Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-29
Definite News Regarding the Pekiu
Relief Expedition.
MESSAGE FROM ADMIRAL KEMPFF
Whereabouts Of the Foreign Min.
isters Unknown.
MR.. WI CONTINUES HOPEFUL

the following cable message from Admiral
| Kempf, received at the Navy Department
| this morning:
"CHEFOO, June 70, 1900.
Secretary of Navy, Washington:
| '.Pekin relief expedition now in Tien
Tsin, with two hundred sick and wounded.
Ministers and Pekin party not with them.
| No news from them. KEMPFF."
Whereabouts of the Ministers.
| The negative character of the news con-
tained in Admiral Kempffs dispatch had a
| decidedly depressing effect upon The Off
cials. who had confidently expected to hear
of the safety of Mr.. Conger and the other
| foreign ministers. The mystery Of the
| whereabouts of the ministers IS now dec per
| than before. Although they may still be
| safe and sound. the absence of positive in
| formation to that effect is the most dis
| couraging feature of the situation.
| Kempffs dispatch is altogether contrary to
| Lii Hung Changs dispatch of yesterday.
which located the ministers with Admiral
| Seymours party, a few miles outside of
| Tien Tsn.
Even under the present highly sa.isfac-
| tory conditions the officials are buoyed up
| with the hope that no harm has to
| Minister Conger and his official associates
| and that news to that effect will soon be
| received. There is an impression in some
quarters that the ministers are secretly
| under the protection of the Tsung Ii Va
| men. and that the fact is suppressed in
| order TO prevent open violence on the part
/ of the mob element, whose anger would
probably be allayed by the official state
| ment that the foreigners had been sent
away from China.
Acknowledged His Error.
Admiral Kempff today acknowledged the
| error he had made in reporting the pres
erce of the foreign ministers with Sey-
mour's column. eight miles out from Tien
| Tsin. His cabcgram this morning admits
| that there is no knowledge of their where
| abouts. and it is assumed the error in the
! first report arose from the Gdmirafs accef-
| tance of report that was very generally
| current at the time the cabesram was sent.
The fact that the admlralS message Is
| dated at Chefuo today warrants the suppo-
| si,ion that Geographic communication had
| been restored between that point and Taku.
where the foreign fleet lies. There Is. how
| ever a possibility that the admiral could
get a dispatch across from Taku to Chefoo
on the same day by pushing the Yorktown.
| which is now used as a dispatch boat
Pushing the BROOKLYN.
Admiral Remey is pushing the Brooklyn
with all dispatch toward Taku. and he ca
| bles that he will sail from Hong Kong to-
morrow His main care will be to arrive
at Taku with full coal bunkers, thus max
| ing sure that the Brooklyn will be ready
for any service required when she reaches
10 stop at Nagasaki, Japan. The stop
there will also enable the Navy Department
to change his orders by direct cable COM
municat ton, in case the conditions change
So to make 1t proper to do so: during the
R-ooklyn's five-day run to Nagasaki. That
port by the way. is scarcely out of the
route between Hong Kong and Taku, SO
there will be practically no loss of time in
volved in entering Nagasaki.
No news from any of the American state
Department officers in China was received
over night
Secretary Hay. who has been severely
taxed by the eXhausting labors upon him
during the present heated spell, was inlis-
posed today and remained at his home,
while Assistant Secretary Hill looked afte"
the routine business OF the state Depart
ment.
Minister Wu Remains Hopeful.
Minister Wu received no news from China
today and when told by Star reporter of
Admiral Kempfs dispatch from Chefoo.
saying the ministers and Pekin people were
not with Seymour at Tien Tsin,he expressed
regret He said he could well understand
the anxiety for the safety of the ministers
that would be felt after the receipt of this
information, but while he had no informa-
tion he was quite well satisfied that they
were safe. His own dispatch received yes
terday from Ii Hung Chang said the min
listers were twelve miles from Tien Tsin.
and he could not understand the discrep-
ancy in the two dispatches.
Il think the ministers are AL right, he
said, land | hope and trust l shall not be
disappointed"
Less HopefuIness Manifest.
The hopeful feeling that has character
lied the administration for several days as
to the situation in China was not mani
fest at the cabinet meeting today. Tho
condition of unintelligence from China espe-
cially as to the ministers, was the disqu!-
citing feature of the news and offset every
thing else that gave rise to hopes that the
rioting will soon be stopped
Secretary Hay was not present nor was
Secretary Gage, and the other members
said that nothing had been heard from the
ministers who We're stationed at Pekin
This fact is again spreading a-arm as 10
their safety. 1t was stated that every pos
sible effort was being made to secure in
telligence of their whereabouts, up to this
time without result.
II was stated that no additional troops
have been ordered to China but 1t is not
denied that the government is prepared to
increase the force largely at moments
notice. Plenty of troops Will be lorWarueu
should the situation not improve ana
should no definite news arrive wlthln
short time as to the whereabouts oil MIN
lister Conger and the other Americans sta
toned at Pekln go 49,,
with sufficient force wherever the situa-
ton demands IT,
Agreement of the COnsuls.
The State Department was made acqua4ht-
ad with the terms of the agreement be-
tween the consuls and the viceroys. look
ing to the protection of foreign interests III
the southern provinces in emma. Inc nrse
s;ep to this end was indicated In Secretary
Hav's telegram of Wednesday last TO the
American consuls in China authorizing them
to act directly to the end desired, instead
of waiting on possible communication with
Minister COnger.
Thus authorized, Consul General Good
now at Shanghai, and probably several
others in the south, began negotiations with
the yfceroys and taotais of their respective
districts. The outcome was the nine ar
ticles of agreement referred to In the Paris
cablegram The text is withheld here from
publication, but it is understood that its
purpose is to make neutral the Chinese
treaty ports of Nankn and Hankow. The
naturalization would involve the withdrawal
of foreign men-of-war from the treaty
ports, and of any foreign troops or Sailors
leaving To the Chinese authorities and the