Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-21
Extracts From Telegram Received Last
Night Made Public.
LAST EFFORT At DIFFERENTIATION
He Does Not Yet Know Where
Imperial Family Is.
TWO VICEROYS' REQUEST

| today centered attention on the Chinese
/ question, as it was known that the govern
| ment had received an important message
| from Minister Conger and communications
| and advices from many sources which would
| occupy the attention Of the President and
! his advisers Early in the day the Chinese
| minister arrived at the State Department
| and delivered a formal request from the
| viceroys of Marking and Human that the
| emperor and dowager empress be not sub
| jected to indignity and humiliation. and
giving assurance that if this was done they
/ would continue their work of maintaining
| quiet in the empire south of Pekin.
| Already the European powers had re-
| ceived this appeal, and there had been an
| exchange between the governments on the
subject. The French government was ready
to answer that the persons of their majes-
ties would not be violated, and it was be-
| lieved this would be the general course
| adopted. There was also the application of
| the Chinese government, made yesterday
| through Lii Hung Chang, for the appoint
| ment of Minister Conger or some other
| commissioner to negotiate for the cessation
| of hostilities and general peace.
Reply to Lii Hung's Appeal.
| 1t developed further today that Earl Lii
| had signied his intention of leaving Shang-
| hal for Pekin as soon as he could hear from
| the powers. The official statement was
| made just prior to the meeting of the cab
| met that the reply of the United States
| to China's application would be one of the
main questions to come before the cabinet.
Although the nature of the reply was not
made known 1t was still considered as GER
| tain that it would in effect reject China's
| overture because of the failure to comply
with the American demand Of August II.
The officials were desirous, however, of re-
! framing from conjecture, and stated that
when the governments attitude was made
known 1t would be by a formal announce
ment, giving both the application Of China
and the response of the United States
Late Advices From Conger.
But much more interesting and important
| than the diplomatic maneuvering was the
| knowledge that the cabinet would have be-
| fore it full and late advices from Minister
| Conger. 1t became known early in the day
] that message had been received from the
American minister at Pekin. 1t came last
night, but pending its consideration by the
| cabinet both it's subject and text were
withheld. 1t nevertheless opened a wide
| field for conjecture and formed the basis for
| many speculative reports. AS the message
| did not come through Minister WI, it was
| evident that the government was receiving
communications direct from Minister Con-
ger.
Besides the Conger message the State De-
partment had heard from Consul Fowler
| at Chefoo but this message related to tech
nical routine affairs, and was not made
| public.
Todays application of the Chinese vice.
roys is in effect request that the Chinese
| sovereigns shall not be made prisoners of
| war. 1t is said that the powers are author
| ized under the rules and practice of inter-
national law, to accede to this request or
| not as they may deem best. The request
| is not one of right, but its granting Is de-
| pendent entirely upon what the powers
| may consider best for their own interests.
1t is an established principle of interna-
| tional law that members of the enemys
| royal family, his chief of state and his
| diplomatic agents are liable to capture even
| though they may not be actually engaged
| in hostile operations. Their position makes
| them important to the enemy in the con-
| duct of his war that they cannot be treated
as ordinary non-combatants."
| In the present case there is well-grounded
| belief that the sovereigns, especially the
, empress dowager have been instrumental
| in directing hostile movements, and Minis
| ter Conger's advices have stated that the
| imperial forces were besiegng the lega-
tions.
| Extracts From the Telegram.
| Shortly before noon the State Depart
| ment made public extracts from tele
gram received last night from Minister
Conger. 1t was given in the following Of
| fetal statement:
| UNITED STATES LEGATION, PEKIN
| Via Chefoo, August %.
Received $50 am
Secretary of State, Washington:
Saved Relief arrived today. Entered
city with little trouble. Do not yet know
| where imperial family Is. Except deaths
| already reported, all Americans alive and
| well. Desperate effort made last night to
| exterminate us. Mitchell. American sailor
| and Russian and Japanese wounded; Ger
| man killed. Advise Woodward. Chicago;
| Conger, Des Moines; Sims, Council Bluffs;
| Conger, Pasadena: Porter, Paris.
CoNGER.
By Fowler, Chefoo, August 90
| 1t will be observed that the portions
given are but extracts from Minister Con-
gers message. 1t was stated that these
| portions cover such features of Minister
Conger's message as the government de-
SlFeS 10 make puDllc at tnlS time. Inc en-
| tire message was before the cabinet, and
the portions not given out doubtless refer
| to questions Of policy and to Chinese inter-
| nal affairs, upon which the minister speaks
as the adviser Of the government rather
| than as the medium Of communicating ac-
| tual occurrences.
As to ReinfOrcements.
The War Department has no information
concerning the report from London that
! additional troops for the allied armies are
| urgently needed. II tfis was the case moth
| Ing more could be done by this government
| at present. The troops now under orders
| for the far east will continue to go forward.
and as soon as they reach Nagasaki It viii
| be determined whether they will go on to
| China to Manila. the Philippines being
| the original destination Of some Of the
| troops under orders There are now In
China the 9th Infantry. eight companies OF
| the 14th Infantry. Battery f. 9Th Artillery,
eight troops OF the 9th Cavalry and four
companies Of the 18th Infantry, the latter
having recently arrived. There are now at
! sea destined for China four batteries OF the