The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-20
MINISTER CONGBR'S Fate
Absence of News From Pekin In
creases Anxiety.
No Message From Amcrica's Repre-
sentative for II Wcck-PrcparatiOn
Made to Send Additional Forces to
Chinn-LfScum Instructed to Land
and Proceed to the Capital.


from Pekin, Tientsin. or Taku yesterday.
and the anxiety of the President and his
advisers has been increased accordingly.
1t is just week since the last message
from Minister Conger was received. Tien'
tsin, where the international relief column
is supposed to have retreated. perhaps
fighting as hard as it is believed to have
fought before Pekin, has been cut off from
telegraphic communication with the out
side world for several days. Apparently
| the possession OF the Chinese forts at the
mouth of the Pei-Ho by the allied naval
forces has not given the allies control
over the cable station at Taku, for all the
messages from that place have been sent
by despatch boat to Chefoo and tele-
graphed thence. 1t is most remarkable
situation.
The chief concern OF tie Government Is
over the safety Of Minister Conger. his
family, and the American Legation staff.
No news is not accepted as good news In
this case, for it is taken to mean that ;ne
Chinese capital is in control of those who
are unfriendly to foreign interests. Else.
Il
ing of the fate of the foreign diplomatic
representatives would be permitted to be
transmitted from Pekin.
The officials are clinging to the hope that
the Chinese Government is protecting the
foreigners and that the absence of in
formation is due to the cutting of the tele-
graph lines from Pekin by the Boxers.
But this hope is a faint one. as those who
profess to hold it freely admit. Not one
in a dozen of the officials of the Govern
ment Will deny that he believes the re-
ports of few days ago that the foreign
legations in Pekin are in possession Of
the mobs and that some members of the
diplomatic corps have been captured and
PERHAPS killed.
In this state of uncertainty the Govern
ment can do nothing except prepare for
the expected emergency. More prepara-
tions were made yesterday for sending
additional forces to Taku. and plans for
entering upon military campaign of a
comprehensive nature in China are under
consideration. In addition to the orders
TO the battleship Oregon and the gunboats
Yorktown, Nashville. and Monocacy to
join the flagship Newark at Taku, the
Navy Department has directed Admiral
Remey at Cayite to have the gunboats
Princeton and Marietta prepared for serv-
ice under Kempff's pennant. The training
ship Buffalo, now at Southampton. Eng
land, has been ordered to proceed with
despatch to Manila, SO that her 400 men
may be placed at the disposal of Admiral
Remey.
This action will enable Remey to send
to kempff an equal number of men from
the feet in the Philippines for shore duty
in China. Remey is acting with that
pronptness and efficiency which made his
administration OF the naval base at Key
West in the Spanish-American war SO ad-
mirable. It was his good work there
which won his command of the Asiatic
feet, the most important naval assign
ment at the disposal Of the Government.
Remey informed the Navy Department
yesterday by telegraph that the supply
ship Zafiro. a vessel purchased by Admir-
al Dewey at Hongkong in April, 1898, was
at Cavite. ready for use as a transport
for the army or the navy. He sent also
a prompt response to the departments
instructions about the Princeton and Mari
eta. They were at Cavite, he said,
standing by for orders"
The character of the instructions to COL
onel Liscum. of the Ninth Infantry. are in
teresting He has been ordered to 90 to
Tal.u aud after landing there TO proceed to
Pekin. where he is to report to Minister
Conger if that cffcial is alive. Ii was ex-
planned by a high official of the Govern
ment that Liscum's instructions were such
that he would be obliged to get to Pekin
against all odds. He must fight his way
through if opposed. He is not to report TO
Admiral Kemptf for orders, but it is sup
posed at the War Department that the
Ninth will not start for Pekin until Colonel
Liscum has had conference with the ad-
miral.
The sending of more ships is under
consideration. Should there be confirma
tion of the reports about the burning of
the foreign legations and the defeat of
the international column. the cruiser
Albany, now at Southampton. England.
will probably be ordered to Taku SO that
her crew may be used 70. shore duty.
For some reason not explained. the Navy
Department is disinclined to send the
cruiser New Orleans. now at Cavite. Men
more than ships are needed, however, and
the crew of the New Orleans may be taken
to Taku on transport.
The State Department has received in
formation that at least i, 900 foreign SOL
diers. sailors, and marines will be thrown
into China. Mr.. De Wollant, the Charge
d'Affairs of Russia. has informed the De-
partment that his Government is sending
1000 men from Port Arthur Germany,
France, and Japan arc to send large de-
tachments. The American land forces row
in China or bound thither number about
$500 men.