New-York tribune., 1900-08-30
RUSSlA'S PLAN IN CHINA
REMOVAL OF TROOPS FROM
PEKING SUGGESTED.
A QUALIFIED APPROVAL GIVEN TO
THE PROPOSITION BY THE PRESI-
DENT AND CABINET.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BuNn.I

OF the cabinet lasting more than six hours, on
a not August day, and all the members showing
an unusual degree of reticence-that has been
the situation in Washington to-day and IT has
naturally excited much attention and comment.
The situation produced by certain informa-
tlon received from diplomatic representatives
OF the United States at the principal capitals
Of Europe and at Toxic. and from the diplo-
matte representatives in Washington of several
OF the Powers. This information consid-
cred and discussed at a conference last night,
| when the Acting Secretary of State and the
Secretary of War spent several hours with the
President at the White House =
Among the papers laid before the CAbinet
was note from Russia, in which she suggested.
among other things that the objects ~ she
| eXpedtionary relief force having been aeeo7f~
plshed at Peking, she willing to Withdraw
her troops from the Imperial capital and invited
the views of the United States in respect to the
proposed action. An Identical note was
| sent by Russia to all the other Powers
| which are interested in the expeditionafy
force. The suggestions of Russia in this notea
were fully discussed and considered. and there IS
reason to believe that the propositions she SUBJ
mitted were approved. with certain reservations
and qualifications which were embodied in the
reply which framed at the second session
of the Cabinet and dispatched tonight.
Ihere is reason to believe that in her
note Russia also suggested that the withdrawal
from Picking and its vicinity of the international
forces would probably pave the way for the re-
turn to the capital Of the Imperial authorities
and the opening of negotiations through Ii
Hung Chang, some other representative of
the Chinese Government, for. the restoration OF
order and the protection Of foreigners through
out the empire, and also for reparation for the
injuries inflicted upon the diplomatic repre-
sentatives Of the Powers and other foreigners
In Picking and other parts of China.
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
Moreover, there is reason to believe that the
qualified approval by this Government of Rus
sia's proposition is conditioned on the assent OF
the other Powers, and also on the carrying out
Of the policy indicated in Secretary Hays note
o. July to the Powers, follows:
The policy Of the Government of the. United
states is to seek a solution which may bring
@ @dpouI Pe[Inaheht sa1ety and peace to# China,
preserve Chinese territorial and administrative
entity, protect all rights guaranteed to friendly
Powers by treaty and international law. and
safeguard for the world the principle OF equal
and impartial trade with all parts of the Chi
nese Empire.
The fourth and last purpose of the United
States. as expressed in that note. was:
= In a aiding to prevent a spreadtaf tns
ct1rre1ce ~ef such disasters ~ 80
Respecting this proposition Secretary Hav OBJ
served:
1t is of course, too early to forecast the means
OF attaining this last result.
Since then eight weeks have passed In The
mean time Tien-Tsn and Peking have been oc
cupied by the international troops who are on
eased IN the restoration and preservation of
order. The Ministers and other foreigners have
been rescued and placed in safety In the opin
ion OF the Administration the time for the next
md II
peen from the beginning, to act concurrentIv
with the other Powers in proper measures to
carry out the policy defined in the note of july 8
MAY NOT PLEASE EUROPEAN POWERS
OF course, nothing is yet officially known here
as 70 whether the Russian note has been favor
aoly received or considered by the other Powers
or any Of them. There is reason to believe that
its suggestions will not be likely to strike some
Of them favorably. One Of them is understood
to have suggested informally a different propo-
sition. which was that the respective Powers
should proceed further without regard to China
IN the direction Of restoring order, and to that
enc shouId parcel out among themselves the
sea board and navigable waters of the Empre
and occupy them with suitable and sufficient
military and naval forces. The basis of this
suggestion was the division Of Tien-Tsin and
Peking into districts. and the aIlottng of one
of these districts to each of the components Of
the expeditionary force, with authority to pro-
tect life and property and preserve order. In
other words, it was suggested that each Of the
Powers should exercise police control over a
portion of the seacoast and navigabe waters of
China until the Government thereof should be
able and willing to do and provide for the
preservation of public order and the protection
Of foreigners in their treaty rights. 1t was to
create on a large scale and maintain for an in
definite period a condition similar to that which
has been created a small scale and for a
merely temporary purpose in Peking and Tien-
Tsln All this was to be done apparently the
assumption that there was no government In
China at present competent to enter into nego-
tiations with the Powers with respect to repara-
ton and indemnity for the injuries which their
citizens or subjects have sustained in the last
few months at the hands of Chinese, whether
organized troops unorganized bands of
rioters
1t IS not known that this plan has yet been
formally and officially submitted to all the
Powers, but it appears to have been quite gen.
orally discussed in diplomatic circles.
HOPE TO END MILITARY OPERATIONS.
1t viii probably take some little time for the
situation TO clear so that a distinct view of the
diplomatic field can be obtained, but some of
the officials here hopeful that within rea-
sonabe time active military operations in North
China will cease to be necessary to effect any
of the objects defined in the notes and memo
randums issued by the Government Of the
United States from July to August % and be
superseded by pacific negotiations through the
ordinary channels of diplomacy Whether these
hopes will be realized must depend, of course
on the favorable consideration by the other
Powers of the plan which Russia has proposed