The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-21
SAFETY OF LEGATIONS
Minister Conger's Message
That They Were Alive
on July 18.
THEIR POSITION DANGEROUS
UNDER CONTINUED SHOT AND
SHELL FROM CHINESE.

Immediate Relief imperative to Pre-.
vent N General Massacre-some Doubi
About the Date of the Message-Gov.
ernOr of shnn Tung Declares 1t 10 br
July 1s-Government Accepts the
Message as Authentic but London Still
Doubts
Washington, July 20.--Like a flash of
sunlight out of the dark sky came the
intelligence at an early hour to-day
that United States Minister Conger had
sent cipher cable dispatch from Pc
kin to the state department at Wash
ington making known that two days
ago he was alive and that the foreign
Chinese minister, WI Tung Fang, re-
ceived the message. Within an hour
the welcome intelligence that Conger
had been heard from, after weeks of
silence and evil report, was flashed
through the country and indeed
throughout the world, dispelling the
gloom which had prevailed everywhere
and bringing to officials and to the
public generally a sense of profound
relief. The dispatch was in reply to
Secretary Hays cable inquiry to Minis
ter Conger on July 18th, and as both
messages were in the American cipher
code they were regarded by the Off
cials as above the suspicion of having
been tampered with in the course of
transmission through Chinese channels.
Mr.. Wu promptly communicated the
dispatch to the state department
where the translation was made from
the cipher figures and soon all Wash
ington was astir with the intelligence
TX ofConGef's Dispn CHI.
The text of Minister Conger's mes
sage as given out by the state depart
ment follows:
"In British legation. Under contin-
ued shot and shell from Chinese troops.
Quick relief only can prevent general
massacre"
The message was not dated, but it
was understood that 1t was sent from
Pekin on the 18th.
An Official Statement.
The state department later gave out
the following statement:
"On the 11th of this month the state
department communicated a brief mes
cage asking tidings Of Minister Conger
in the state department code Minister
WI undertook to get this into Minister
j. g l..
has succeeded in doing this. This
morning the state department received
a telegram from Consul General Good
now at Shanghai, saying:
g The governor of Shan-Tung in
forms me that he has received to-day
cipher message from Conger on the
18th
"a few minutes later Minister Wu
appeared at the state department with
a telegram from Taotai Sheng dated
goth July, which had been received by
Minister WI at $3.50 o'clock this morn
ing, reading as follows:
Your telegram was forwarded and,
as requested, I send reply from the
Tsung Ii Yamen as follows: You
telegram of the 18th day of this moon
11th JULY received The state depart
ment telegram has been handed to Min
lister Conger. Herewith Is Minister
Congers reply to the state depart
ment."
The dispatch of Minister Conger is
then given, after which the statement /
contfnues This reply was In the
state department cipher, and 1t is re-
garded by the state department as gen.
uine inasmuch as forgeries seem under
the circumstances impossible"
Another statement issued by the state
department this morning was as fol-
lows:
"The secretary of state received this
morning a dispatch from Consul Fow-
Ter at Che Foo, dated midnight 49, say
ing a Shanghai paper of the 18th said
all foreigners murdered. Fowler wired
the governor demanding the truth. The
governor replied that his courier left
Pekin on 18th and all then were safe,
but Pekin East city had been carried
by rebels with intent to kill"
O'hcr onfirmnto"y Adv'cr..
Later in the day several messages
ere received from United States Con-
sui Fowler at Che Foo, all strongly con-
firmat tory of the news that the foreign
nrS were dllNe Inc llTSl VI llleSe us
patches was dated the afternoon of the
20th saying that he had received the
following telegram from the governor
1f Shang Tung, dated 10 o'clock: RE
,eived flying express from the Tsung Ii
Yamen forwarding cipher telegram
lated July is, from American minister
Pekin. which l have transmitted and
oy which you will see that the newspa-
Der accounts are entirely rumors."
The second of these dispatches from {
Consul Fowler was dated night, July 90
md he communicates the following
Message telegraphed to him that day
,y the governor of Shan Tung: 6
"I have just received definite informa- '
ion that the various ministers in Pekin /
ire well and the proper Chinese author '
ties are devising measures for their l.
escue and protection c
This message is signed by Yuan, the a
,overnor Of Shan Tung. II