Evening star., 1900-10-06
The French Note Regarded as Likely
to Lead to a Program.
POINTS THAT ARE OBJECTIONABLE
Future Residence of the Chinese
Imperial Court.
MAY BE AT TSI-NAN-FU

which is the pending phase OF the Ch1nese
negotiations to be disposed of, has already
been pretty we'll defined, although 1t Will
remain for the return of the President ana
a meeting of the cabinet to give the answer
formal definiteness Already, however, in
timationS have been conveyed to some OF
the foreign representatives that this gov
ernment may not be able to concur in the
interdiction of arms into China. and also
that there may be serious constitutional
reasons requiring at least two of the
French proposals to be submitted to the
American Congress before they can be act
ed upon affirmatively. These two latter
propositions relate to the establishment of
a permanent legation guard, at Pekin, and
to the permanent maintenance of a line of
communication from Pekin to the sea. The
permanency of these plans appears to in
volve possibility of territorial occupation
although of a limited character, both at
Pekin and along the road from Pekln to
the
1t is understood that even if these moves
were regarded with favor by the executive
branch, there might be constitutional rea-
sons making it desirable to submit them to
Congress. That idea has been put forward
only a tentative way, as indicating to
foreign representatives some of the ques-
tions which will have to be taken into ac
count in giving an answer to the French
note.
Subject to Notifications.
The document is not regarded however,
which must be accepted or rejected
whole by this government. The eff
forts of M. Delcasse to secure a basis of
settlement fully appreciated by the Of
fcials here, and that view will doubtless
find expression in the American answer.
But in dealing with the specific PROPOSE
tions it is expected that this government
will feel free to concur in of them
and not to commit itself on Others while
the other powers will be similarly free to
Out of IT all will come some general pro-
gram on which all will be agreed for the
progress of negotiations.
The Alleged Chinese Edict.
The Japanese minister has left with the
Secretary of State a copy of a telegram,
dated October l. received from the Jap
anese minister for foreign affairs, to this
effect: The japanese acting consul gen.
eral al Shanghai reported on the 2Sth
ultimo the publication in Chinese papers of
undated imperial edict, the purport of
which was as follows:
Though we have accompanied her
majesty, the empress dowager, to Tai-yen
and settled there. it is not our intention to
remain there permanently. Inasmuch as
Chang-an was the seat of the ancient rulers
of China, and Is defended by nature, we
order the acting governor Of Shen-si to
select suitable site for the imperial palace
in the city of Si-ngan, and to provide every.
thing necessary for our Journey thereto.
He should bear in mind the hardships we
are now exposed to, and refrain from all
extravagant preparations
Future Residence of the Emperor.
The news which our government has re-
ceived of the purpose of the Chinese i'm
perial court to take up its abode at Tsin-
an-fu, in the province of Shensi, comes
from Japanese official sources, but so far
there has been nothing Nom the Chinese
officials to show that the movement has
actually taken place The statement was
made about a week ago, and since that
time the State Department has put
forth all of its efforts to bring about an
abandonment of the project and the
given up hope of achieving that purpose
and is continuing the efforts.
However, il is now conceded that the
personal presence of the emperor and en-
press in Pekin is not absolutely necessary
to the attainment of a satisfactory and
permanent settlement of the Chinese trou-
bic, though it is undoubtedly true that
their return would hasten such settle
ment. If it shall appear that the creden-
tials of Ii Hung Chang and Prince Ching
clothe them with sufficient authority to
bind the Chinese government and people
effectively TO the terms to be prescribed
by the powers, and further, if Lii Hung
Chang and the other vicerOys redeem their
respective provinces as effectually as has
the viceroy of Canton, then 1T is said to
be possible for negotiations to proceed in
the absence of the Chinese court.