The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-08-06
ID DELIVER MINISTERS The Chinese Government Orders Their Safe Es cort
 to Tien Tsin.
AN EDICl ISSUED AUGUST 2

AN EDICl ISSUED AUGUST Z GEN. YOUNG LU MADE RESPONSE
 BLE FOR ENTOYs' SAFETY.
 TO Have Free Comm unication With
 Their Governments-A Related Dis
 patch Received from Minister Congel
 Dated July 21-AH We'll at That Time
 Speedy Relief Hoped For.
 London, Aug. 6--4 a. m.-The shang- hai correspondent of the Daily Mall an- nounces the reception of an imperial edict dated August 2, ordering General Yung Lu to select high military and civil dignitaries, together with suffi- cient number of picked troops. to es- cort the foreign ministers to Tien Tsin as soon as they decide to leave Pekln. By the terms of the edict General Yung Lu will be held personally responsible for their safety, and he Is given full au- EuOIILy u QGtLl 6ulIllIlaAl ny WAtA lAO1G opposing the peaceful passage of the escort. "By such acts" concludes the edict. "do we show our good intentions to people from afar and open our bos- oms to them.'
 Paris, Aug. 5-7 p. m.-Cheng, direc- tor-genera1 of railway and telegraphs, has just communicated to the consuls at Shanghai, according to special dis patch to the Temps, dated August 5, an imperial decree, dated August 2, author izing the foreign ministers in Pekin to communicate without restriction with their governments and ordering their departure for Tien Tsin under good escort
 Washington, Aug. 5.--A belated mes sage from Minister Conger was receiv- ed to-day at the state department. It came through Consul Goodnow at Shanghai, who transmitted messages received by MT. Ragsdale, United States consul at Tien Tsin, from Mir Conger and MT. Squires, secretary of the Unit ed States legation at Pekin In effect, the advices are the same as those re- ceived a day or two ago by the state department from Consul Fowler at Che Foo. Mr. Goodnow's message was transmitted to President Mckinley at Canton, and MT. Adee, acting secretary of state, later in the day issued the fol- lowing statement concerning it:
 "Consul- General Goodnow in a cable gram dated Shanghai, August 5, which was received at the department of state at D. m. this Sunday, reports the receipt by Consul Ragsdale of messages from Minister Conger and the secretary of legation, MT. Squires, dated July 21, to the following effect:
 "All we'll No fighting since the 18th by agreement Enough provisions Hope for speedy relief
 "Mr. Goodnow adds that the director of posts, Sheng, had on the fifth com municated to him an imperial edict dat- ed July 30, ordering Yung Lu to provide an escort for the ministers to Tien Ts1n. The edict says the ministers can re- ceiye messages not in cipher, but not withstanding plain messages were re- turned to some consuls on August {"
 While the messages from Minister Conger and Secretary Squires bear date of July 21 the belief, founded not only upon them, but also upon collateral and later information, is that the legationers are yet safe from at least immediate harm. At present there is no means of knowing whether the ministers will ac- cept the offer of the Chinese imperial to provide an escort for them to Tten Tsin, but will accept protection for them in the British legation until the arrival of the allies. It is thought to be not un- likely that the Chinese government may be very insistent upon the departure of the ministers in the hope that If they can be got to Tien Tsin in safety the stormirg of Pekin may be averted.
 The inhibition of cipher dispatches to the ministers, while serious breach of 61iplomatic usage, is not regarded here with apprehension. The Chinese gov ernment, it Is pointed out, Is suspicious of the actions and intent of the powers and probably has adopted this precau- ton to prevent communication to the ministers of details of military move ments It is evident from the adoption of this measure that the imperial gov ernment regards itself as antagonstic to, if not actually at war with, the pow CTS. Thus far no inhibition has been placed upon cipher dispatches passing | between the various governments and | their consular representatives in China ! outside of Pekin.
 The state department has taken the l ground that the dispatch from the 1 Tsung-Li- -Yamen, delivered at the de- | partment yesterday by Minister Wu, is | not an answer, to the dispatch of Secre- tary Hay sent on August l. In that | dispatch Secretary Hay finally and de- ! cisively insisted that free coinmunica- / tion with the ministers must be estab- 1ished before any steps would be taken by this government toward a peaceful solution of the present trouble. That dispatch was sent to Consul-General Goodnow to be by him transmitted to Ii Hung Chang, The message deliver ed by Minister Wu to the state depart- ment yesterday relative to the inhibi- tion of cipher dispatches was sent by the Tsung- Li-Yamen and July 30. As of that date it already had been com municated to the department by Consul Fowler Obviously, therefore, it could not be a reply to the dispatch sent to MT Goodnow by Secretary Hay on Au- gust l. definite reply to the secre- tary's dispatch of the first instant is awaited with scme concern. not to say