Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-23
IS NOT READY
FOR MEDIATION
UNITED STATES FIRST CONCERN
TO RELIEVE HER SUBJECTS
IN CHINA,
COULD NOT ANSWER
0FFHAND, AS FRANCE DID.
Want to be Assured that Reports of
American Safety at Pekin
Are True,

Washington. July 23.-The state de-
partment was the center of interest on
the Chinese situation today Secretary
Hay was at his desk by 9 o'clock and for
ter of such Importance that he declined
to he interrupted by any one. About
lO:l5 the Chinese minister arrived and
was with the secretary for some time
On the departure of the minister the de-
partment gave out the imperial edict u
the Chinese emperor, the substance of
which had been previously made known.
The state department has rec eived a
deluge of dispatches from ali quarters
of the globe relative to the Conger mes
sage. These show the attitude of for
eign governments. Without exception
the official view taken by all officers is
that the dispatch Is not genuine, and
does not afford basis for action. The
incredulity is also shared by United
States General Goodnow at Shanghai,
who has communicated to the state de-
partment his disbelief in the authenticity
of the message. The text of these sew
eral messages is not made public, as they
, are inconclusive and not adding any
thing in the way of definite news to the
situation at Pekin. the entire tenor being
cial doubts are based on various the
cries. One of them is that the deception
was practiced by the tsung II yamen it.
self. Still another is that 1t emanated
from a Chinese official-a man holding
a position like that of Sheng or Prince
+, Tuan, the latter being at the head of the
anti-foreign element. and at last ac-
counts connected with the tsung II va
men.
Notwithstanding this flood Of doubt
from foreign official quarters, the state
department has not varied It's position as
to the authenticity Of the message, Sec
retary Hays position being now, as it
always has been, that there Is every
probability that fraud may have been
perpetrated. But as against this remote
possibility Mr. Hay feels tnat there Is
absolutely no motive for the perpetratior
OF such monstrous deception. chs
Washington government rs rnshaken
therefore, in its position on the message
| while the rest of the world has made i
| known to this government that this mes
sage is not accepted as coming from Con
! ger on the 18th nst.
Concerning the proposition Of mediation
made to the United States by China, the
state department was not prepared to.
day to make any statement. 1t was sur
missed that Mr.. Hay was engaged in con-
sidering the governments answer. which
probably would be delivered to Minister
Wu later, but no statement as to the
! course of procedure could be obtained II
amy official quarters
| Both the state department and Chinese
! officials took occasion early in the day tt
deny a report that plans were on foo
f.; toward the delivery of Minister Congel
by the Chinese authorities to Admira
! Remey at Tien Tsin. There is reason tt
believe that the government is agair
! using every effort to secure communica
! tiun with Minister Conger and this time
to get an answer from our minister
| which will be so conclusive as to remove
a shadow OF doubt. In this connection
it was reported today that Minister wv
Yesterday sent another cipher cable dis
; patch to Minister Conger but there is
| disinclinatiOn in official circles to dis
cuss the various steps being taken, whil
/; they are still In an inconclusive form.