Show iWILLINf TO MEDIA TEg 1 Uncle Sam Listens to Appeal of Chinese Government Gov-ernment as Transmitted Through Minister Wtu Signifies His Willingness to Intercede Between China V and the Powers but Only upon Conditions Which First Must be Met by the Peking AuthoritiesAnswer to Appeal Accepts as True Chinese Statement as to Safety of Legations Washington July 23Thc President has listened to the appeal of the Chinese Chi-nese Government a transmitted through Minister Wu and has signified his willingness to mediate between the imperial Government and the powers but only upon conditions which first must be met by the Chinese Government Govern-ment the The exact nature of the terms pn > posed by the State department cannot now be stated It Is known however I that the answer is entirely consistent with the statement of principles laid down by Secretary Hay in his Identical I note to the powers and moreover It accepts ac-cepts as truthful tho Chinese statements state-ments relative to the safety of the foreign for-eign Ministers at Peking MUST BE CONFIDENCE I would not of course be possible to take initial steps toward mediation either the negotiations to were er party to negolatlohs entertain open distrust of the accuracy 1 of the statements or the other There I must be confidence between them 1 The answer of the United States does not go to the length of the French answer an-swer to a similar application in laying 1 down conditions which the Chinese Government Gov-ernment could not meet even If so disposed dis-posed if It is actually struggling for its own existence I does however look to the immediate relief Of the foreigners for-eigners in Peking and moreover to tho nrotection of all forclimers mission ai S and traders in China and to the 1 restoration of order With this much accomplished the State department feels that it can approach the novers with the Chinese propositions for a settlement for what has occurred CONSIDERED BY PRESIDENT The Chinese appeal came to Secretary Hay yesterday through Minister Wu The Secretary promptly telegraphed J ltv Ito I-to the Presidentat Canon andaCk I taking a lull days consideration the answer came today I was In the proper diplomatic form and a copy delivered de-livered to Minister Wu who is to forward for-ward It to his own Government The appeal and answer will be made public pub-lic here tomorrow The imperial edict made public today at the State department shows that the Imperial i Government already has taken the first slops toward doing what I the United States Government requires I re-quires as the principal condition 01 the exercise of Its Government offices the magistrates In joining Ylceroysmasistrates and leading men to stop the depredations depreda-tions and protest the foreigners and our Government will await the result of this before proceeding further CRITICISM EXPECTED I Is expected that adverse criticism upon the action of tho State department depart-ment In this mailer will be heard from Europe where the Governments are acting upon the belief that all the foreign Ministers In Peking have perished per-ished but our Government nevertheless neverthe-less regards Its course as the correct one All of the European Governments have taken the stand above indicated The last of the answers to Secretary Hays note reciting the Conger message mes-sage have come and all of them in terms polite and diplomatic express utter Incredulity In the authenticity of the Conger message ConsulGcncral Goodnow himself a man of good judgment judg-ment also cabled a warning to Secretary Secre-tary Hay against the acceptance of the message without confirmation But the State department has fully considered the message In all of its aspects has carefully weighed the numerous objec Lions and suspicions pub forth here and in Europe and without guaranteeIng guarantee-Ing the authenticity of tho message feels it to be n matter of prime duty to act upon the theory that It is genuine NEWS FROM REMEY EXPECTED Admiral Remeys notlflcatlon to the department that ho had gone In person up the Pei Ho from Taku to Tien Tsin is attributed to the receipt by him of Secretary Longs urgent message to hasten the efforts to get t Peking and Important news from him is expected < nnn TEXT OF CHINESE EDICT The State department makes public the following text of an edict delivered today by Minister Wu to Secretary Hay This Is tho edict referred to by United States Consul Fowler at Che Foo In his message yesterday An imperial edict messse Issued on the first day of the sixth moon July 17th transmitted by the Viceroy Liu Kun Ylh on the 20th day of July and received by Minister Wu on tho 21st day of July at 7 oclock WHAT THE EDICT SETS FORTH Tho present conflict between China and the foreign powers had its origin In the longstanding antagonism between be-tween the people and the Christian missions The subsequent fall of tho Taku forts preclpllaled the meeting of force with force The Imperial Government Govern-ment having due regard to the Import halng still