The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-19
Polite. before D.ty.

ing on Tuesday was frm decision not tc
at present. or at any future time, II that
course can be avoided. The excuses given
for this determination are: nrst. that the
President has plenty Of MONEY with which
to conduct imperial military operations In
China. in conjunction with his brother SOW
ereigns: second. that the number Of troops
needed to make up the American quota
is not likely to exceed those available
without increasing the strength OF the Ar
my; and, third, that to cali Congress to-
gether at this time would be tantamount
to q declaration that a state Of war exists
in China an admission that the Admins
tration cannot bring itself to make.
The first excuse is good on both Hanna
and historical grounds. Hanna would have
Mr.. McKinle- ignore the legislative branch
of the Government ON all occasions when
that can possibly be done, under the faint
est color Of authority; and the Stuart
Kings never summoned Parliament unless
they were out Of money.
The question Of the military force which
will be required to perform our just share
OF the work in China IL to some extent
an open one. But. II the President has
studied the cable news for the past few
days. he cannot have failed Of conviction
that great many more than fifteen or
seventeen thousand American soldiers will
have to be furnished. The wild spread
Of the war movement in the Empire pre-
sents conditions which were not contem-,
plated a week ago. The disturbances which
have broken out in Tonkin and Kiao-
Chou; the destruction of the Russian rail-
way communications and property just
outside of Port Arthur; the Chinese inva-
sion of Russia's Amur Province. and the
capture Of Blagovestchensk, attended by the
defeat and massacre of the Russian garri-
son: and the march of a hundred thou
sand Chinese regulars on Shanghai-all
these circumstances are significant Of the
truth that military operations on the part
CT the allied powers. to be anything more
than a useless waste Of life, will have to
be on a scale far greater than had been
previously conceived necessary or possible.
Allowing that the situation may clear up
shortly, and that the task Of civilization
may be easier than now seems probable,
nevertheless the world Is at least on no.
tice to expect and to prepare for the worst
The part Of wisdom would seem to be not
to utilize this time for an exhibition Of
Administration paltering and innate fear Of
Congress. but at once to call upon the war
making power OF the Government to pro-
vide against contingency which, all the
indications warn US. is nearly certain to
arise. When the climax OF the crisis has
been reached, and the President is final |
ly driven to resort to constitutional, as |
with imperial, action, there will |
be long and disastrous delay before any
thing effective can be accomplished. But |
it is evident that any risk Of that kind |
will be taken. and that the lives of our
little force In China VIII be held lightly, !
rather than that anything shall be al
lowed to interfere with the play OF poll |
lies on the front porch.
The third excuse offered to cover the ex-
clusively executive war policy Is hardly |
worthy Of discussion. The meeting Of Con-
gress would mot be tantamount to a dec
aration that a state Of war exists. because |
It already exists as q condition construc-
lively, but not the less definitely and con-
clusively, notified to us by the Chinese
The imperial edict Of July 3.
addressed to the viceroys throughout China.
md ordering them to make war upon the
oreigners without delay, and on pain of
leatA. amounts to . declaration Of war. Il
.onveys authority to the oficials of the
PROVINCES to exterminate all foreign, in
luding American. consuls and citizens. II
hat does not constitute state of war;
THAT could!
The fiction, that the war In China againet
he totaiity Of civilized nations is not war
t all. but only rebellion against the
'htnese Government, has become too RI
iculous to be longer tolerated. Is 1t pos
ible for any sane man to believe that the
IMPERIAL authorities at Pekin bought four
undred thousand Mausers and nobody
nows how many Krupp, Nordenfeldt,
reusot, and Maxim guns to aym the Box
rs against themselves? Those rifles and
hose guns are today in the hands Of train
troops, acting under direct orders from ,
ekin, who are carrying out their part Of
,e general plan Indicated in the edict to I
lie viceroys. 1t is not necessary for Con- ,
ress to declare war. 1t has been declared.
ut, having been declared, Il Is the right ,
Congress to pass upon tn fact and pro-
de tne means to meet the emergency.
othing could be palmer than that It 10 !.