The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-03
|CHINESE REPORTS DISCREDITED
IF True They Prove the Foreign Min
listers to be Under Restraint.

June E.-Ihe DAY 5 de-
velopments in Chinese affairs were
meagre and the general opinion here
is that the two messages received-one
from Kempff and the other from Lii
Hung Chang, could not be accepted as
settling the important question as to
1.-THE fate of the foreign ministers at
lPekin and their families and attaches.
The secretary of the navy, by special
instruction of the president, had been
particular to cable Admiral Kempff
several days ago to keep the navy de-
lpartment informed of everything that
happened within the zone of disturb
Iance' in China, n it is believed that
his omission to make any reference in
his cablegram of this morning to the
whereabouts of the ministers was baS-
led on the absence of any information
on that subject at Taku, where the
admiral is with his flagship, the New
ark.
If no information can be had at Ia
Iku, only thirty miles down the river
from Tien TSin, of the presence of the
ministers. in. Admiral Seymour's col
lumn, but eight miles distant, then Of
ficials here cannot understand how any
government could have superior facili-
ties and so they felt justified in wait
ing for further advices before accept
ing the Chinese statements on that
as accurate.
Minister WI, who brought Prince
Lis message to the state department,
could not explain away the points of
variance between the vicerOy's state
ment and the cable message received
from other sources. However, he pin
ned his faith to the accuracy of the
message and pointed out that it agreed
Iclosely with Admiral Kempff's message
of yesterday, stating that the minis
l. A,- rrnr aDo-tA 70 no rrfth
The navy department has had fur
Their communication with Admiral
Kempff, in the shape of two messages,
lone touching the strength of the for
Ieign forces a shore in China n an
other, which the officials stated had
no bearing upon the military situation,
but in neither was there any mention
lof the ministers. Done consideration,
which makes against the unreserved
acceptance by the officials of the assur-
lance of minor Chinese officials includ-
ing Lii Hung Change n Minister WI,
that a state of war does not exist, is
the fact that Mr.. Conger is not ner-
mitted to communicate with his own
government by the same means en-
lplOyed by the TSung Lii Yamen in get
ting news to the outside world, lead
ing to a suspicion that he is not at
that perfect liberty which marks the
existence of a state of a 1t is pos
lSAbAC OAAo1 GAAC LIN AAiANiN hho
be able to offer a satisfactory explana-
ton on this point, but at present the
officials say that our future relations
with China depend altogether upon
what Minister Conger has to say when
he is finally brought again in touch
with the state department.
A significant piece of information fur
nished by the navy department is the
report of the sailing of the Scandia
today from Gibraltar for Cardiff for a
lcargo of Welch coal which she is to
carry back to Manila. The ship was
on her way home from Manila via the
Mediterranean route.
Administration officials are quite con-
Icerned over Chinese advices to the eff
feet that the members of the foreign
Legations in Pekin are not at Tien Tsin,
with dmiral Seymour'S relief column.
The dispatches of the last two days in
debating that they were with the ad-
miral a few miles from Tien Tsin had
allayed in a measure the tension exist
ing here as to their safety, but as no
WORD has come from Minister onger
the confidence temporarily felt is CIV
ling wa again to fear that all may not
he we'll with them. 1t is believed here
that Mr.. Conger and have taken the
livery first opportunity TO communicate
with his government and h fact that
lhe had not done so up to a late hour
Tonight, the officials say, is strong
Iground for b~ellevelnS that ne Is sun IN
IPekin.
lNO DEFINITE NEWS AT LONDON.
| London, June 2S., 5:4S p. m.-The
parliamentary secretary of the foreign
Ioffice. Mr.. Broderick. in the house of
commons, today, said the latest news
received by the government was con-
ltained in a dispatch from Tien TSin
dated June oath, from which 1t appear
led that Vice Admiral sent
word that he had seized a small arSen-
al north of Tien TSin, where he was
being bombarded by a large number Oh
gums and had lost forty men killed and
seventy men wounded This message, II
was explained, was brought by a ser
want in the employ of one of the lega-
tions, who vas thoroughly trust
worthy.
He the damage done to the
foreign settlement at Tien Tsin was