Mr. Iddings to Mr. Hay.
Rome, July 22, 1900.
(Mr. Iddings reports the thanks of the minister for foreign affairs for the commuication of the dispatch about Conger.2
The Italian Government says in reply:)
Since there appears to be open to your Government a way to Pekin, it is important that those who govern there should be seriously warned of all the consequences to which they expose themselves when they prevent the foreign ministers, if they are still living, from communicating freely with their governments, since that is still the only guaranty which we can have of their real situation. So far as we are concerned, I should be very grateful to the Federal Government if they would procure for us authentic news of our legations.