The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-29
ago had supplied provisions TO legations.
Am satisfied ministers out of distress.
A y


sYITAN Covernor'
Consul McWade stated that the vice.
roy, Tax, had assured him the ministers
were all alive and well on July "a
The Chinese minister came TO the State
Department early expressly to deliver an
edicJ received by him TO Secretary Hay.
Ii is similar in form to the edict pub
lished yesterday in London. The minister
says the only differences are those in
voived in separate translations Mr.. Wu's
translation of Sheng's dispatch is as fol-
lows.
"Edict of 2Sth of sixth moon GORE
spending TO July pa states that fortunately
all ministers, except Baron Won ketteler,
are alive and unharmed. They are now
beinS supplied with vegetables. fruits and
pfONlSiODS by the government, to show its
sympathy for them"
III Mr.. Wu had any doubt as to the safe
" OF the ministers il seems to have been
dissipated by this edict. He labored earn
estly with Secretary Hay TO convince him
that he was bound TO accept this official
declaration OF the Chinese government. He
pointed out that this last declaration diff
sered materially from most of the other
statements that have emanated from Chi
nese sources in the important fact that it
did net report merely the belief of minor
official or "a yiceroy; it was a solemn dec
making the statement touching the minis
ters the Chinese government therefore
sumed a serious responsibility TO the world
at large. lie declared that IL could not be
conceived that such responsibility would
be lightly assumed. and therefore he. Mr..
WI. die not hesitate TO assert his posi-
tive personal convictions that the minis
ters were alive on July "a
When his attention was called TO the
apparent failure of Yuan Shih Kai to ac-
cede to Consul FowIer's request that the
allied admirals be put into communication
with the ministers, Mr.. Wu shrugged his
shoulders in a deprecatory manner, and
merely replied that the Chinese were so
different from other people that the usual
tests could not be applied to them; it would
not be possible to predict what they would
do under conditions that would be easily
met by Europeans or Americans. He could
not say when an answer might be expected
to his. last message to Mr.. Conger.
It IS believed here that the last assur-
ance of Yuan was in answer to the spe-
citic demand of the foreign admirals for
direct communication. Yuans announce
ment that the imperial government at Pek-
ing not only asserts the safety of the
ministers but declares that they have been
provisioned, if accepted true, indicates
that the ministers have been communicated
with. The inquiry then naturally arises
TO many people: If the ministers have
been provisioned why does not the Chinese
government, knowing as it does that the
whole world is demanding direct mes
sage from the besieged legationers, allow
them to communicate with their govern
ment? Why not furnish direct and un-
equivocal evidence of the safety Of the
ministers instead of this repetition of an
assurance which the world hesitates to ac-
cept? The failure to pursue the direct
method which must be available tends al
most irresistibly to the suspicion that
something has happened in Peking which
the Chinese government desires TO conceal
from the powers; that it is afraid to allow
the true story to be revealed until some
sort of terms have been made with the
powers, which are waiting at the gates
OF the empire. Just what that something
is furnishes a fruitful theme for specu-
lation, but no satisfactory conclusion can
be reached until the forces enter Peking
or the legationers arrive at Tien-Tsn
Special Commissioner Rockhill called at
the State Department this morning and
had a final conference with Secretary Hay
respecting his mission to China. It was
not deemed proper to make public the
exact instructions given to Mr. Rockhill
but it is stated generally that he is being
sent out to ascertain the conditions in
China for the guidance of the State De-
partment and to serve as its direct repre-
sentative in that country, in case it should
be necessary hereafter to conduct nego-
tiations there instead of in Washington
There is also possibility that commits
sioner will be required on the spot in case
anything in the nature of an international
commission is created to deal with the
Chinese question. Mr.. Rockhin left Wash
ington at D. m. for the Pacific slope.
stopping at Chicago for day en- route.