The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-08-16
CONCER WIRES AGAIN
Washington Officials Refuse
to Publish Message.
WHAT 1T DOES NOT C0NT..lN.
Anxiously Av nitcd News From
ChnTee aud the Relief Expedition
Fails to Arrivc-Dificuities In
Way of Entering Pci.ing.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-At the
close of yesterday at the state depart
ment the following Official announcement
was bullctined:
The department of state announces
that message from Minister Conger has
been received, but of uncertain date and
not in reply to the telegram sent to him
on Aug :. 1t will not be made public"
This came at the conclusion of Il pc
riod of intense expectancy and yet one
devoid of any actual developments save
in the foregoing meager announcement.
Minister Conger's message was received
in Washington shortly before noon. com
ing first to the Chinese legation by the
usual route through Chinese officials. 1t
was i'm the American cipher, without
date and signed with the minister's name.
1t was at once transmitted TO the state
department and conferences began be
tween Acting Secretary AdCc and Secre.
tary Root. Throughout the afternoon,
however. the state department main
tained an unaccountable rcticcnce con
cerning the subject, declining to admit
that the message was in hand. The sus-
pense was cleared up at / o'clock by the
above announcement 1t was stated au
thoritatively that while the message was
OF confidential character and for that
reason could not and would not be given
out, yet as a means of allaying possible
misinterpretation it could be said that
the dispatch showed neither a better con
dition nor worse condition on the part
of the legationcrs at Picking 1t did not
indicate whether Minister Conger has
or has not received any messages from
this government. Nothing was contained
in the message which will cause any
change in the instructions to General
Chaffee. In fact, it was stated in this
same authoritative quarter that the only
additional instructions sent to General
Chaffee since he left Washington were
those of a more specific and explicit ma
ture. which the developments in China
and the information received by the war
department necesstated.
Throughout the day word was anx.
iously awaited from General Chaffee as
to the development of the military sit.
uation near Picking, but not word
came nor did Admiral Remey send any.
thing Oh the situation. The last heard
from General Chaffee he was at Ho-si.
WI, and according to all calculations he
must now be very near Peking unless
events have occurred to delay the ad.
vance. The officials are taking into ac-
count that an advance even up to Pekine
leaves much TO be accomplished in n mil
itary way. 1t was stated yesterday by
an official who has lived in Peking that
nothing short of the heaviest artillery
could make any impression upon the
walls of the imperial city. He said
light artillery would be of no avail, and
for this reason the advance of u flying
column even up to the walls of the city
could effect little if a stubborn defense
were determined upon. The walls are
some 80 feet high and wide enough on
top for two coaches to pass abreast
From an offensive standpoint the walls
afford opportunity for planting guns,
while from a defensive standpoint they
could not be preached except by the use
of very heavy projectiles.
Although the situation admits of the
prospect of an assault upon Peking. yet
government officials We're decidedly more
hopeful yesterday that solution of the
Chinese problem would be found with
out recourse to such heroic measures
The improved feeling is based largely on
the belief that China, realizing that her
sacred capital is about to be besieged by
the armies of the world. will yield ev.
erything and that the legationers will be
delievered on the terms of the allies.