Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-18

Trust 10 Chinese Promises Con-
gers Message stiu Matter of Mys-
tery-Ne1y Orleans Ordered TO TalHn
Washington, Aug 16.-Through Con-
sui General Goodnow Ii Hung Chang
yesterday proposed 10 the state depart
lnent the delireryxof the foreign minis
ters to the allies oFside of Picking.
Ii Hung Chang expressed confidence
that if his plan were adopted the minis
tiers would not be harmed. They would.
he said. be received at the legations by
an imperial guard sufficiently strong to
prevent successful attack by Boxers OF
other evil disposed persons and at des-
ignated point outside of the city would
be delivered to a foreign escort.
Accompanying the dispatch was sug-
Gestion made by Consul General Good
now that no faith should be placed in the
Chinese promise of protection.
Acting Secretary of State Adee car
red the proposition to the war depart
rneBt, and it was considered by Secre-
tary Root. 4 reply was drawn up and
transmitted to Mr.. Goodnow for presen-
tation to Ii Hung Chang rejecting the
proposal and reiterating the declaration
made to Minister WI Ting Fang on Sun
day that the Chinese government must
cooperate with the military commanders
to permit the entry of a foreign escort
into the city of Picking and its departure
with the ministers and those under their
protection.
Ii Hung Chang wanted a cessation of
thostilities pending discussion of the de-
titaiIs of the delivery of the ministers to
! the foreign troops, but there will be no
i temporizing by this government. Condi-
tons in Picking are so grave that every
means is being taken to hasten the ar
rival of the relief expedition before the
imperial city.
Nothing Direct From Conger.
The government has not received one
message from Mr.. Conger which bore
hevidence of being a response to any of
1.-THE kilograms sent to him by the state
department. Messages from the minis
Tiers have been transmitted through Con
Isul Ragsdale, General Chaffee and other
stAmerican officials in China, but the gov
Fernment has no positive knowledge that
Ethese did not first pass through the hands
kof Chinese officials. Some of these dis
Il patches also have come to the authorities
here in such shape that it was impossi-
Eple to translate all the symbols into plain
Glnglish.
III X is regarded as suspicious that parts
VT the latest Conger messages to the
4ame effect. one deliverea by the Chinese
minister and the other forwarded by the
Ktnited States consul at Chefu, could not
he translated from the cipher code. No
Eloubt is felt that the messages were
tWritten by Mr.. Conger, and the belief
beld by the state department recently,
Egat the Chinese had copy of the dip
EImatic cipher book, has passed away,
ihut there has never been a time when
dispatches in the state department
Eipher were so generally mangled, and
y Ehe difficulties of translation have be
eome so great that the officials are be-
Iinning to believe that the cipher has
been Intentionally transposed.
1 The untranslatable part of the Conger
message received on Tuesday may an
twer the questions which Acting Secre-
barry of State Adee asked the American
minister in his telegram of Aug. s. The
Shicals suggested that as reasonable
Some of the translated information con.
lained in the message delivered through
Minister WI has not become public.
officials admit that it is of n character
&'hich compels its suppression. They
Fay that even if the newspapers obtain
"a it they would hardly publish it on ac-
count of its nature, but they decline to
Indicate its purport in any definite way.
Information received here within a
f,w days showed the situation at Shang-
, ykai to be so alarming that the United
htates cruiser New Orleans. the largest
Eessel in active service in the Philip
Zines was ordered to proceed to Shang-
hi with all dispatch. A telegram re-
Hived by the navy department reported
RAr departure from Cavite for Woosung,
Z miles from the perturbed commercial
knter. Woosmg is a newly opened
/" teaty port situated so as to command
e approach to Shanghai. Captain ].
Green, the commander of the New
t'leans, was instructed by telegraph to
lotect the Americans and their interests
the event of an outbreak,