New-York tribune., 1900-08-16
NEED FOR HASTY RELIEF.
MINISTER'S SITUATION PERILOUS-
FALSE REPORTS NAY WORK HARM.
TBY TELEGRAPH 70 THk TRIBUNE. ]

IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE
Washington Aug. 15.--The rescue Of the lesa-
tons If it is 20 be accomplished, must occur, in
the opinion of the washington authorities. with
in few hours. and with the situation in this
delicate state. when the slightest error OF judg-
ment may work irreparable harm TO the eight
hundred foreigners-men. women and children
at the most critical moment of their eight weeks
siege. the State Department has deemed 1t dis
Greet not 70 make public dispatches bearing
upon the delicate negotiations which might have
81 Hnfavorable effect upon the outcome It is
for this reason that Minister Conger's message
received yesterday. and which is thought 20
have been written on the day the allies reached
Ma-Tow. has been suppressed. and that dis
patches arriving this morning from Consul Cen
eraI Goo6now at Shanghai and from Consul
Fowler. at Che-Foo are withheld for the pres
ent The State Department deprecates the ire
sponsible and often mischievous speculation at
tributed to unnamed high officials to which is
given the semblance Of authoritative utterance
regarding these dispatches and other statements
relating 10 alleged details Of the negotiations
that are being conducted for the deliverance Of
the legations Particular stress was laid to-
day on the Injurious effects which might ac-
crue from q statement attributed TO an English
Member of Parliament. and purporting to give
what the commanders of the international forces
were demanding at the gates Of Peking to-day,
when as a matter Of fact. the four commanders,
when last heard from. reached Ma-Tow on Sat
urday The statement also proceeds TO give the
terms for permanent settlement demanded by
the Powers in manner calculated TO excite
violent antagonisn when cabled, as II Will un-
doubtedly be, 10 Chinese officials. The vicious
ness Of this is made palmer by the fact that no
terms Of the kind have ever been considered by
the Powers and that for the present. at least
the united and sole effort Of the Powers through
the instrumentality OF the relief column sup
ported by firm diplomatic representations is TO
insure the safe exit from city wholly given
over TO anarchy Of the eight hundred foreign
citizens and subjects IN the legations
BOXER ELEMENT HARD TO RESTRAIN.
The critical danger to the Ministers and their
official families to-day. SO far as can be as
certained lies in the distance Of their legation
fortresses from the gates Of the walled city. To
the gate il is just two miles. to the west
gate il is two and three-Quarter miles. and
70 the south gate which is nearest the railway
terminus il is Just three miles. These dis
;anc5s must be traversed through localities con-
trolled by violent anti-foreign troops and Boxer
sympathizers. who have maintained a reign Of
terror in Peking for over two months. and who
are to-day more to be feared than ever 1t is
believed that the Chinese authorities have
reached the limit OF their authority in prevail
ing upon the rioters and disaTected troops to
abstain from bombarding the legations with ar
tillery for the last month, without being able
TO prevent individual rife fire "sniping-"
Under the circumstances a large and powerful
force would be required to insure the safety Of
the route from the legations to the gate chosen
for their exit and the Ministers do not place
any reliance upon the Chinese pretensions Of
ability TO furnish such a guard. The Chinese
on their part have been insistent upon the Min
listers accepting Chinese safe conduct to the
gates alleging that the admission Of any more
foreign troops TO the city, even under flag
OF truce, for a few hours would excite the anti
foreign element TO a pitch which would render
St utterly uncomfortable by the combined forces
of internationals and friendly Inperialists.
AFFAIRS IN OFFICERS HANDS.
This Government, it may be said, will not in
terfere in the settlement that must be reached
IN regard TO this matter It is TO be left abso-
lutely to those in and near Peking who are pre-
sumed to be in the position 70 determine the
best plan. It viii be settled by the allied COM
manders and the Ministers as soon as they are
placed IN communication with each other, and
they will be aware that their Governments are
exerting all possible pressure upon the Chinese
70 agree TO the conclusion reached by the Minis
ters and commanders.
The dispatches from Consul-General Goodnow
and that transmitted through Consul Fowler re-
late wholly TO this phase OF the complicatio
That from Mr.. Goodnow, according to the best in
formation al hand had particular reference TO the
Chinese proposition for the removal OF the for
eigners from the legations under Chinese escort
10 a point outside the city's gates. where the
ENJOYS could be turned to the advance
column Of the international forces. Mr.. Good
now questioned the wisdom Of such course.
and il is understood he urged the Depart
rnent to reject all overtures in that direction.
II is understood that he has been exchanging
notes with Earl Ii Hung Chang the subject.
and is extremely doubtful Of the ability of the
Chinese authorities to furnish safe conduct TO
the Ministers. even through the streets of Pc
king. His dispatch is thought 10 confirm the
current reports that the Government at Peking
has been practically overthrown, and that the
entire city is in the hands of the revolutionists
Consul Fowler's dispatch said to be badly
nangled in transmission and much difficulty
was experienced in deciphering it. So far as
made out by the experts. who have been working
on il all day, II contains a message brought to
the Consul by courier from Minister Conger at
Peking. There IS reason 10 believe however that
the message contains a warning from Minister
Conger that those in the legations may be forced
out Of their defences and compelled TO leave the
city without reference TO their wishes or the de-
mands Of their Governments unless the relief
column arrives in a few days.
DANGEROUS FOR NEW MISSIONARIES
cable dispatch was received by the Rev Robert
B kimber, one of the secretaries Of the Protestant
Episcopal Missionary Society. yesterday from
Bishop Graves. Of Shanghai il response to a mes
sage a few days ago asking whether the party
OF missionaries which the society contemplated
sending early in September should be sent or not
rFaF vbf