Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-08-11
MINISTER CONGER IS
HEARD FROM AGAIN
Message Dated July q Received at
Tien Tsin and Forwarded
by Goodnow.
OUTBREAK IN SOUTH CHINA
Imperial Troops mt Canton Said 10
Have Gone Over TO the Boxers
Since the Departure or
Earl LII.

Washington, Aug. IA belated mes
sage from Minister Conger was re-
ceived yesterday at the state depart
ment. 1t came through Consul Gen
eral Goodnow at Shanghai, who trans
mitted messages received by Mr..
Ragsdale, United States consul at
Tien Tsin, from Mr.. Conger and Mr..
Squires, secretary of the United States
legation at Picking. In effect the adj
vices are the same as those received a
day or two ago by the state depart
ment from Consul Fowler at Chefoo.
Mr.. Goodnow's message was trans
mitted to President Mckinley at Can
ton, o., and Mr.. Adee, acting secretary
of state, later in the day issued the
following statement concerning it:
Consul General Goodnow. in a
cablegram, dated Shanghai, August 5.
reports the receipt by Consul Rags
dale, at Tien Tsin, of messages direct
from Minister Conger and Secretary
Squires, dated July 81, TO the follow
ing effect: All well, no fighting since
the 10th, by agreement. Enough pro-
visions. Hope for speedy relief
mir. Goodnow adds that the direct
or of posts, Sheng, had, the 5th, com
municated to him an imperial edict,
dated July 80, ordering Jung Lu to
provide an escort for the ministers
to Tien Tsin when the ministers fix
the date. The edict say the minis
tiers can receive messages not in
cipher, but notwithstanding this plain
messages were returned to some con-
suls on August A."
While the messages from Minister
Conger and Secretary Squires bear
! date of July 81, the belief, founded not
only upon them, but also upon collat-
eral and later information, is that the
legationers are yet safe from at least
immediate harm. At present there is
no knowing whether the ministers
will accept the offer of the Chinese
imperial government to provide an es-
cort for them to Tien Tsin; but it is
surmised they will prefer to remain
within the British legation at Picking
until the arrival of the allied forces.
1t is thought to be not unlikely that
the Chinese government may be very
insistent upon the departure of the
ministers, In the hope that il they can
be gotten to-Tien Tsin In safety the
storming of Peking may be averted.
The inhibition of cipher dispatches
TO the ministers, while a serious
breach of diplomatic usage, is not re-
| garded here with apprehension. The
Chinese government, ii is pointed out,
is suspicious Of the actions and intent
of the powers, and probably has
adopted this p%recaution to prevent
communication to the ministers of de-
tails Of military movements. 1t is evil
dent from the adoption of this meas
ure that the imperial government re-
CARDS itself as antagonistic to, il not
actually at war with, the powers,
| Thus far no inhibition has been placed
upon cipher dispatches passing be-
tween the various governments and
their consular representatives in
China outside Of Peking.
The state department has taken the
ground that the dispatch from the
tsung Ii yamen delivered at the de.
partment yesterday by Minister WI
is not an answer to the dispatch by
| Secretary Hay sent on August 1. The
message delivered by Minister WI to
the state department yesterday rela'
tive to the inhibition of cipher dis.
patches, was sent by the tsung Ii va.
men on July 30. Obviously, therefore,
it could not be ID reply to the dis
patch sen to Mr.. Goodnow by Secre.
tary Hay on August /. A definite re.
| ply to the s%ecretary's dispatch of the
1st inst. is awaited with some con.
Germ, not to say anxiety. 1t is the
~ -.. - %La ITn;taI Gtata. .@,,
eminent in the pending negotiations
The demand must be acceded to II
trouble of serious character is TO be
averted.
No dispatches of consequence were
received at the Chinese legation.
Neither the war nor the navy de.
partment made public any dispatches
during the day, officials of both de.
partments announcing that no dis.
patches of public interest had been
received.
That General Chaffee is encounter,
ing difficulties that are proving seri-
Gus there Is little attempt to conceal
The d~ebarkation of troops and caval-
ry horses Is being accomplished with
the utmost difficulty. 1t is said that
the big transports can approach the
landing at Taku no nearer than
twelve or fourteen miles. Vessels
drawing more than fifteen feet of wa.
ter are forced to lie far out in the
gulf. This necessitates the use OF
lighters for the transportation to the
shore nf both men and horses, max.
ing the debarkation of a considerable
force a task surrounded with innu'
merable obstacles.
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