refused ance of Internal Intercourse sti fused to go so far a to Interrupt cx Jaling relations We have already Issued I Is-sued imperial decrees providing for the I protection of the foreign legations and also commanded the provincial authorities author-ities to protect the missionaries Inasmuch as there is still no cessation cessa-tion in the employment of force foreign for-eign merchants and subjects residing in China who form a numerous body In be protected with the country should prot wih out distinction We hereby command all the Tartar Generals GovernorsGeneral and Gov ernera of provinces to look after the foreign erncn merchants and missionaries living in the open ports prefectures departments and districts under their respective Jurisdiction and to afford rc clw jurIsdicton j I them due protection In accordance with treaty stipulations without fall Last month we hard with profound I aBtonlshrnrnt and regret of tho killing of the Chancellor of the Japanese legation lega-tion Mr Akiru and the same fate befell be-fell the German Minister shortly afterward after-ward The violent removal of the German Ger-man Minister whose residence at the capital was nccessary to the transaction transac-tion of business boiwcon the two countries coun-tries affected us very deeply I is the duty of the authoritIes concerned to cause stringent order for the speedy arrest and Dunlshment of the murderers murder-ers to be carried out SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS Since the commencement of the attack at-tack in Tien Tsin there are foreign subjects and missionaries who have on account of local disturbances suffered death or loss of property through no loss of their own We hereby command the Governor of Peking and the Viceroy Vice-roy of Chlh Li to cause Investigations to be made by their respective subordinates i subor-dinates of all such claims except those I i arising directly from the said attack with a view to their ultimate settlement I mentMoreover Moreover local outlaws and rebellious rebel-lious subjects have of late given themselves them-selves up to burning killing and plundering plun-dering to the great disquiet of our loyal subjects This Is in utter defiance of law We hereby command tho said GovernorsGeneral Governors and commanders of our forces to investi gate the situation and to lake such measures for the punishment of offenders of-fenders and restoration or order a the nccossllics of the case demand We hereby command this our general edict to be made known for the Information of all It may concern Respect this SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT A significant statement In the above edict is noted in the passage which directs di-rects an Investigation of all claims except ex-cept thoso arising directly from the said attach attack on Tien Tsln with a view to their ultimate settlement Tills appears to make plain not only that the Chinese Government will settle claims for actual losses but that it has now formally decreed an exception oil these claims arising directly from the attack on TJen Tsin I seems to indicate indi-cate that the Chinese Government holds that the attack on Tien Tsin was un warranted AS TO CONGERS DISPATCH The State department has received a dOPlttmcn rec deluge of dispatches from all parts of the globe relative to the Conger message mes-sage These show the attitude of the foreign Governments Without exception excep-tion the official view taken by all foreIgn for-eign officers is that the dispatch is not genuine and does not afford a basis for action SCARED BY GOODNOW This incredulty is also share by United States Consul Goodnow who has communicated to the State department his disbelief In the authenticity of the message The text of these several messages is not made publca they are inconclusive and not adding anything any-thing lu the way of definite news to the situation at Peking tho entire tenor being one of doubt and suspicion VARIOUS THEORIES ADVANCED The official doubts are based on various vari-ous theories Ono of them is that the deception was practiced by the Tsung 11Yamen Itself Sllll another Is that it emanated from a high Chinese official a man holding 0 position like that of Sheng or Prince Tuan the latter being at the head of the antiforeign element and at last accounts connected with the TsungllYamen GOVERNMENT UNSHAKEN Notwithstanding this flood of doubt from foreign official quarters the Stale department has not varied in its posl lon as to the authenticity oC the message mes-sage Secretary Hays position being now as it always has been that there Is every probability that a fraud may have been perpetrated But as against this remote possibility Mr Hay feels that there is absolutely no motive for the perpetration of such a monstrous deception The Washington Government Govern-ment is unshaken therefore in Us position po-sition on the message while the rest of the world has made it known to this mace Government that this message is not accepted a coming from Conger on the 18th inst |