Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-21
WORD FROM coNeeR.
Continued from page H.

he sat in suppressed anxiety to receive
the message.
| Mr.. WI himself was ignorant Of
what he had in his hand. because the
message was in the state department
cipher: an apparently meaningless
mass of figures and periods.
Secretary Hay at once called for Sec
ond Assistant Secretary Adee, and the
two distinguished officials themselves
set to work translating the cipher in
to English. This occupied nearly half
an hour. The first movement of Sec
rotary Hay upon deciphering the mes
sage was to make copy and dispatch
this by messenger in haste to the
White House. with a request to the
telegraphers there to forward it at the
earliest possible moment to President
Mckinley for his information.
Then Secretary Hay. remembering
the intense public anxiety to have It'd
ings from the Americans in Pekin,
caused his private secretary to prepare
copies of the messages he had receiv-
ed, thoughtfully accompanying them
with an explanatory statement that
these copies were given to the newspa-
per men who, by this time seeming
the fact that news of the greatest i'm
portance had come, were crowdng the
broad corridor before the secretary's
office.
Then Secretary Hay betook himself
to the war department to convey the
news in person to Secretary Root and
to Secretary Long, who We're together
at the time.
After the short consultation in Sec
rotary Root office, Secretary Long up
on emerging into the corridor, was
showered with congra tulations by
large thronE of department employees
and newspaper men who had congre-
gated there. AS the one member of
the cabinet who has consistently main
tanned during the dark days in which
others had given up all hope of the
safety of the foreigners in Pekin, the
news that our minister was alive a few
days ago, was much in the nature of
a personal triumph for him. His face
beamed with the pleasure he expert
enced and he expressed his gratifica-
ton and rejoicing at the confirmation
of his theory
I'VE are all happy over the good It'd
ings.' he said. II have hardly had time
to think of the exact effect Of the news
on the situation. but it removes one Of
the great elements Of doubt and leaves us
free to hope for the rescue Of the foreign
ers in Pekin. 1t is a great victory for the
state department of the United States.
Every country in Christendom was
employing every agency in its possession
to obtain authentic news of the besieged
ministers, and the United States is the
first to give to the world authentic and
absolutely relia BILE word direct from the
place In which the beleaguered ministers
are garrisoned.
There is now good reason to believe
that the ministers will be a BILE to hold out
until relieving force reaches them. If
they have been able to stand the siege
for almost a month after the outside
world had given up hope. there seems no
reason to fear that they will not be able
to hold out a little longer
DO you regard the fact that the mes
sage is in the state department code as
conclusive evidence that it emanated
from Minister Conger?" he was askel
Might il not be possible that, having
massacred the people in the American
legation. the code fell into the hands of
the leaders of the Boxer movement, and
if such were the fact, could they not have
framed the reply in the state depart
ments code, and attached Minister Con-
gers signature to it?"
Il regard such a suggestion as dealing
with a possibility too remote to be seri-
ously considered" replied the secretary.
II am of the opinion that outsiders could
not have made use of our code. and be-
side the nature Of the reply, with its
strong appeal for immediate relief. is
such as would not have been sent by any
one seeking to conceal a catastrophe to
the foreigners in Pekin.'
Docs this message in any way change
the situation or the policy.o of our govern
ment?''
Il do not see that ii does, or will result
in change of policy. The allies are or
ganizing a column for the relief of the
foreigners at Pekn and now that it is
known that they are alive. the news can
only result in pressing forward the col
umn at the earliest possible moment"
The cabinet council between Secretaries
Hay, Root and Long lasted about Is min
utes The postmaster general and sccre-
Il
statement was given out after the con
ference.
The state department at II A. NJ, is
sued the following bulletin:
THE secretary of state received, this
morning. dispatch from Consul Fowler
at Che Foo. dated midnight, July 49, say
ing Shanghai paper of the 10Th said all
foreigners were murdered. Fowler wired
the government demanding the truth.
The governor replied that his courier left
pekin on the 11th and all then were safe,
but Pekin east city had been carried by
rebels with intent to kill
The secretary of state also received
telegram from Consul Fowler at Che Foo
dated the afternoon of the Goth, saying
that he had received the following tele-
gram from the governor of Shan Tung,
dated 10 o'clock:
Received flying express from the
Tsung Ii Yamen forwarding cipher tclc-
gram dated July Is. from American Min
lister at Pekin, which l have transmitted
and by which you will see that the news
paper accounts are entirely rumors."
The state department has also received
a dispatch from Consul Fowler, dated
night. July 20, in which he communicates
the following message. telegraphed to him
that day by the governor of Shan TunS: