The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-20
HAS NO HOSTILE MEANING
One Gunboat to be Sent to Produce a
Moral Effect.
TROUBLES IN CHINA MUCH MAGNIFIED
So Declares Washington But Pekin Advices
State That Bitterness Against Foreigners
Deepens and Among Officials is The
Road to ROYAL Favor.
(By The Associated Press.)

Washington. March 19.-Admiral Wat
son has not yet advised the Navy Depart
ment of the name of the vessel selected
to proceed from Manila to Taku, in ac-
cordance with the request of the State
Department that ship be sent to China
to safeguard American interests. The
concentration of the worlds attention
upon the Flowery Kingdom has had the
effect of magnifying little troubles in the
various provinces out Of all proportion TO
their real Importance and significance.
This is said to be true as to this last
demonstration by the boxers" This is
a secret society of anti-foreign tendencies
and is the successor to a long line of just
such societies that have preceded it.
Minister Congers cablegram to the
State Department about week ago, while
referring to these boxers and suggest
ing the advisability of sending a warship
to insure the American missionaries from
attack, did not refer to any imminent out
break, nor did the Minister have anything
to say about our open door" negoIia-
tions being jeopardized. The State De-
partment rather inferred from his cable
gram that the ship was wanted for its
moral effect, rather than from any eXpec
tation that it would be called upon to
render active service. Indeed if that had
been the case. the department would
never have felt warranted in sending a
single gunboat to China. 1t is quite GER
tain that only one vessel is destined for
this service, and the presence of other
United States Warships on the ASiatic
coast is easily explained at the Navy De-
partment. Admiral Watson was some
time ago authorized by the Navy Depart
ment to send vessels of his fleet to the
cooler and more invigorating airs of
Northern China and Japan whenever a
change was necessary to preserve the
health of tn crews. The Admiral availed
himself of this permission in the case
of the Oregon and the New Orleans. The
former is now at Yokohama and the lat
ter at Nagasak. The New Orleans ar
rived at Nagasaki February 25th, and the
Oregon reached Yokohama February 21St,
almost three weeks before Minister Con-
ger had made any report to the State De-
partment on the subject. The dispatch
of the Newark to Hong Kong reported
today by Admiral Watson, was merely
for the purpose of conveying to Manila the
monitor Monadnoek. The monitor was
sent to Hong Kong to be docked, and it
is not regarded as safe to allow that
type of warship to cruise alone in the
open sea
1t is expected at the Navy Department
that Admiral Watson will select small
gunboat to meet Mr.. Conger's request
Contrary to the first impression, this
vessel is going to China, not to operate
in Shan Tung Province, but to get as
near to the United States Legation at
Pekn as possible, to give weight to the
Minister'S utterances. deep draft YES
sci cannot pass up the Peiho River, much
above Taku at the mouth, and even light
draft gunboats must stop at Tien-Tsing.
Then if the United States Legation is in
need of protection marines can be sent
overland from TienTsin to Pekih as was
done last year under just such conditions
as now exist.