The age-herald., 1900-07-18
CHINESE MINISTER RECEIVES NEWS
 THAT PEKN LEGATIONS ARE SAFE
Dispatch to Mr. Wu is Signed by Chinese Officials, and Says the Foreigners in PeHn Were Safe on July 9---Shte
 Department Anxious to Accept News as Tme

Washington, July 1.-The Chinese Minis
 ter has received dispatch from the Min
 ister at London, authenticated by Cheng,
 imperial inspector of posts and teegraphs
 at Shanghai, and by the two viceroys de-
 claring that the foreigners in Pekin were
 safe on July g and were receiving the pro-
 lection of the government. This is two
 days after the reported massacre. Minister Wu has laid the message before Secretary Hay.
 The text of the dispatch received by Min ister Wu os as follows:
 "The utmost efforts have been made to protect foreign Ministers who were we'll on the 18th, Chinese calendar corresponding to our July 9. If Tien Tsin city should be destroyed it would be difficult to restore the same in one hundred years. Request the powers to preserve it, as the conse- ouences would affect Chinese and foreign
 commerce. Earl Lii Hung Chang is trans
 ferred as viceroy to Chi Li Please trans
 init this dispatch to the Ministers at other
 capitals
 This dispatch, which is dated July 16, was signed by Viceroy Liu Kun Vi and Chang
 Chi Tung of Ranking, and Wu Chang re-
  posts and telegraphs at Shanghai. It was addressed to the Chinese Minister in London and by him transmitted to Min ister Wu under todays date.
 In accordance with the request contained in the cablegram Minister Wu asked Secre- tary Hay to agree with the other powers to preserve Tien Tsin from destruction.
 The secretary's answer was not made pub
 lie, but Minister Wu believes that the de-
 struction already has occurred. He regards the cablegram as perfectly authentic. Minister Wu received the dispatch about Il o'clock this morning and was greatly pleased at this satisfactory turn of events. He started at once for the State Depart ment, where he remained with Secretary Hay for some time. Besides presenting to Mr. Hay the contents of his dispatch, Min ister Wu also officially executed the direc- tion for an appeal to the powers not to de- stroy the walled city of Tien Tsin. So
 far as the United States is concerned, there has been purpose wantonly to destroy this walled city, although the latest news from the scene of action indicates that the walls themselves have been battered down and a considerable portion of the city de- stroyed MT. Wu said afterward that he feared the destruction of the city was little short of complete.
 Confident of Accuracy The Minister expressed the most cont- dence in the accuracy of the message snow ing that the foreign Ministers were well on the 9th instant. When a by-stander ex- pressed some doubt on this subject Minister Wu inquired with some warmth: Why is it that you believe the exaggerated reports coming from unknown sources, and yet you ,, choose to doubt this report signed by our highest officials and containing inherent evidence of accuracy"
 F-I, Tf,.fet tan nf1 fn Ch dispatch contained three distinct state
 ments. One of them, the appointment of Ii Hung Chang as Viceroy of Chi h. had been confirmed already by the State Department. Moreover he said that all three statements bore evidence of having originated at Pekin, including that to Ii Hung Chang,
 whose appointment necessarily must orig mate with the government at Pekin. The appointment of Earl Ii as Viceroy of Chi Lii is considered by Minister Wu as one of the most important developments in the , entire situation. Chi u is the great province in which Pekin is located, and is
 the very heart of the Boxer movement, so that the great Viceroy now assumes su-
 preme power at the point of greatest power.
 Minister Wu is satisfied that if Ii Hung Chang had been at Pekin there would have been no such outbreak as has occur
 red, as the Viceroy Is a stern military man, who believes in nipping such movements in the bud.
 Anxious to Accept It The State Department officials are anx- ious to accept Wu's message as accurate, but there are some clouds of doubt about It. The question naturally arises, as it has
 many times in the past two weeks, if the Chinese government can communicate in this way with its representatives abroad, why can it not permit the foreign minis- ters represented to be under its protection also to communicate with their govern ments?
 In answer to the other question as to what purpose would be served by mis- representation of facts in this fashion. it is pointed out that one result desired by the Chinese would be the preservation of