Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-07-26
CO\lER HEARD FROM
A Cipher Dispatch Received from
Our Minister at Pekin.
MESSAGE ACCEPTED As AUTHENTIC.
The Fact That the Cablegram from MIN
lister Conger Il Given Scsnt Crrdencs
In London Circles Has No Dampen-
Ing Effect on Washington Officials,

Washington, July 21.--Iike n flash
of sunlight out of the dark sky came
the intelligence at an early hour yes
terday that United States Minister
Conger had sent cipher cablegram
from Pekin to the state department at
Washington, making known that two
days ago he was alive and that the
foreigners were fighting for their
safety The Chinese minister, WI
Ting Fang, received the message.
Within an hour HE welcome inteIli-
genee that Mr.. Conger had been heard
from, after weeks of silence and evil
report, was flashed throughout the
country, and, indeed, throughout the
world, dispeIine he gloom which had
prevailed everywhere and bringing to
officials and to the public generally Il
sense of profound relief. The dis
patch was in reply to Secretary Hays
cable inquiry to Minister Conger on
July II and as both messages were in
the American cipher code they were
regarded by the officials as above the
suspicion of having been tempered
with In the course OF transmission
through Chinese channels Mr.. WI
promptly communicated the dispatch
to the state department where the
translation was made from the cipher
figures, and soon all Washington was
astr with the intelligence.
1t was telegraphed by Secretary
Hay to the president, who responded
with a wholesome expression of graf
ifcation and word of it was sent to
the various cabinet officers. They
gathered in Secretary Hays office and
an impromptu cabinet conference was
held in the diplomatic chamber, main
ly for the purpose of exchanging con-
gratulations and of taking survey
of the situation to see If it had been
materially changed by this important
development. First of all, from the
standpoint of the administration Of
| hcials, the most welcome feature OF
| the message was its assurances that
the American minister himself was
alive two days ago. But with this
cheering news came the ominous
statement of Minister Conger that the
hcsieged foreigners were in the
British legation under continued shot
and shell from Chinese troops, and
that only quick relief could avert a
general massacre. After the first
flush of thankfulness, this graver
feature Of the message began to i'm
press itself upon cabinet officials most
deeply.
The government accepted the mes
sage as authentic, and Secretary Hay
transmitted 1t to all our ambassadors
and ministers abroad, with instruc-
tons to lay it before the respective
governments to which they are ac-
credited and to urge upon them the
necessity of cooperation for the i'm
mediate relief of the foreigners at
pekin. A message also was sent by
Secretary Long to Admiral Remey
conveying the intelligence of the des'
pcrate situation in Pekin and in
structing him to "use and urge every
possible endeapor for relief"
This message Secretary Long ex'
planned meant for Admiral Remey tc
himself "use" and 10 urge" upon the
commanding officers of the Other
powers the use of every endeavor fol
the relief of Pekin, Secretary Root
sent similar notification to Col
Coolidge, the senior officer ashore al
Tien Tsin. This action was the result
of the conference of Secretary Hay
Long and Root
The fact that the cablegram from
Minister Conger was given scant ere
dence in London official circles hat
no dampening effect on the optimism
OF the administration officials. Il
was pointed out by one Of the Off
cials interested, that the weight o
| international evidence in the dispatch