The sun., 1900-12-22
MINISTER'S WILL NOW SIGN.
THS "IRREvotABIE rIArsE mr. ~
fUE tGRrENyNT.
Csnser ul'nndsrs'sod state Depsrtmsrss In.
s1s't'ons and worked for Ne,cntio" Of the
Word Great Britain Actedes. and the
Note WIN Ne signed In q ia, or 30

N,sHiNotOS, Dec ~ More misunder-
standing at rchn has resulted In further
rostp"pcment of tho signing 81 tho pre-
lmnsry agreement. and II became heoes-
saty Tor tho Secretary 81 state To send
another telegram to Minister Conser to-
day. instructlna him to attach his signature
The 'roubls has boon almost entirely over
the abatement IN the preamble 70 the agree
ment that the conditions Imposed on the
Chinese were "irrevocable
Great Britain sought to obtain tho substi-
tuition OF mllder word. realizing that China
Nigh, not be able 20 comply fully With some
OF tho conditions. or that IL might be fouhd
desirable TO revoke them. The United
States adopted tho British suggestion. ana
instructed Mr.. Conger to urge the ehmina-
ton Of the word "rrevocable, But these
instructions reached MIR. Conger In some
what confused phraseology, due TO an omls-
sion OF a cipher symbol. and he undertook
to translate them without further connunica-
tion with the State Department HIS
Interpretation Of the instructions was that
he was to urge the retention and not the
elimination Of tho word "irrcvocable.'
Tho State Department has learned within
the past twenty -four hours that he not only
agreed 10 the use OF this word. but made
an active and successful effort TO induce
some OF the other Ministers to join with him.
On two occasions the state Department.
In the belief that tho Objectionable term
had been modified. had directed Mr.. ConRer
70 sign, only to learn overnight that the
word had been retained.
As much timo had been lost In attempt
ing to make Mr.. Conger understand what
his Government wanted. and as the delay
was causing uneasl ness. the President to-day
directed Secretary Hay to lave no further
correspondence with Mr.. Conger on the
subject but to instruct him TO sign the agree
ment, "irrcv ocable" clause and all.
The state Department learned to-day that
the British Government had also instructed
its Minister at Pekin to Sign the agreement.
Like the United States. Great Britain de-
cided that delays we're dangerous and con-
cludod to swallow the Objectionable term
rather than risk further trouble.
With the assent Of the United States and
Great Britain to the statement that tho con-
dtions imposed on the Chinese are irrev-
ocable, the last obstacle 10 the perfection
Of the agreement has been removed. and II
will be signed within the next day or two.
Secretary Hay made a full explanation
to the Cabinet to-day Of the confusion which
has existed between Mr. Conger and the
State Department over the Governments
position in regard TO the use OF the word
"irrevoCable" and how the President finally
had felt obliged to direct Mr. Conger to sign
the agreement with the Objectionable term
not eliminated In the discussion that fol-
lowed there was disposition shown to crit
icise Mr. Concer for his seeming unwillingness
10 understi and the nature OF his Instructions
and take contrary view TO that Of the Cow
ernment.
From Secretary Hays statement OF Mr..
Conger's explanation OF his misunderstanding
of the Department Instructions, IL Appealed
that through the unintentional dropping OF
Il cipher digit from the telegrarhic copy OF
the instructinos received by Mr. ConRer,
the cipher word majority" was formed and
this Mr. Conser construed TO mean that no W
90 conform to the view of a majority Of the
Ministers Therefore. as the majority wanted
the term "irrevOCable" retained Mr.. Conger
voted for it's retention des pite the Instructions
OF the State Department To urge its elimination
or modification
The stranGest phase Of the diplomatic
mix-up Is that this Government and Great
Britain understood that q majority Of the
Powers had instructed their Ministers not
to insist on the retention OF "irrevocable.
That certainly was the view Of the diplomatic
corps in Weshi ington. Presumably the Min
listers at Peki have interpreted their instruc-
tiohs TO suit their own views,