Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-08-29
EYEING EACH OTHER
Po--ers' Future Policy In the
Orient.
OFFICIAL MESSAGES INTERRUPTED
she "open Door Policy Of the United
states to BE Adhered To-stiI In che
Dark as to the Real Situation at Picking

washington, Aug. -. After the
cabinet meeting Tuesday it was NJ,
nounced that the government was in a
waiting attitude regarding the Chinese
situation. The lack of late adyiees
from Picking and the failure of the
powers to show their hands as to fut-
ure policy makes it necessary for this
government to await developments.
The administration considers it of the
greatest Importance that III the nego-
tiations for a settlement of TIE Chi
nese difficulty all the powers should
act Ill unison and harmony, and its
efforts are being directed to that end
1he powers. however, seem slow to de-
clare themselves. Several replies have
been feceiFd to the Instructions sent
10 our ambassadors and ministers last
week, asking them to sound the GOV
ernments to which they were accTpdit
Gd on two propositions-firs the will
fngness Of these governments TO ae
rept the sufticiency of Iii Hung Changes
credentials to treat with the powers
for settlement and second, to ascer-
tain If possible what the future policy
of each power is to be. Regarding the
latter inquiry, the replies thus far
have developed nothing. The powers
appear to be watching each other with
out definite. or fixed purpose as vet of
their own. With regard to the first
inquiry, Great Britain and Russia are
agreed that Earl Lis credentials are
sufficient. Germany. however, takes
a firm stand against the suffeiency of
his credentials, and is the only power
at yet which has returned fiatfooted
dissension. The attitude of the Unit
ed States is that his credentials APP
pear authentic. They were promulgat-
ed by what appeared to be a genuine
| imperial ediet, duly transmitted
through the accredited Chinese min
ister Mr. WI. and the United States
is willing to accept them at their face
value. at least for the present The
administration. from the advices it has
received. does not credit the rrmors
that Russia, Japan and Germany
intend to declare war against China
and 1t is willing to accept all dis
Chalmers of Interior purposes on the
part of the powers. Just what would
be done in case some of the powers
began war for the purpose of terri
torial aggrandizement Is not known
and the administration is not DISPOSED
to cross that bridge until it reaches
it. But member Of the cabinet Tues
day stated that if any of the European
powers entered upon such a program it
probably would be reminded by the
United States that it had agreed to
the open=doora policy, by which all
the powers are to be placed upon an
equal footing, and that if territory
were acquired under the agreement
we would be entitled to the same priv
| ileges in the matter of trade. etc, as
the conqueror.
The president and the cabinet are
as much in the dark regarding the
date when the dispatches of Minister
Conger and General Chaffee left Pc
king as is the general public. They
can find no explanation for the fact
that they have come through Picking
without dates, except that they evil
IDENTITY were sent by courier to Taku
and that cablegrams are relayed IS
times after leaving the latter point
They may have been sent from Tallu
without Picking date or they may
have lost the date en- route Internal
evidence was found in lac dispatches
received from them that tended to
demonstrate that some person or per-
sons had been purposely delaying the
Tien Tsin to Washington 1T is also sus-
pected that our messages may have
been iniuriously tempered with. The
cabinet came to the conclusion that
If any Chinese persons have interfered
with the dispatches and the interfer-
ence must have occurred on the wires
between Che Foo and Shanghai, and it
was determined to reopen directscom-
munication by means of war vessel
Either the New Orleans or the Prince
| ton, now Mt Shanghai, will be sent at
| once to Che Foo, where the military
cable system begins free from Chinese
interference.
The administration has nothing to
confirm the alarmist rumors regarding
| the situation at Picking. Admiral Re
mey reports nothing disquieting. and it
| is assumed that if there was any pros
pect of the allies being attacked and
hemmed in he would be in a position to
hear of it. and would promptly report
| it to Washington.
The cabinet meeting last hours and
90 minutes. the absentees being Sec
retareS Hay, Long. Wilson and At
torney General Griggs.