the
war department, and it is said that one
of Chaffee's first acts on taking command
of the United States forces ashore at Taku
and Tientsin will be to establish a line
OF rapid boats running from Tientsin to
Shanghai Or Nagasaki.
While the positive statement is made
that it is not the present intention to send
any more troops from Manila to China,
at the same time it is known that all con-
tingencies have been canvassed and that
if an emergency should arise in China
IN haua aH1i.
tional troops, they would he drawn from
the Philippines for temporary duty at
least. Some time ago General Macarthur
was advised by Secretary Root to main
tain sufficient transports to carry supplies
between Manila and Taku and these thus
would be available for emergency troops.
The Pennsylvania, Indiana and Sumner,
when the latter arrives at Manila, will
probably be held for service between Ma
Mia and Taku and are available for the
contingency, but the department does not
expect it to arise.
Chinese Reports of Safety.
Washington, July 29.-The secretary of
state has received the following dispatch
from Mr.. Fowler, the American consul at
Chefoo, dated at midnight on the 26th:
"This morning, by request of the allied
admirals, L wired the governor supposed
to be the governor of Shan Tung) their
wish to get news from ministers them
selves. The governor replies:
50 have received today edict from the
emperor saying that the ministers are
well. They are sending provisions to the
I oonHdanf thn or
are out of distress, and request you
(Fowler) to transmit this preliminary an
nouncement of the admirals.
"'YUAN, Governor
A later dispatch from Fowler, dated l
a. M, 9th, to the state department, is as
follows:
Another telegram from the governor
says: 4 have received an imperial edict
of the oath, saying that the various min
listers, except the German, are well and
that some days ago the governor had
provided provisions to the legations.
am satisfied the ministers are out of dis
hess. YUAN, Governor
Secretary Hay also has received a cable
gram from United States Consul McWade
at Canton, stating that the viceroy TAX
assures him that the ministers were all
alive and well on July "a.
Paris, July 29.-The Chinese minister at
Paris, Yukeng, has received the follow
ing imperial dispatch, dated July "a:
Foreign ministers are, happily, at the
present time safe and sound, with the
exception of Won Ketteler. We are hav- |
ing the foreign legations supplied with
provisions and fruits as token of the
interest we feel in them"
Confirms Report of Massacre.
New York, July 29.-Cable messages
were received by both the Presbyterian
board of foreign missions and the Amer
lean Bible society, corroborative of the re-
port that the missionaries at Pao Ting Flu
had been massacred.
Minister Reported Killed.
London, July 29.-The Daily Mails
Shanghai correspondent telegraphs that a
Russian banker who left Pekin July and
arrived at Shanghai Wednesday, July 25,
says that when he left Pekin all the le-
cations had been destroyed and all the
foreigners murdered. The ministers, see