Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-07-28
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette
Washington, July %.

posted at Tue StdVS OoPoi'noho Vile
morning:
The Secretary of State has received
dispatch from Mr.. Fowler, the Amer
lean consul at Chefee. dated at mid
night, July &c, saying: "This morning
bV request OF the allied admirals, l
wired to the governor Supposed to be
the Governor of Shangtung) their wish
TO get news from the ministers them
selves. The Governor now replies ::
Have received today edict from En-
peror saying that the ministers are
well. They are sending provisions to
the legations. Am confident ministers
out of distress and request you Cow
ler) transmit this preliminary announce
ment to sdmirals.
YUAN, Governor.
A later dispatch from Mr.. Fowler,
dated a. M, July 81, to the State De-
partment, is as follows:
"Have Just received imperial edict
oath, saying various ministers, except.
ing &c man, are well; and some days
ago had supplied provisions to lega-
tons. Am satisfied ministers out OF
distress. YUAN, Governor.
Officials at the State department do
not derive much comfort rela i've to the
safety of Minister CoDger from the dis
patch from Consul Fowler. 1t ia point
ed out that the request OF the allied sd
mirals to be placed in direct communi-
cation with the foreign ministers at
Pekin was met with another imperial
edict. 10 view of the manner in which
the cabinet members admit they regard
the statements from SheDg, Yuan, and
other Chinese officials of high degree, il
seems probable that Oonsuls Fowler
and Goodnow have added to their
communications some comments, not
given to the press. Apparently the
Admirals of the foreign powers united
July 26 in making demand upon Chi
ns for communication with their minis
tiers. This has not before been stated
officially aud is another indication Of
scepticism in which these reassuri0g
messages are held by the men on the
ground. That scepticism has, almost
from June 30, been entertained by Off.
Gals of the State department though
diplomatic usage has until yesterday
wit held open expression OF it. On
their face the two edicts are weak ae
evidence. They repeat, one and the
other, the old statements that the min
listers are safe and perhaps enjoying
heir situation, but they contain no de-
tails aud could have been witten in
New York as accurately as in Pekin.
If Yuan can obtain news from his gov.
ernment, then Consul Fowler can, that
government willing, as easily obtain a
letter from Minister Conger. The edicts
appear to be merely the latest steps in
a plot to conceal for time the torture
and death Of the ministers.
Minister WI, the Chinese representa-
tive here, had talk with Secretary
Hay this morning during which he
handed him the message relating to the
latest imperial edict transmitted
through Director of Telegraphs SheDg.
Even the Chinese minister himself does
not know how much credence is to be
placed in the reliability of the frequent
edicts. He believes them because they
come to him as official pronouncements
of his government. AS to the State
department, it is in waiting attitude.
Ii receives these edicts, read them,
notes that they all come through the
same sources, Yuan and Sheng, and
while not absolutely discrediting them,
refuses to declare belief in their ac-
curscy. The doubts cast upon the first
of the series of edicts have affected all
of them and nothing but free commune
cation with the ministers themselves
will convince the American State de-
partment that they are alive and the
Chinese government is taking care
of them as it says it is. The
Chinese minister himself evades q
reply to questions as to why this free
communication is withheld from the
ministers in view of the fact that it
seems 80 easy for imperial DEGREES to be
sent out. The belief of the State de-
partment that Yuan and Sheng knew
the contents of the message from Sec
rotary Hay 10 Minister Conger and of
the lstter's reply before it reached the
United States is wholly based, accord
ing to official announcement today, on
the statement OF Mr.. Waller, the act.
ing British consul at Shanghai, that he
had learned the purport OF CoDger's
answer from one of these Chinese of.
ficials before 1t was received by Score
tary Hay. This, it was explained at
the department, is suggestive of the
possibility that the Chinese have a
copy of our code, or that Conger, in
the excitement OF the moment, told the
messenger the contents of his reply 80
that if the message was taken from him
or lost he could sill deliver it by word
of mouth.
A Wellington republican from Mary
land here today says his party, he
fears, will be sadly defeated in his
State next fall, as its management has
oeen by DO means satisfactory 10 the
republicans there, and that many Of
them will not go to the polls.
Secretary Hay says 1.-THE American
minister at Pekin shall not leave there
until he has informed his government
that it is his wish to do co." This, 1t is
said at the puolio resorts here, shows
that the Secretary has also lost his
senses, for, if the minister be alive, and
the Chinese government offers him a.
safe way by which to escape the vio-
leuce of q powerful mob, he would be
crazy were he 10 refuse to accept that
offer.
A Virginia republican here today says Mr..
Osborn, the Presidents cousin, who holds the
best paying consulate in Mr.. McKinley's gift,
the profits of which amount to fifty thousand
dollars year, went to his State, before the
Presidents first nomination, and selected men
for all the lucrative federal offices there, on
the promise that they would see that at the
national convention the vote of the State
should be cast for Mckinley, and that cor Sc
Quently that slate was not broken, though