The evening times., 1900-07-26

called on DR.. Hill, the Acting Secretary OF
State, this morning. and spent some time
with him In the diplomatic room Of the
STATE Department. The minister had no
news and had come, he explained in the
hope that the State Department had re-
ceived some advices from China. His con-
versatiOn with DR.. Hill was not important,
being devoted TO a discussion OF the situa-
tion with particular reference to the con-
Trajectory reports concerning the safety Of
/ the foreigners at Pekin.
Minister Wu's faith that the ministers
are safe and being protected apparently
remains unshaken. 1t is noteworthy that
with all the prevailing suspicion as to the
honesty OF the Chinese officials in the
present crisis the Government authorities
here have the greatest confidence IN the
sincerity OF Mr. Wu and are satisfied that
his word Is TO be trusted in every way.
Mr. WI is showing the effects OF the
strain under which he has been for more
than a month. He looks tired and anxious
When he left the diplomatic room today he
asked The Times reporter for news and
showed keen interest in the cable des-
patches about the Chinese situation which
the reporter read TO him He declined. how
ever, TO comment on any Of the infOrma-
tt5a contained IN the dispatches, but
( laughed incre5ulously at the statement
that Ii Hung Chang had told the Russian
and italian coasuls at Shanghai after re-
ferriEg 10 the foreign ministers, that "the
other Europeans were Of no Importance
Acting Secretary Hill was very rcticent
when asked about the statement that Con
sui General Goodnow had visited Il Hung
Chang under Instructions lie aid not
commit himself in that connection.
Thomas W Cridler. Third Assistant See
retaTy Ct State. who has charge of the dis
tribution Of the cipher code books Of the
State Department. told a Times reporter
today that there was 10 ground for the as
sertiCn that a missing copy Of the code
was supposed TO have fallen into the haEGs
Of the Chinese Government. I ,.ou't say
whether We have ever lost any copies Of
the code" he said, but ! viii say that
there is not the slightest thing to warrant
US 10 suspect that China got a copy No
copy Of the code was ever lost in China
As 10 the int.matIon that the despatch
signed with the name Of Mr.. Conger was
written in an old cipher Of the State De-
p2rtment. that is untrue. 1t came in the
cipher which the American legation at
Pekin WIS instructed to use"
The statement was made today by an
Of cial Of the State Department familiar
with the departments cipher code and
who has seen the cipher copy Of the dcs-
patch to which Mr.. Conser's name was at
tached. that there was something in the
Conger message which convinced him aud
other officials that the message was writ
ten by Mr- Conger or Mr.. Squiers. the
First Secretary Of the American Legation
He would not say what was in the des-
patch to justify his assertion, but he main
tanned that every element OF doubt in con
necticn with the authenticity OF the mes
sage, except that it was an old Que that
had been withheld by the Chinese autho-i-
ties, hqd been eliminated. The message
was unquestionably. he said. written by
either Mr. Conger or Mr.. Squiers.
The Navy Department. so a high ofi-iaI
said, had not received any response to its
telegram to Admiral Remsv directing him
TO send a statement Of the number Of 81
lied troops on Chinese soil. He said that
he department had not heard from Ad-
mir.i Remey whether the question OF tie
selection of a commander-in-chief OF the
allied forces had been settled. Admiral
Rerley was sent Instructions to consult
with all the foreign commanders on that
subject, and it was supposed that his visit
to Tiertsin this week vas in obedience to
them.
He was told that while the United States
Government did not insist that its senior
officer should be selected, il held that the
claims of all the Governments in this re-
gard should be canyassed and thai selec-
tion should not be confined to the officer
Of highest rank or the officer commanding
the force Of the country sending the largest
representation 1t is maintained by some
officials here that if selection is to be made
by seniority of rank. the determination Of
relative rank should sbe made-on the basis
Of considering that the highest officer in
each military establishment occupied equal
rank
The highest grade in any military ser
vice is field marshal. Therefore, according
to those who make this argument. Lieu
tenant General Miles being the highest
officer of the United States service would
have the relative rank of field marshal If
engaged in cooperation with foreign com
manders. The next lowest grade in the
United States Army is major general. cor
responding to that Of general if the com
pariSOn is carried out, in the armies that
have field marshals.
Therefore, it is contended that Major
General Chaffee ranks relatively with a
general, and as such would be entitled
if the seniority rule be adopted in select
ing a commander, to command the allied
forces, unless a field marshal is sent to
China by Japan.
No news in regard to the situation at Pc
kin came to the Government today. The
State Department did not receive des-
patch from any consular officer in China
the officials say. and the naval authorities
state that their only information from A6-
miral Remey was contained in the des-
patch made public this morning
Dr. Shades Electric PnrIors.