The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-30
PRESIDENT is CONFIDENT.
He Believes the Situation In China
Has Improved.

he Believes the Situation In China
Has Improved.
Washington, June 29.-The President is
quitting Washington for his Canton home
tonight full of confidence that the situa-
ton in China has improved. thought it is
talr to say that. all the members of his
oflicial family do not agree with him in
that conclusion. Indeed, the days news,
limited though it was to a single cable
gram from Admiral Kempff and the pre-
paration of instructions TO Gen. Chaffee,
set out nothing calculated TO streng then
the hopes of the friends of the foreign min
isters and the missionaries, who have now
been silent for fully two weeks.
kempff's cablegram was a disappoint-
ment in his confession that he knew moth
ing OF the whereabo of the missing peo-
PIE, and there are many expressions of
wonder that neither that officer nor any
OF the foreign naval commanders at Taku
have been ingenious enough to establish
some system of spying so as to learn with
IN TWO weeks what has taken place at
Pekin. Still, it is said at the
navy department that Admiral Kempff
apparently has done as well as any of the
other commanders in getting the news,
ana that IL would be manifestly unfair 10
pronounce criticism of him until all the
facts develop. If there has been any
fault, Admiral Remey, who should arrive
at Iaku within week according to the
snort message he sent to-day from Hong
Kong, will make the fact manifest
Relative to the interesting story that an
International accord has been arrived at
as to the pro tempore settlement of the
chinese trouble, state department officials
say that while the United States is not a
party to such an agreement. If the Euro,
pean Powers and Japan have come to an
understanding on the basis set out the re-
suit should be welcomed by all who have
no selfish designs to satisfy. 1t is, of
course, not yet possible to predict occur
ately what attitude the United States
would assume officially towards such
combination, nor whether the government
could be induced to enter into the common
agreement except with some special reser-
Vations made necessary by a desire to
preserve the unbroken traditions of the
United States in their relations with for
eign nations.
Secretary Root devoted the afternoon to
the preparation of Instructions to Brig.
Gen. Chaffee, who has been assigned TO
the command of the troops
ordered to China, and after a
conference, the President approved
them with only few verbal changes that
did not alter their general character. AL
though Secretary Root would not make
public the text of Gen. Chaffee's instruc-
tons, he said that, generally speaking,
Gen. Chaffee had been ordered TO look out
for the United States in China, to avoid
entangling alliances, to act concurrently
with the other Powers, where it was to
the general interest 10 do So and in a
n fta C1f bat
marked the actions of the United States
government since the beginning of the
Boxer troubles in China. These instruc-
tons will be telegraphed 90 Gen. Chaffee
at San Francisco in order to reach him
before his departure on the transport
Grant Sunday evening. Secretary Root
said that In case the progress of events
made 1t necessary, it would be an easy
matter to modify Gen. Chaffee's instruc-
tons by cable to Nagasaki, which will
be the first port visited by the Grant
after her departure from San Francisco.
Secretary Root was asked If any more
troops would be ordered to China, and he
replied, mot yet" but intimated that
the further action of the War Depart
ment in that matter would be governed
entirely by the exigencles of the situa-
ton. To-day's instructions are supple
mentary to his original orders ito pro-
ceed 10 Pekln by way OF NdSdSah anu
Taku."
The following statement is published
by the War Department:
1.-THE War Department is In daily re-
ceipt of letters and kilograms from all
sections of the country rendering the ser
vices of individuals and organizations in
the event of war between the United
States and China. To all of these there
can be but one reply. By act of Con-
gress, March ., 1892 the President was
authorized to raise force of not more
than 5000 volunteers, which volunteer
force shall continue in service only dur
ing the necessity therefor, and not later
than June 90. 1901 and by the act of
April %, 1899, the volunteer army of the
United States can be maintained only
during the existence of war, and shall be
raised and organized only after Con-
gress has or shall have authorized the
President to raise such a force or to call
into the actual service of the United
States the militia of the several states.
at, therefore, rests with Congress, and
not with the President, to increase the
volunteer force, and while the War De-
nartment cannot'lo other than be graft
fed at these prominent and spontaneous
evidences OF patriotism on the part or
the people, 1t can only reply to each and
every tender of assistance that there is
no authority Of law for the acceptance
of any volunteer troops other than those
now in the service"