The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-06
THE AMERICAN PLAN.
Future Movements in China on Basis
Proposed by Hay.


Chicago, Dec. "a special to the
Times-Herald from Washington, D. C.,
says:
American diplomacy leads the world
The great powers have practically
reached an agreement as to the basis of
future movements in China, and this
basis is that which was proposed by
Secretary Hay.
Secretary Hay has cabled Minister
Conger to sign for the United States an
agreement which the ministers reached
at Pekin. This agreement was sent to
the home governments for their ap-
prevail, and with a single exception
every power has already cabled it's rep
resentative at Pekin to sign the agree
ment, and that power will probably do
so tomorrow or the next day.
Thus the concert of the powers is pre-
served and q. practical and rational
basis of settlement has been reached at
last thanks TO the skill and firmnesS of
the American secretary of state.
The chief features of the agreement
are as follows:
It is stipulated that the punishments
to be melted out to guilty Chinese are as
severe as it is possible for the Chinese
government to administer, but not more
severe. The government of China is not
to be asked to do the impossible.
It is expected that under this ob1iga-
ton the government will punish severely
eleven ringleaderS in the attacks upon
the legations and in the Indictment of
anti-foreign outrages. Some of these
will be beheaded. Others will be ban
ished or degraded.
If Great Britain and Germany had
been permitted to have their way the
dynasty would have been compelled to
agree to behead men who are beyond the
reach of the emperor's government
men who are in the western provinces
and in command of military forces suffi-
cient to protect them. Secretary Hay has
from the first commended that while in
justice all these heads should be taken
off, it is necessary to catch your hare
before cooking him and that it was
simply absurd to require the Chinese
government to decapitate men whom it
could not get hold of.
These guilty officials will be banished
and degraded, and thus It will be made
impossible for them to return to posi-
lions Of power.
It is stipulated in the agreement that
the chinese government is to formally
admits its liability to the powers for
damages and for the expense of military
operations. This done, the amount of
indemnity to be paid each nation is to
be ascertained afterward by means of
careful inquiries and estimates
This part of the plan will require
much time and while of course it will
give rise to opportunities for trouble
making powers to precipitate new COM
plicatiOnS, it is felt that a great point
has been gained by making the amount
of indemnity a subject of negotiations
as it should be, rather than a preIim-
mary condition
Other features of the agreement per-
tain to the legation guards to be kept
at Pel1in, to the razing of the Pekin
forts and other military precautions
similar to those proposed by the French
government a month ago.
To all these conditions it is understood
Ii Hung Chang and Prince Ching, rep
resenting the emperor, are willing to ac-
cede-
In official and diplomatic circles here
the bellef IS expressed that a great steT
forward has been taken and that agar
there is good prospect of an adjustment
of the seemingly unending complication
without ACKNOWLEDGMENT and without
destruction of the dynasty.
The agreement now reached points &c
an early military evacuation of Pelxin
and return OF the court to that cap
| ital.