Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-05-04
C0NCER HOME
FROM ORIENT
United States Minister to China
Arrives on the Steamer
Nippon Maru.
ATTITUDE ON G0vERNORSHIP
Says He Is Not a Candidate but
Would Accept Nomination if
1t Came to Him,
DESIRES TO RETURN TO CHINA
Anxious to Continue His Work Thcre I'm
til tho Present rouble Is Settled
Thinks settlement wni lie Made
without Further Bloodshed.

San Francisco, April 27.-Edwin II.
China, accompanied by his wife,
daughter and Miss Pierce, arrived
from China late yesterday afternoon
on the steamer Nippon Maru. Owing
to quarantine regulations and the ne
cessity of giving personal supervision
to the landing of his baggage, Mr..
Conger did not reach his hotel until 6
o'clock in the evening. Mr.. Conger's
arrival was awaited with considerable
interest, not only on account Of his
connection with events in China, but
from a political standpoint. There was
a great desire to know what position
Mr.. Conger would assume with regard
to the coming g~ubernatorial nomination
In Iowa. To a representative of the
Associated Press Mr.. Conger, when
asked II he cared to make any express
sion on the governorship matter, said:
i DO no wish 10 make any public
declaration at this time. / have not
yet had time to read the correspond
ence which has met me here. 80 far
as 1 am at present advised, / see no
reason TO change my position as eX-
pressed abou two months ago before
l LETT China. l received two kilograms
from the United States. One asked me
II l were a candidate for governor. |
answered: i am not The other tele-
gram asked whether l would accept
the nomination IL rendered me. l re-
piled that l would accept II the nomin-
alton came to me.
Walt Till lie Gets to Des Moines.
Il do not care to nor will / say any
thing further in the matter until l
reach Des Moines. l do not know what
the situation in Iowa is, and do not
care to say anything definite until /
am fully advised. My present inten-
ton and desire Is to return to China
n finish my work."
Touching events in China, Mr.. Con-
ger turned interviewer, and was par
ticularly anxious to know what had
been done by the powers in the mat
ter OF indemnity. He was asked for
his opinion as to the amount OF In
demnity the Chinese are able to pay.
Three hundred million dollars" he
replied, accompanying his answer by
the statement hat 1t would be neces-
sary to practice economy. The time
OF payment, too, should extend over a
long term Of years.
Concerning events in China, MI. Con-
ger said that there was nothing new TO
be said in that direction, as everything
that happened a been told fully, to-
gether with many things hat never
occurred. Tales Of brutality had, he
thought, been exaggerated. or course
there were cases OF outrage by indi-
vidual soldiers, which were not sane
toned by officers, These were but in
cidents of war, which found some pal
liation In the fact that the Chinese had
killed 10000 native Christians and 100
Europeans.
Leave for Home Tomorrow.
Asked in regard to his future plans,
Minister Conger said he would remain
In the city until Saturday morning,
when he would leave for his home in
Des Moines, la. At the expiration OF
his sixty days leave Of absence he In
tended to return to China. He would
go back sooner If anything important
should come up.
When told that it vas planned by the
citizens Of Des Moines to give him a
public reception, he said that al
though he did not are for public dem
o~nstrations, he would accept a recep-
ton at Des Moines. He belonged to
the people Of Des Moines. In fact, the
entire people Of Iowa had always been
kind to him, giving him everything
that he had asked for, refusing him
nothing. In return he had been COM
PEELED often to refuse the people OF
Iowa favors.
DIR. ,Ament Arrives Also.
San Francisco, April 27.-Among the
passengers Of the steamer Nippon
Maru, which arrived from China yes
terday, was DR.. w. S. Ament, q mis-
sionary who passed through the siege
Of Picking, who afterward came into
notoriety with connection with the
charges Of footing that were made
against the missionaries.
DR.. Ament said that his side of the
controversy had been fully set forth,
and that he had nothing to add to the
with him at Kobe, Japan,
which was published in these dis
patches.
Chicago. April 27.-A special to the
Record Herald from San Francisco
gives the following expressions from
Edwin Conger with reference
to the alleged looting by missionaries
In Picking:
"Dr. Ament is the most lied about
man In China, unless 1t is myself"
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