The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-30
A LONG CABINET SESSION
Document Whose Contents Are Secret
to Be Sent Abroad.
WE HAVE YET TWO OBJECTS TO ACHIEVE
The Safeguarding of American Interests in
China and the Guarantee of Indemni-
fication. Can We Continue 10
Act with The Powers.
(By the Associated Press. }


Washington, August pa special
meeting of the Cabinet lasting all day
and broken only by short recess for
luncheon marked the intense interest the
Administration feels in the Chinese prob
lem. The diplomatic and not the military
phase of the situation in China was under
Secretary Adee and the French Charge
compared the French and American copies
Of the credentials of Lii Hung Chang. To-
day he had long talks with Mr.. WI and
the German Charge, and the substance
of these conversations he Laid before
the Cabinet. 1t is understood that the
Cabinet today completed preparation of a
plan for clearing away such of the un-
certainty that now exists as to the fu-
ture in China and outlined it's views in
writing The fact that the military stu-
alton is admitted to be of secondary i'm
portance confirms the view though no
Cabinet officer would vouchsafe infor-
nation on this point, that what is sought
is an agreement among the powers for ter
minating the indefinite status of affairs
has been reached where it is proper that
there should be a clear expression of
purpose ON the part of the principal
powers in order that the Untted States
Government may know how far it may go
consistently in the execution of the COM
mon program. Most of the objects had
in view by the President when he made
answer to the Chinese Government S APP
o,,I
kin. have been achieved. Two others re-
main to be secured, namely, the safe
guarding cf American interests for the
future and some proper guarantee for
indemnification for the expenses of recent
operations and losses of American citi-
zens. Some plan by which these objects
can be obtained by the United States in
common with similar objects by the other
powers engaged in China is thought feas-
fble. Incidental to this main purpose sew
eral phases of the problem are attract
ing special attention. Thus the suffi-
cheney of Ii Hung Chang's credentials as
peace envoy or rather of the ability of
the Emperor of China to accredit any
one thus. is rather a matter of interna-
tional consideration. The United States
not only must satisfy itself with Lis
competency but it must convey solid as
surance on that point TO convince some
Of the other powers, the purposes of
which perhaps would not be best served
by speedy termination of hostilities in
China
1t was the general understanding that
the cute5me of todavs Cabinet meeting
would be the adoption of a policy by the
Administration that would tend to sim
plify these issues and at least bring to
focus the varying aspirations of the
powers If this cannot be done, then the
question to be determined is whether or
not the United States shall proceed fur
ther. hand in hand with the allied forces
1t is believed that this matter is very
near a decision our determination de-
pending upon the responses made by Eu-
r1pean nations 20 our inquiries. The
suggestion that a conference be held of
the nations represented in China is
again revived as an accompaniment of
this purpose, and it is pointed out that
with Special Commissioner Rockhill just
about arriving on Chinese soil with Won
Mumm Schwartzenstein, the German sue
cessor to Baron Won Ketteler already in
China, with the Ministers resident at Pc
kin. and with the high military and naval
officials in the Pei Ho Valley the ma
terial is already at hand for the gath
ering of conference fully equipped to
deal with even so complex and difficult
a problem as is presented in the settle
ment OF China's future.
There are hopes that communication
with Pekin, very much delayed of late,
will be better soon. Consul Fowler at
Che Foo, got a routine dispatch through
today of current date and the Navy De-
partment has been informed that the
cable company's ship was about to leave
Shanghai today to lay direct cable con-
meeting Shanghai with Che Foo-one Of
the weakest links in the chain of COM
munication at present. These improved
conditions as to the opening of COM
munication between our military and ma
val commanders and the authorities here
have made it possible for the latter to
abandon the purpose conceived yesterday
of employing naval vessels to convey
by water messages between Shanghai and
Che Foo.
The attitude of Germany was the SUBJ
ject of much official discussion during
the day and considerable new light was
thrown upon it. Early in the day the
German Charge, Baron Won Sternberg
had a long conference with Secretary
Adee n Is understood that any ques-
tion which may have arisen as to the