The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-08-17
WIRES WORKING
TO TEHERAN
PLEASANT NEWS RECEIVED AT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AT WASHINGTON.

de Billier," was the text OF cablegram
received at the state department few
days ago. 1t did not look very intel
ligible or important upon its face but
it conveyed to the wise men of the
department that Frederic Ogden De
Biller the new secretary of the Amer
lean legation at the capitol of Persia,
had arrived safely at his distant post
Interesting as this might have been
to De Billier's personal friends in the
district of Columbia from whence he
was appointed after competitive ex-
animation, it was much more so to the
officials of the department. 1t was the
first message that had been received
from any of our representatives in the
disturbed empire of Persia for at least
ten days. The last dispatch that had
come through was from Consul VIM.
F. Doty, at Tabriz, containing the
single word anarchy" From that
for the press messages reporting Sc
we're fighting in various parts OF the
country between the trops of the
shah and the revolutionists.
De Billier's message therefore was
. welcomed for other reasons than mere
Nv the information it conveyed of his
safe arrival 1t meant two other i'm
portant things. First that Geographic
communication was open between the
Persian capital of Teheran and Wash
ington and second, that because or
that fact. this government might rest
assured that everything was we'll with
the American diplomatic and consular
representatives in the disturbed dis
trict because nothing had occurred OF
sufficient importance to warrant the
use of the cables. 1t thus allayed what
ever aprehension there might have
been.
Tn this connection one of the old
or attaches of the department re-
called another cablegram equally un-
important upon it's face, but whose
real import was so great as to pre-
/ vent the partition of an empire and TO
set in motion the troops of six great
powers. the expenses of that move
ment. taken eight years ago, being
still in course of liquidation.
It was during the Boxer outbreak In
China in 1900. The rebels were IN
control OF Pekin. The foreign dlplo-
mats resident there, including the
American minister, Conger, were be-
sieged within their legation grounds
Won Kettelar. the German, had been
assassinated while riding the streets.
And then for weeks and weeks, not
word came out from the small band OF
diplomats. There were plenty OF stories
abort the excuses of the Boxers at
Pelsin. and the neighborhood, of their
assaults upon the legation buildings
land more than once detailed descrlp-
tons of the massacre OF every LOT
eigncr in the place. One especially nor
rible story, which shocked the whole
civilized world, told with great partlc-
uIarity OF how Minister Conger hao
been boiled alive in oil and how the
ladies in the legation compound hau
been brutally outraged and put 10
death. On the other hand an occas-
sional message would come in round
about way to the effect that the dlp-
lomats were still alive but were under
lsiege and were in constant danger OF
being overwhelmed.
In this state of uncertainty the CIV
i,-ilezed world was waiting when Hay
+then secretary of state, with Root, then
secretary of war cOncocted a scheile
which was carried out with the as
sistance OF WI. then, as now the
Chinese minister in Washington
They wrote a telegram addressed 10
Coneer. 1t had been described py
those who did not appreciate It's reai
intent as utterly senseless. And so II
was for the Chinese government would
not undertake to deliver any message
which even remotely referred to the
existing troubles, and it had TO De
colorless to the point of being lnane.
But it was sent. 1t was delVereu'
And in the course of two or three
DAYS it was answered That proved u
the world that its diplomatic represe-
atives. imprisoned in Pekln, were SUN
alive though in great danger. BelleN-
ing that they had been killed, Germany
and others had wanted to wait until
they could gather great punitive ar
nv of $4,000 men to whip the Boxer
rebels and to force reparatlon from
the Chinese government. That army
would have taken months to prepare.
] But lust as soon as communications