The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-09
OUR MINISTER IN PERIL
No Effort by Pekin to Communicate
With the Allies.
COOPERATION FOR MINISTER'S SAFETY
This is Insisted on at Washington. With the
Foreigners Still Under Fire at the Brit
ish Legation the Situation is tx
tremeIy Sombre
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington, August S.-The Chinese
situation is considered very grave by
the authorities in Washington. The re-
ceipt of the message from Mr.. Conger
laost night, which indicated continue
tion of the firing upon the legationers
and the Chinese Governments insistence
which Mr.. Conger considered would mean
certain DEATH brought matters to an
acute stage. All day the Cabinet officers
who are in town have been consulting
with each other, and the President has
been communicated with by telegraph
and over the long distance telephone.
Secretary Root held two conferences with
Attorney General Grggs and several
with Acting Secretary of State Adee, and
their views were communicated TO the
President. AS a result of these consul
tations it was announced officially at the
close of the day that a message to the
Imperial Government at Pekin had been
delivered to Minister WI for transmits
sion to his Government. The text of the
message was prepared by Acting Secre-
tary of State Adee and Secretary Root,
and in its final form was made known
TO the President, in a talk conducted
by Mr.. Root over the White House long
distance telephone. 1t was then stated
definitely that the authorities of this
Government would not make public the
text Of this latest communication to
China till Mr.. WI had had opportunity
to forward it to his Government. The
chief officials of the Government were
not willing to outline in any definite man
ner the contents of the message, al
though 1t was accepted generally that
the communication was emphatic and to
the point.
The message sent to the Chinese Gov
eminent through Mr.. WI, according to
the bestc information obtainable, informs
that Government that the removal of the
restrictions upon communication with
our Minister, evidenced both by the re-
ceipt of Mr.. Conger's message and the
transmission of the edict of the 5th, is
very gratifying but is not an entire COM
pliance with the original demands of the
President in his reply to the appeal for
mediation. The President in his origi-
nal communication to the Emperor of
China laid down three conditions, pre-
cedent to any action looking to negotia-
tions for the settlement of the Difficult
ties between China and the powers
These conditions in the Presidents own
words were as follows:
81 most solemnly urge upon Your Ma
iesty's Government to give public assur-
ance whether the foreign Ministers are
alive and if so in what condition.
go. To what the diplomatic represen-
tatives of the powers in immediate and
free communication with their respective
Governments and to remove all danger
to their lives and liberty.
SO. To place the Imperial authorities
of China in communication with the re-
lief expedition; that cooperation may
be secured between them for the liberia
tion of the legations and the protection
of foreigners and the restoration of or
der"
These three demands practically were
reiterated in the dispatch Secretary Hay
sent Consul General Coodnow at Shang-
hal, August 1st for submission to Earl
Ii Hung Chang. The authorities con-
slider that the opening of communication
with Minister Conger, therefore only
partially complies with the Presidents
demands. With the legationers still
uuu6I IRE, IHc OuluCSS GCN6IuIueuI Call
not be said to have removed "all dan
ger to their lives and property" and
moreover, so far as known here the I'M
Perial authorities of China have made
no efforts to communicate with the re-
lief expedition. The new demand upon
the Chinese Government is for square
toed compliance with those conditions.
There is here, growing out of the fact
that the Chinese Government has yield
ed partially that when confronted with
the firm position taken by the United
States it will be sufficiently impressed
to make complete aequieseence. This
Governments determination, it is hoped
will show the Chinese Government that
the United States Government is not
to be trihed with and will bring the
shifting, evasive authorities in Pekin to
a full realization Of the situation and
the consequences of refusal.
Minister WI early in the day brought
to the State Department the Imperial
edict removing the restrictions from free
communication with the Ministers. lie
was plainly perturbed over Minister Con-
gers report that the legationers were
under fire, but still contended that his
Government was acting in good faith
and protested against misnterpretation
of the situation. He pointed out the
fact that the absence of artillery fire