Evening star., 1900-07-25
A DELAYED DISPATCH
Message From Minister Conger Writ
ten July 4.
PEKIN WITHOUT CIVIL GOVERNMENT
A Notable Similarity to the Cipher
Communication.
COMM ENTS OF MR.. WI

Secretary Long received the following i'm
portant dispatch this morning from Cap
tain Thomas, the senior officer present at
Taku:
CHEFOO, July "a. 1900.
Bureau Of Navigation, Washington:
Written message, signed Conger, dated
July 4, received at Tien Tsin twenty-first.
says: Been besieged two weeks in British
legation; grave danger of a general massa-
ere by Chinese soldiers who are shelling
legation daily. Relief must come soon if at
all. City without government except by
Chinese army. Determined massacre Of all
foreigners in Pekin. Entry of relief force
into city will probably be hotly contested"
Taku. %. THOMAS.
Facts Established by Message.
The message from Minister Conger which
came over the wires from Captain Thomas
this morning was the first communication
of unquestionable authenticity which has
been received from the American minister
at Pekin since his urgent appeal for help
of June r. 1t establishes clearly the fact
that the American minister, and probably
the other legations, were alive on July f.
though in sore straits. Therefore it COM
pletely and finally disposes of the first
stories that were published from Shanghai
it does not in itself negative the subse-
quent reports of the massacre on July g.
two days later than the day of the dis
patch. But the officials here feel that there
is quite as much reason to believe that the
second report was false as in the case of
the first report, now shown to have been
erroneous.
notable omission in Mr.. Conger's dis
patch is the failure to mention the assas-
stnation of the German minister at Pekin
which surely occurred many days before he
wrote his message. 1t is also noticed that
this mornings dispatch is dated two weeks
before the famous cipher message from Mr.
Conger produced here by Minister Wu
Notable Similarity.
There is a notable similarity in some
statements in the two dispatches. For in
stance, in his dispatch Of July Mr. Con-
ger says that the British legation building
is being daily shelled by Chinese soldiers
In his cable message of alleged date July
IL he reports that the legation was under
continuous fire of shot and shell This
might cast strong doubt upon the date
of the famous cipher dispatch and would
go far toward confirming the original sus-
picion in that case. that the cipher dis
patch, though genuine, was a captured dis
patch of back date.
This similarity of the dispatch from Min
lister Conger dated July A. and the dispatch
received from Mr.. Conger dated July lS
received through the Chinese minister, has
been commented upon, but Acting Secre-
tary Hill does not think that the dispatch
received today necessarily discredits the
dispatch of later date.
Quick Communications
An encouraging feature of the message
today is the indication that direct tele-
graphic communication has been restored
between the cable ends at Shanghai and
Chefoo. The. news dispatches have been
delayed a full week lately between Chefoo
and Tfen Tsn, and this relief is very CRATE
fully received. This Conger message was
apparently regarded as so important by
our naval commander as to warrant the
use of a torpedo boat some other ex-
tremely rapid means of locomotion for
but three days We're consumed in getting
the message from Tien Tsin, via Taku to
Cfefoo.
Lii Detained as Hostage?
The State Department has received a
dispatch from Consul General Goodnow at
Shanghai, which was not made public This
dispatch contained information concerning
Ii Hung Chang, and said that the earl
would not leave Shanghai at present but
would conduct his negotiations from that
place. While no statement to the effect
was made, there was an intimation that the
powers represented In Shanghai had prob
ably detained Earl Ii a matter of pre-
caution and in order to have the negotia-
tons conducted where they could be
scrutintzed by the representatives of differ
ent governments. While Consul General
Goodnow has heretofore discredited the re-
ports of the safety of the foreign ministers
at Pekn the dispatch of today does not say
anything either of hopeful nature nor
does 1t tend to confirm the view expressed
by Mr.. Goodnow heretofore. In fact, 1t
was stated at the department that there
was nothing in the dispatch to change the
conditions in the least to clear up the
mystery which surrounds the situation in
China.
Minister wu Hopeful.
Minister Wu was not at the State Depart
ment during the day and the department
has not been advised that any reply has
been received to the response of President
Mckinley to the Chinese emperor. nor has
there been any reply to the second message
sent to Minister Conger 1t is believed,
however tnat When reply lS received 1t
will contain a statement which will show
positively whether 1t Is from the minister
or whether 1t has been concocted by those
who are in control at Pekin for the purpose
of deceving the outside world.
Minister WI was feeling very hopeful
today regarding the outlook for sails
factory solution Of the troubles which have
beset his country.
THE aspect is brighter now" he said to
a Star reporter who called on him. 1T is
evident the government is doing all it can
to protect the ministers, and the insurgents
are not so aggressive. They are being
controlled"
Chinese Minister'a Comment.
The Chinese minister was shown the Con-
ger message soon after it reached WASH
ington. He read the communication with
interest, and seemed well satisfied with
the information it conveyed. He called at
tentton to the fact that this, at least was
unquestionabiy a genuine communication.
and proved that the legations, though in
danger on the 4th. were not in absolute
extremity.
otch he