Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-11
NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE
Reports of the Part Taken by American
Diplomats
Japan's Terms Said to Have Been Ac.
cepted by China-COunt Ito's
Scathing Speech.

A cable dispatch to the New York World.
dated TOXIC Japan, March 10, says: China
has been Informed in general terms of the
conditions upon which Japan will consent
to peace.
Japan has been notified that China Is
ready to accept these conditions and sign
q treaty.
The correspondence by means Of which
this agreement was arrived at was car
ried on through the United States minis
tiers to the two countries-Minister Edwin
Dun, at Toxic, and Minister Charles DENLY,
at Picking.
China Charged With Duplicity.
The full text of all the protocols and
other correspondence in connection with
the recent Intellectual peace propositions
of China to Japan has been made public.
The documents were laid before the Japan
ese parliament on the 9TH of February and
have been translated into English and
printed for the Information of foreign gov
ernments.
One of the documents consists of a trans
lation of the speech addressed by Count
Ito, the Japanese plenipotentiary, to the
Chinese ENJOYS when 1t was learned that
the latter had not full powers to negotiate.
1t Is a scathing recital Of the duplicity Of
Chinese diplomacy, which must have con-
WINGED the ambassadors from the howery
kingdom that the Yankees of the east had
not come merely for a pleasant conversa-
ton.
Instances are not wanting" said the
count, 'in which Chinese commissions,
after having formally agreed to interna-
tional compacts. have refused to affix their
seals, and cases might be cited in which
treaties solemnly concluded have been I'M
tremendously and without apparent rea-
son repudiated."
The cause Of this was the insufficiency of
the powers of the ambassadors negotiating
treaties.
Consequently the imperial government
made 1t a condition precedent to any peace
negotiation that the Chinese plenipoten-
tiaries should be furnished with full
powers to conclude peace, and it was only
upon receiving positive assurances from
the Cnlnese government that the condition
precedent had been complied with, and
that the Chinese plenipotentiaries were on
their way to Japan. that his majesty, the
Emperor of Japan. conferred upon my col
league and myself full powers to conclude
and sign preliminaries of peace with the
plenipotentiaries of China
THAT your excellencies' powers are not
outstanding that assurance. fatally de-
fective, Is to me sure indication that the
government OF China is not yet really So
licitous for peace
Criticism is nearly exhausted by a sim
pie comparison of the two instruments
which were reciprocally exchanged at this
board Yesterday. but it is not out of place
| to point out that one fulflls the definition
which is usually given among civilized
states to the term full powers while the
| other is destitute Of nearly all those dual.
| tiles which are regarded as essential tc
such powers; 1t even fails to Indicate the
subject upon which your excellencies are
| to negotiate: it does not authorize your ex.
cellencies to conclude or sign anything: ii
| is silent on the subject of the subseauen,
| imperial ratification of your excelIencies
acts. In short, 1t would seem that the au.
| thority which has. been conferred upor
your excellencfes would be completely full.
| filled by your reporting to your government,
what my colleague and myself might have
| to say. In this situation it would be i'm.
| possible for us to continue negotiations"
In conclusion the count remarked thai
while Japan was not seeking peace, she
| felt bound, in Difference to- that ciyiliza.
| ton which she represents" to listen te
China'S overtures.
whenever, therefore, China finds herself
| seriously and sincerely DESTROYS of peace
| and will confide actual full powers to Chi
| nese officials whose names and positions
will serve as an assurance that the terms
| which they may agree to will be confirmed
| and carried out in good faith, Japan will be
prepared to enter upon new negotiations
No Advfccs Received.
| At the Japanese legation this Afternoon
it was stated that no advices had been re
ceived from Japan confirmatory of thi.
dispatch.