The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-07-07
WAR WITH CHINA.

From the Independent June PSI
We are at war with China; not with
The Boxers, but with the Chinense gov
eminent. No other Interpretation can
possibly be put upon the events of the
past week. 1t was the Chinese gov
eminent that placed mines in the har-
Dor of Taku to prevent the approach
of foreign ships. and then ordered the
firing upon them. 1t is a force of
Chinese regulars that with modern
arms. including Krupp guns, is attack
ing the foreign settlement at Tien TSin
and has repulsed the relieving force
IL is the Chinese army that holds the
roads to PelSin and suffers not a single
message from the legations in the
capital to reach their governments. 1t
is Chinese general, appointed by the
empress dowager herself. who holds
Admiral Seymours relieving force so
that not word has come from it in
two weeks. The simple fact is that
the empress doWager has thrown down
the gage of battle to all the world and
the governments of the world have
taken it up. and viii carry through the
contest to the end.
1t is not. indeed, by any means GER
tain that there has been heavy loss in
PeIin. Legation street may be per
fectly safe for the present or so long
as ii suits the convenience of the
palace to continue the fiction of an
instruction beyond the power of the
government to control except within
It's own precincts. 1t is very probable
that the traditional Chinese Difference
for rank will serve the ambassadors in
good stead for some time to come, and
that even the Manchus viii hesitate to
burn their bridges behind them COM
pletely. So also il may be possible to
hold the viceroys Of the coast provinces
accountable for the safety of the more
important treaty ports, and Shanghai.
Canton, Annoy, Ningpo may not share
The same fate as Tien Tsin. After all
possible allowances are made, however,
the fact is apparent that the Chinese
government is responsible for the stu
ation-must be held so, and must be
made to nay the penalty Of its conniv-
ance at if not its direct Endorsement
Of the instruction.
Such being the case, the more prompt
and effective the action the better. All
hesitancy as to the most complete CO.
operation with the other powers should
be thrown aside at once. Every avail
able man and ship should be sent with
all possible speed to Taku, and our
representatives should be instructed to
join heartily in the plans of the British,
RUSSIAN, japanese and other officers.
This is essential for several reasons 1t
viii be the most economical both of
men and money. 1t will best assure
the safety Of such of our representa-
tives and fellow-citizens as remain in
sections under the control of the
Chinese government. 1t will be the
only means Of securing what we have
repeatedly held to be our great pur-
pose in all our relations with the en-
pire. freedom of intercourse and of
trade, no territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, a
conclusive word in the final settlement
og the Chinese question.
The Boxers are already reported to
number 5000 coo. The probability is
that even those figures are too small
AS a contributor shows in another
column they are but a branch of the
great society which covers the empire
and which numbers its members by
many millions. They are differed by
men who have realized for some time
that their only hope for continuing
their power lies in the expulsion of all
foreign influence, and who have COM
United themselves to the effort. Every
day of delay, every advance that is re-
pulsed simply adds to the numbers of
the rioters and the confidence of the
leaders, and increases by so much the
dlhculty of the task and the price to
De paid for victory. 1t increases also
the danger of every American in China.
Inc chinese government must be made
W tool thai it viii be held responsible