The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-04
AN ORDER TO CONGER.
Must Date His Dispatches and Re
port Conditions in Pelxin.

Must Date His Dispatches and Re
port Conditions in Pekin.
Communication has, again been opened
between Pekin and Washington Minister
Conger was heard from last night in a
message dated Pekin, August 80, showing
that it took only four days to forward it.
officials of the State Department say
that a courier service has been established
which viii probably be kept up until the
telegraph line to Pekin can be guarded
Minister Conger's message does not give
particulars as to the conditions in the
Chinese capital, bat It viii not be made
public at least for the present.
The first official action of DR.. David J.
Hill, the Acting Secretary of State, on MS
arrival at the department today was TO
despatch an energetic message to Minis
| ter Conger. demanding. not requesting, that
the latter date every message sent by him
in future. The American Minister to Chi
ma was also asked to make a brief report
on existing conditions and to forward il
Immediately. under plain date. Both Mr..
Hay and Mr.. Adee received a scGre OF mes
sages from Mr.. Conger. hardly two Of
which were dated, and DR.. Hill has tired
of ii. He believes that if the proper stress
is laid on the demand the messages will
be dated in future and that satisfactory
reports can be had.
1t has been remarked that the messages
forwarded by both General Chaffee and
Minister Conger have been very vague and
unsatisfactory, in comparison with those
of the representatives of other powers,
and this Government has had to accept
reports of happenings in the Orient at
second hand from other capitals. 1t has
been decided to put an end 10 this and to
order that neither time nor telegraph tolls
be spared in keeping the Government Off
cials posted daily as to conditions.
This is regarded as being highly i'm
portant in view of the present diplomatic
muddle, and DR.. Hill expects TO have mat
ters Strengthened out before many days.
The State Department officials have de
| cided that the safer and better way to
| handle the correspondence between this
! Government and the nations interested in
/ China is to wait until all the powers have
i answer the Russo-Ameriean note, when
! the entire matter will be printed and
| issued TO the press.
! Secretary Root is the authority fer a
| statement that neither Germany, France.
! Great Britain, Italy. nor Japan have as
! yet returned any answer TO the note and
! he does not expect that they viii answer
! for more than week. Until then it is
| claimed Russia will make no move to
withdraw troops from Pektn, and the mil
tary and diplomatic situations will re
main in allegiance
1t is further stated on good authority
that the Russian Minister Will not with
draw from Pektn until the reply of all of
the powers have been made public.
The lack OF messages from China is wor-
rying the Government officials as they
! have good reason TO believe that the road
between Pekin and Tientsin is open, as is
telegraphic communication. \ line of
despatch boats has been running from
! Chefoo to Shanghai for nearly week but
10 dispatches have been furnished to them.
The Oregon was today ordered from Ma
gasakt 10 Woo Sung. 4 station just outside
/ Shanghai. and Will remain there until fur
ther orders. The Iris has sailed from
Hong gkong TO Manila.