Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-15
Minister Conger Urges Prompt Ad-
vance of Rescue Column.
LEGATIONERS MAY HAVE TO LEAVE
Allied Forces Had Reached Ma
tow on Monday.
ADVANCE SATISFACTORY

The acting secretary of state has received
an important dispatch from United States
Consul Fowler at Chefoo. 1t was badly
mangled in transmission and considera BILE
difficulty is being experienced in decipher-
ing it. So far as made out by the experts
who have been working on it all day it con-
tains message brought to the consul by
courier from Minister Conger at Pekin.
The minister represents that the situation
in the Chinese capital is becoming more
critical from day to day in consequence
of the efforts of the Chinese authorities to
compel the !egationers to leave the city
under Chinese escort before the arrival of
the relief column of the allies. 1t appears
that the imperial authorities are deter
mined to prevent. if possible, the entry of
the foreign forces into Pekin. and that If
necessary. they will use force in sending
the legatoners to them outside of the city.
This is about all of the dispatch that has
been deciphered up to this time. There is
more of it, but it is unintelligible. There is
every reason to believe. however that the
message contains an earnest appeal from
Minister Conger for the prompt advance of
the rescue column, as without its aid the
legationers will be at the mercy of the Chi
nese hordes and may be forced out of their
defenses and compelled to leave the city
reference TO tnelr WlSneS or the
demands of their governments
Allies Mt Matow.
The Navy Department early this morning
made public dispatch from Admiral
Remey announcing the arrival of Gen.
Chaffee at Matow. the next town of i'm
portance after Hosiwu. which the Amer
leans occupied with slight opposition on the
9th instant. The text of the Remey dis
patch was as follows:
TAkU, August Il, 1890.
Bureau of Navigation, Washington.
Just received undated from (Chaffee) Ma
tow: Yesterday opposition of no conse-
quence, yet terrible heat: many men pros
trate. Please inform Secretary of War
REMEY.
About Twenty Miles From Pekin.
1t will be seen from this message that the
date of Gen. Chaffee's arrival is left in de-
cided uncertainty. 1t is taken al the Navy
Department to mean that Matow was oc-
cupied on the previous day, the 1lth. and
that the opposition slight both on the
road and in taking the town. Matow is
about twenty miles from Pekin and about
twelve miles by road from Hosiwu and the
road. as indicated on the War Department
map. is of the worst possible character.
Matow is not walled city, and as pointed
out in these dispatches no serious opposi-
ton was expected there. II is about eleven
miles by road from Matow to Ching Chai
Wan, which is really the suburb of the
walled city of Tung Chow and the KEY to
the gates of Pekin. If Gen. Chaffee was
at MatOw on the 11th it is quite possible
that by today He is either in possession of
Tung Chow or engaged with the retreating
Chinese army that it was thought might
make a stand behind its walls.
Inc neat, for the time being, apparently
presents a more formidable foe than the
Chinese, for Gen. ChaHee makes mention
OF 1t as terrible" and says that MANY men
are PROSTATE.
Since the column left Yangtsun. where
the river and railroad meet and diverge in
opposite directions. it has been following
the Pei Ho. and it is probable that this
plan was continued.
steady Advance Satisfactory.
Up 10 date this is entirely matter of
conjecture, but to say the least the War
Department is highly gratified at the re-
port of Gen Chaffee's steady advance
whlch for a week past has been secuted as
foolhardy piece of adventure by some of
the European war offices
OF quite as much interest as the record
of the army's advance is the speculation
as to the status of diplomatic negotiations
The State Department has thrown around
these proceedings a sudden and rfnaccus
toned veil of secrecy that is taken TO pre-
sage important developments of some sort
one thing is well nigh certain, namely
that the Conger message of Yesterday
which has not been made public, is one of
series Of identical notes addressed bv the
beleaguered ministers to their govern
ments-
Minister WI, who beside being the
Chinese minister here is also the accredited
representative of China to Spain received
along with the Conger message of yester-
daY CIPHER message from the Spanish
minister In Pekin, which Mr.. WI forward
ed to Madrid. 1t was not made public
there Sir Claud Macdonald's dispatch IN
the British foreign office evidently of tho