Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-18

WASHINGTON, July ia decided
ly more hopeful feeling with regard to
| the Chinese situation was apparent in
| all administration circles this evening
The tide of sentiment, which had been
| markedly pessimistic, turned with the
| announcement of the victory of the al
| the forts and native city and gathered
further strength from Minister Wu's
| cablegram declaring that the foreign
| ministers at Pekin were safe July 8.
Aside from these dispatches the arriv-
al of the President and the special cab
met meeting called to consider the sit
uation were the features of the day.
The cabinet met at 2:30 o'clock this
| afternoon, less than an hour after the
President reached the White House.
Over hundred newspaper men
thronged the corridors while the cabi-
net was sitting behind closed doors.
The scene resembled the hottest days
of the Spanish war.
| There We're present Secretary Hay,
| Secretary Root. Secretary Long, Secre-
| tary Gage and Postmaster General
| Smith
THE President has determined that
| the facts now known to US do not re-
quire or justify an extra, session of
Congress. Should future developments
indicate that he is unable to do what
is required with the means now at
his command and the action of Con-
gress is necessary to furnish either
men or money, or authority, he will
not hesitate to call it together"
| While this meagre formal statement
| was given out, it was ascertained that
The Whole Chinese Situation
was thoroughly discussed by the Cab
| met. The decision that an extra SEES
sion of Congress was not demanded by
existing conditions, was the outcome
| of the showing which both Secretary
Root and Secretary Long were able to
make as to the force that can be
| thrown into China without the author
! ization of additional troops by Con-
| gress, and also the decidedly more
| hopeful feeling entertained by the
| President and the members of his
| Cabinet as to the safety of Minister
| Conger and the other foreigners in
| Pekin, due to the cable of Minister
| WI, reporting the safety of the min
| listers July 8, two days after their re-
ported massacre. While this cable
was not regarded as conclusive, it is
accepted in good faith for the present.
| But the administration, it can be
| definitely stated, has set in motion
| some machinery by which it is con-
| fidently predicted absolutely authentic
| news as to the fate of our minister and
the other foreigners at Pekin will be
ascertained. Through what channel
| the administration expects to receive
this all-important news is not known,
but that a definite statement of the sit
uation in Pekin is daily, if not hourly,
1 cApeCCSu, Cdu 10 StdISu Will ChC W
most positiveness. The advices re-
ceived from Pekin probably will be
The Determining Factor
in blazing the future course of this
government If Minister Conger has
been murdered, an extra session of
Congress seems inevitable.
Admiral Remey's message Of the
success following the earlier hard
| fighting at Tien Tsin helped to relieve
the anxiety of the President and his
advisers, but Minister Wu's message
was responsible for the really hopeful
feeling that prevailed. Secretary Root
furnished to the cabinet a summary
of the troops available not only in this
/ country, but in Cuba, and gave it as
| his opinion that between 10000 and
| 1900 troops in all could be spared for
services in China. These reinforce
| ments are to be rushed through at the
| earliest possible moment Most, if
not all of them, it is believed. can be
1
| in September One cabinet officer said
/ that beyond those soldiers already de-
stined for China from the Philippines.
no further troops from the island
/ would be withdrawn unless the situa-
| ton became much more ominous.. In
figuring upon the number Of addition
| al marines available, Secretary Long
summoned to the cabinet meeting
Gen. Haywood, who commands the
marine corps. and who is familiar with
| every detail OF that branch Of that
service He explained that under ex-
| listing law the full strength Of the
marine corps is $780, But the en-
listments at the present time aggre-
gate only about 5000 This makes an
additional 1000 marines, who can be
brought into the service without
Congressional Action.
No new order for recruiting these
men is necessary. as the recruiting
stations are now in operation. but in
the presence OF the cabinet, Secretary