THE LATEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 180, 31 July 1900, Page 5

THE LATEST.

SAFETY, OF THE LEGATIONS

ALL WELL' ON JULY 21

SPEEDY RELIEF NECESSARY

(Received July 31, 11.40 a.m.)

LONDON, July 30

' The Secretary of the German Legation at Pekin reports that members of the Legation were all right on July 21.

The attack made by the Chinese on th£ Foreign Legations,1 rthe German Secretary states, ceased on the 16th, but the speediest relief was necessary.

[This no doubt refers to a message received from one of the secretaries of the German Legation in Pekin, from Dr. Pritturtz or Dr. Yon Gaffron by th_e German Government, in the secret code used by the representatives of that Power. Similar despatches had been previously received from Mr E.. H. Conger, the United States Ambassador, who reported that the. fdrelgn ministers were aJive on July 4, and from Sir Claude Mac Donald, who in a despatch dated July G said three of the Legations were then standing. If these messages are genuine, the members of the Foreign Legations are - most likely still alive (with the exception of Baron de Ketteler, the German Ambassador, whose massacre has never been questioned), and there is some probability of the reported massacre of foreigners on the 30th June being very much exaggerated. The American authorities, after careful •consideration, icanie to tihe conclusion that the despatch signed by Mr Conger was most,probably a. forgery, and the fact that they entertain such a suggestion, throws grave doubt on the genuineness of all news received from Pekin, no matter how carefully coded.] .. k