NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE week has been marked by a shower of falsehoods from Pekin so heavy and persistent that outside Great Britain even important persons doubt whether the Ambassadors are dead. An undated note in cipher from Mr. Conger, the American Minister, begging for aid, has been forwarffed by the Chinese to Washington, and has convinced the Foreign Offi!e there that the Ambassadors are alive. It is, of course, only an intercepted note, and proves that when it was written, that is, just before the final attack, the American Minister was nearly in despair. The rulers in Pekin at the same time have telegraphed to all their Ambassadors assurances that the Legations are safe, and " under the protection of the Government," and the Ambassadors repeat the assurances with the endorsement that they believe them. Similar assurances are uttered by the Southern Viceroys, and by Li Hung Chang at Shanghai, all adding that as the Ambassadors are alive there is no need to march on Pekin ! Meanwhile, no particle of confirmatory evidence is produced, no letter, no Minister, while a native employe who was interpreter in the British Legation, but escaped to Newchang, told a correspondent of the Daily Mail that when he fled the majority of the Europeans, including Sir Robert Hart, were dead, and "the condition of the living was hopeless."
