The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-07
Severe Criticism of Mr.. Conger,

Severe Criticism of Mr.. Conger.
The world has been somewhat as
tonished at the meagerness of the
news concerning the Imprisonment of
the legationers in Pekin, and ii is only
/ by piecemeal that anything has been
permitted to leak out
! A sensational revelation is that made
/ by Mr.. John +. Bass, the representa-
/ tive of The New York Herald, VINO
went out on the staff of General CHAR
/ fee. To the effect that Minister Conger
was inhuman in his treatment Of the
wounded men who had gone TO MS re-
/ lief. On this point Mr.. Bass says;
/ ''Vhen we came TO Pekin, we had
number OF wounded men The chlet SUI,
/ geon in charge, Major Banister, appheu
/ to Mr.. Congcr to allow the men 10 Hc
l taken into one of the houses OF the
I American legation. Mr. Conger- IN an
swer 10 the surgeon appeal sillu' I
would rather not. The legation IS 700
small. There are plenty of other places
/ in pckin. Upon the surgeon making an
other appeal, Mr.. Conccr said: II ~ IS
necessary. very well. but | wpuld fdth'r
I you would take the men somewhere else.
The surgeon saw that the 'hineSe
houses WEI not ft 10 be used Tor nos
I pital purposes on account of their nithY
condition, ana he was Obliged - ledN"
/ some OF the wounded men outside over
night. and although the doctors made
every effort they suffered piteously
/ The British minister on the contrary
/ improvised a hospital I'm the legation and
I took i'm the British wounded and sick
Minister Congers action excited 50 much
comment among the officers that they
all begged me TO mention it In my re-
! ports -
Whsn il is considered that these
men had almost gone through death
themselves 10 reach Pekin, the con-
duct OF the beleaguered seems mex
pressible. The sun poured down upon
them a heat of l04 degrees during the
march from Tientsin TO Pekin. and
men and officers dropped dead from
exhaustion. II was not Minister con-
ger alone who showed this indi1er-
ence. because Mr.. Bass goes on TO say
/ that "the missionaries showed very lit
tie consideration for tho wounded men.
not one of them condescending to ap-
proach them"
From ali that can be gathered, hero
ism was not a prevailing trait among
those who awaited relief. Mr. Con
ger. especially, will find 1t very hard
10 explain the conduct charged against
him. and his name viii hardly enter
into the list OF the immortais.
Another point brought out by the
negotiations is the demand made by
the besieged men for wholesale
SLAUGHTER Of Chinese. This was con-
tanned i'm the programme Of the Ger
man emperor. which he was forced by
the other powers to modify TO the
chacrin of the Pekin colony, which
wanted the extreme of punishment IN
nicted. If all that is coming 10 hght
be true. II IS better thdl thc
should be suppressed entirely, IN the
- - ,,..,.,-r;t,
+ interest W Hiiit~ili's'.
IN the article from Which We Hl'c
cuofa1 tho ipCOmDptCnCe OF the StaN
ht.t ,,i,1 CoooraI Chaffca TO
NAi'h "NN"'til"iiiN' .tt-t1 Nf,.
~, e,ve of 81.
-. .,,,,.,,.,,
Il can s,iiely pr"hoUN, NV t.,,,
staff as thoroughly anu' ut.HtN ii0oiu
petcnt Ia Tire lrst P.a'tt ~ - - ..t' ~,
masters department iAllsu 20 ~ -, ~ ~
necessary transportat IONS ''iu tIle
can troops We're loaded Gown Win N"--
gage in excess OF thelr ctffyiu- .dlG'
~. I have known many OF ~ IN !" "'"p
from heat ana apop'NN. lLl'i5 ~ y"
temperate countries, when IN Geod condl-
ton should never be marched n0Ie ll3h
nifty minutes without e. rest ~ -
GERS OF the line issut,I III. ~, - ,.,,,
marched in the heat ol the ud3 rom "lc
nour to one and hair without y RESI-.
The marching should nave b.eh 'hc
at night. 1 have seen men ana ollcr's
drop right and left under the #rilhc sun
when the thermometer regl7lrfeo lVt ia
the shade.
Again the commisSarN department.
furnished only 90 per cent OF tne tfiFeiihs
ratious, and that not rcSultrA- Inc
American soldiers had no meat or lfeSh
vegetables though the EuEush troops
we're well provided with bpth tAase.
THE American stan broke down IN
two engagements In the urst the only
order given 70 Colone! DaSScu vas TO
charge. lie was given no ia ofIAad IN ass
to the ground or estimated number OF the
enemy lie was left 10 his own resources
and was Obliged To- charge oa narrow
fnar wedge Of the enemy on be u sides.
TN. loss Of life was fearful ANA unnuceS-
sary as an the officers OF the line ac-
l-nov-ledsed
"Al..in on the day of taxing Peltin, Cen
oral Chaffec did not know that his men
had climbed the wall Chaifee ordered
the battalion sent forward in support OF
The two companies. to tall back and he
was surprised when told that his men
had already scaled the wall. Very Of
ten too. contradictory orders were issued
bv the staff to the line. / have mysclt
heard n staff officer give the oruer 70
turn To INC TINT Mte in ,,, ~ ne ,crt d"
III The w wonder Of it is that under such