Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-11-29
IN AGREEMENT RIADRI[.
Foreign Ministers at Picking Come,
to an understanding Regard
ing Settlement in China.
FRENCH koTE BASIS .OF THE TREATY.
Believed That.There Are No Less Than
Two Points to. Which the United
States Will Not BE Able to Agree
Excessive Indemnity Is One Of the
Demands.

Washington, Nov. 27.-The state de-
partment has been informed Of the
agreement or understanding or pre-
(timinary treaty Git is not possible now
! to learn in just what form the matter
stands) reached by the foreign minis
tiers at Picking, but it's not regarded as
lexpedient to give out for publication at
this time any detailed iiformationre-
garding it.. It may be stated, however,
that the arrangement stand "a very
poor chanceSof receiving the sanction
of all the powers represented in the
Picking conference, unless some mate
rial amendments are permitted.
Objectionable Features
Just what the Objectionable features
are can only be surmised, in view Of
the adverse decision of the authorities
respecting publica ton. But, accepting
as accurate the statement from Peking
that the basis of the agreement is to
be found in the French note, it ID easy
to perceive that there are no less than
two points which, if included in their
original shape, would not meet with
the unqualified approval Of this govern
ment. Fortinstance, the president ex-
pressly reserved his opinion as to the
proposition that the Taku forts be dis
mantled: He also withheld his approx
al of the French proposition that there
be a permanent military occupation at
two or three points on the road be-
tween Tientsin and Peking.
Several Points OF Assent.
There were several points to which
the assent of the United States was
given, namely, providing for the pun
ishment of the guilty Chinese who may
be designated by the representatives Of
the powers at Picking; or the collec-
ton of equitable indemnities (and in
this connection our government sug-
gested reference Of the ubject to The
Hague tribunal and finally for the
maintenance of legation guard at
Picking. The latter, however, was to
be temporary until congress acted on
the matter.
Unless the ministers at Picking have
made a very substantial change in the
requirements of the French note,
therefore, it may be predicted that our
government will feel obliged to seek to
make some alterations in the arrange
ment before it gives It's adherence.
Excessive Indemnity Demand.
There is some reason to believe that
the indemnity proposition has taken
such an excessive form as to make it
impossible for the Chinese government
to meet the demand, and this fact,
taken in connection with the unreason-
able demands of some of the powers re-
specting punishments, may oblige our
government to endeayor to have the
demands moderated. There are indi-
cations, too, that in these efforts our
government is to receive the support
of one of the most powerful of the gov
ernments represented at the Peking
conference and one which generally
has been supposed of late to have
favored an extreme position.
DR.. Won Holleben, the German ambas-
sador, who recently returned to Wash
ington after an absence Since last
spring, called at the state department.
Monday and had a long interview with
Secretary Hay, supposedly with ref
erence to Chinese matters, among
other things.
g cSN II - go -a