Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-20
UNITED srA1Es FIRST.

victory Tor the elaNG depdl tult"N JIM
cials
UNITED STAGES FIRST.
Every country IN Cbdstendom was
employing every Agency IN It's posses
sion 10 obtain authentic news Of the be-
sleged ministers and the United states
IS the hret to give 90 the world authen-
tic and absolutely reliable word direct
from the place IN which the beleaguered
ministers are garr,souod. There is now
good reason 10 believe that the minis
tiers viii be able 10 hold out until re-
lievIng force reaches then. II they
have been able 10 stand the Siege for
almost month aftet The outside world
had given up hope there seems no rea-
son 20 fear that they VIII not DE aDle
20 hold out q little longer
"Do you regard the iact that the mes
sage o. In the state DEPARTMENT code as
conclusive evidence that it emanated
from Minister Conger" be was asked.
Might II not be possible that hay
ing massacred the people In the Amefi-
can legation, the code fell into the
hands Of the leaders 0f the Boxer move
ment. and II such were the fact they
might have framed the reply IN the
state departments code ana attached
Minister Anger's signature 10 it?'
81 rCgari such a suggestion as deal-
ing with a possibility too remote % be
seriously considered rehlied the secre-
tary "I am OF the opinion that out
siders could not have made use Of our
code and besides. the nature of the RE-
ply. with It's strong appeal Tor immedt-
ate relief is such aS would not have
been sent By any one seeking to con-
ceal a catastrophe 20 the foreigners IN
Pekln"
Does this message ia any way change
the situation or the bohcy Of this gov
ernment2'
NO CHANGE OF POLICY
q DO not see that lt does or win re-
suit IN a change OF hOlicN The allies
are organizing a COLUMN for the relief
OF the foreigners at Peku. and now IL
is known that they are alive the news
can only result In pressing forward the
column at the earliest possible mo-
ment"
Naturally IN view Of the Importance
of the communication from Mr. Couger
the FIRST impulse was 10 make sure Of
fits authenticity Secretary Hay was
himself perfectly Satisfied on that score.
Just as Secretary Long had suggested
he felt no doubt that tpe message could
convey internal eyidepce of authentlci-
~. Surprising that ths Chinese govern
ment had obtained possession
cret code it could not be
conceived what purpose It would serve
to represent the urgency Of pushing re-
lief forces toward Fekin II the i'm
penal government Is making war on
the internationals e would surely not
forward an effort 10 get foreign troops
into IT'S capital. Al least that was the
line Of reasoning at the state DEPART
ment a most significant feature OF The
Conger message WAS tte statement that
| the British legation was under con-
slant fire by the Chinese troops
/ Without qualification or explanation that
expression would seen 10 Identity the
imperial government with the attack
upon the foreign ministers He made
no mention of Boxers. but simply re-
ferred TO troops. As The state depart
ment WAS obliged % paraDhrase the
message 20 protect ne code from dis
closure, II Is not possible az this mo-
ment 10 exactly estimdte the fun signl-
fcance of the minister's language on
this point But In his last message pre-
cedng this he specified Boxers as at
lacking, and e may be that he has now
purDosely made Distinction
WHAT CONGER MEANT.
The state department officials how
| ever. feel that Mr. C0uger IN using the
term Chinese troops meant troops In
rebellion against the IMPERIAL govern
ment those under Prince Tuan's direC-
ton They find this contention entirely
logical In the FIRST blaze the Chinese
government itself has admitted that It's
troops had participated m many cases
during the Boxer movement. The APP
peals Of Minister Wa and OF other
Chinese ministers abroad 10 the Dow
ers 20 hasten their foNces 20 Pekln also
We're based on the theory that the Inn
perial government vas resisting the
rebellious troops and Boxers. Further
more, Il cannot be ACCEPTED as probable
that II the Chinese government was at
tacking the legations itself IL would
permit Mr. Couger 20 advise his own
government OF that fact. Therefore. 70
may be stated again tpat the state de-
partment Is satisfied Of two facts:
First that Mr. ConFer was alive on the
18th inst. two days ago This date IS
supplied by Consul Gen. Goodnow. it
may also have been 10 the original Ci-
pher from Mr. Conger, though the fact
does not appear In the paraphrased
copy given out by the State department.
which Is undated, In the second place
Il sim remains the opinion that the
Chinese imperial government Is not en-
couraglng but is resisting the Boxer
movement, which Is consequently an in
surrection against the utular govern
ment