New-York tribune., 1900-11-21
PUNIsBMENT AND PEACE IN CRINA.

A report is current that no more punitive
expeditions are to be undertaken by the inter
national army in China under Count Won wal
dersee 1t is attributed to an officer of the
German Foreign Office who should be well
informed upon the subject, and 1t is in accord
with strong and increasing popular and official
sentiment in Europe. There is, therefore, some
ground for crediting it true. In case 1t shall
prove to be true it will mark a decided change
for the better in Chinese affairs and materially
brighten the prospect Of restored peace on an
equitable basis.
The provocation to inf1ict punishment upon
the Chinese in various places is, of course. very
strong. There is a natural impulse TO do so
when European troops find themselves masters
of the situation and only few miles from a
place where some abominable outrages upon
their compatriots were perperated. This i'm
pulse was much quckened by the impassioned
cry of the German Emperor for vengeance, and
1t is not dulled or destroyed by lapse of time
On the contrary finding their work for the
relief of Peking done, and themselves appar-
emily doomed to !naction. the troops naturally
begin 10 ask what they are staying there FOR
and 10 seek to do something to justify their
staying There is. they think, no use In their
sitting down amid the ruins of Peking and
twiddling their thumbs while diplomats and
mandarins palaver. ut is fine day; let US go
out and raid Chinese village" Nor is the
incentive Of loot TO be ignored, though 1t is one
which for the sake of civilization one would not
care to dwell upon.
All this. however, leaves out of the question
the real logic of the case. The Powers either
are or are not at war with China. If they
at war that fact should be openly proclaimed
and all efforts at diplomacy should be sus-
pended. If they are not at war their troops
should remain quiet and cease their punitive
expeditions" There seems to be no middle
course and reason for seeking any. NO
doubt punishment should be inflicted and in
demnity exacted. But those things must be
done either by force or by negotiation. If they
to be done by force the Powers would best
get an army of a million men into the field at
once, and proceed to the systematic overrun-
ming and conquest Of the Chinese Empire, for
that and nothing less is what forcible punish
ment of all offenders and exaction of full in
demnity would mean. If those ends are to be
attained through negotiation. however. tinker
ing at the problem with force and arms should
be stopped at once, as calculated to do more
harm than good 1t should be either leges inter
arma silent or arma inter leges silent
There can be no question as 70 the American
view of the case. This Nation has nc lesre to
engage in the subjugation Of the Chinese EN-
pire or to assume even partial responsibility for
its administration. 1t does not want to go to
with China. Its policy remains what 1t
was as expressed in unmistakable terms in
July last. That policy was declared to be TO
stand by our treaties and treaty rights, to pro-
tect life and property of Americans, to act in
harmony with other Powers to these ends, and
to aim at the restoration Of peace and order
and the maintenance of China's territorial and
administrative integrity Much of that pro-
gramme has been fulfilled in the rescuing of the
Peking legations There remain the vindica-
ton Of treaty rights and the restoration of peace
and order These are not to be effected by
punitive expeditions. On the contrary, they
more likely to be thwarted by such expeditions
which undoubtedly keep the Imperial Court
from returning TO Peking and tend toward
decentralization Of the whole country. Due pun
ishment for Chinese malefactors should come
with peace, through orderly and impressive
methods. The infiction Of it in advance in
a savage and vindctve manner can have no
more certain result than to defer final peace and
to embitter the Chinese mind against all friendly
relations with the outer world.