The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-14
CIPHER CABLE
MESSAGE FROM
SECRETARY HAY
Sent Through Chinese Minister WI
to Minister Conger at the O. S.
Legation in Pekin.
If MINISTER C0NGER is ALIVE
A Reply May be Received-Chinese
officials Urgently Requested to
Abide by Our Demands.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. July 13-The
Chinese minister. Mr.. WI, has under
taken to get through cipher cable
message from Secretary Hay to United
States Minister Conger. at Pekin, and
to deliver back the raDly OF Minister
Conger II he be alive. Mr.. WI forward
ed the cipher dispatch together with nm
extended explanatory message of MS
own on Wednesday and the results are
now being eagerly awaited, both by
Secretary Hay and the Chinese minis
ter, although 1t is appreciated that some
days must eiapse before runners con
carry out this plan of opening up cont
munlcatlon between the American gov
ernment at Washington and the Amcri-
can minister at Pekin.
Presented Text of Edict.
It was soon after Minister WI pre-
sented the text of the edict issued by
the Chinese imperial government, that
Mr.. Hay requested him to get through
n message to Minister Conger. Since
the Chinese government had succeeded
in getting through its own communi-
cation from Pekin, Mr.. Hay felt that 1t
was quite reasonable to ask that Ike
communication be opened between our
minister and the government here. air.
WI readily assented to this proposition
and evinced an earnest desire to use all
his personal and official influences in
getting through the messages. He
suggested. however. that Mr.. Hay him
self should write the message in cipher.
as this would be proof positive to Mr..
Conger Of Its genuinensss. whereas any
open message to the minister nigh. be
under the suspicion of having emana-
ted from the boxers.
MIR. Hay Wrote the Message.
Mr.. Hay thereupon wrote the mes-
sage, and had 1t translated into the Of
fetal cipher Of the state department.
The contents were not made known to
Minister WI, but In Its unintelllgible
cipher form 1t was intrustcd to him to
be placed In the hands OF Minister
Conger at the earliest possible moment.
Mr.. WI determined to act through the
medium OF an influential imperial oiIi-
Ger at Shanghai, who by reason OF his
position, Is better able than any one
else In China to execute such u mission.
Beside forwarding the message to Min
lister Conger. Mr.. WI sent to The Chi
nese officials 4 detailed and urgent ex-
planatory message. in which was set
forth the imperative Importance of per-
forming this service for the American
government. The official was urged to
share no effort or expense in forward
ing the message by couriers, runners or
any other means. into the hands of
Minister Conger and to use like means
In getting back the answer to the
American government.
On It's Way to Pekin.
Two days have now elapsed since the
message to MIR. Conger went forward.
and 1t Is confidently believed that 1t Is
now on its way from Shanghai to Pc
kin, surrounded by such safeguards
and such efforts for speed. that reas-
onably early answer may be expected
At the same time II Is remembered that
1t took ten days for China's official de-
cree to get from Pekln 10 Washington.
Minister WI Is bending every energy to
accomplish this task nj the earliest
possible moment, for he looks upon 1t
not only as duty, but as means ty
which Chinese officials can SHOW their
sincere desire to render every assist
nnce to the American government in
the present emergency.