Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-08-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The present situation in China pre-.
sents come remarkable features. The
Administration is committed to be-
lief in the genuineness of Minister Con.
gers dispatch, and is confronted with
the refusal of the European powers to
accept 1t or to order an advance, al
though they now have nearly $4,000
men available for that purpose. The
United States with only about 1000
men at Tientsin and q few more on the
way, cannot advance alone. But, it has
some 10000 in the Philippines, only a
short distance away, which should be
available if the stories of the suppress
sion of the rebellion" there, spread
broadcast by the administration, are
true. Yet, it does not dispatch them
to the rescue of its Minister and citizens
whom it declares to be still alive though
in frightful danger. More, it is taking
no steps to move in the future, but is
leaving everything to coterie of
selfish land grabbing powers, who by
their hesitancy and their evident inten-
tion to dlscredit the Chinese Govern
ment in advance, show plainly that
they are animated rather by the profit
they hope to obtain than by the desire
to save their subjects. 1t now seems
that months more will be wasted by the
allies in deciding inconsequential and
unimportant details, and that by tn Q
time they are ready to move-if they
ever are-the Americans in Pekin will
be dead. In the face of this hesitancy
the president sits on his front porch
and waits for something to turn up, in
stead of calling Congress in extra ses-
sion to furnish him the men and author
iLe him to use the money that would
save minister Conger and his compan-
ions. 1t is not suggested of course,
that any troops now AUTHORIZE by con
gross eOald ba expected to reach China
in time to save our people, but they
esuh take the places of those nov wag-
ing war in the Philippines, and let them
be sent at once to Tientsen and Pekin.
Instead of doing this, the administra-
ton is giving out inspired statements
to the newspapers declaring that if
the allied powers continue in their re.
fusal to advance upon Pekin, and are
obstinate in the bjections which they
now offer, ''and it becomes apparent
that the United States cannot advance
alone, there will be no further effort on
the part of this country to reach the
Chinese capital.
1t is never easy to tell just what the
gongmen of the campaign committees
really think of the political situation.
They want, of course to inspire their
own men with confidence thst their
party is going to win, because there is
always q certain floating vote that
wants TO be on the winning side, but
at the same time, they want to guard
against over confidence, which nigh t
keep their men away from the polls. In
the same way, they want to have it
known that they have big campaign
fund to prove that they have solid
backing, and they want to show that
it isn't SO big after all, in order to get
further subscriptions. SO, "for ways
that are dark and for tricks that are
vain.', other people besides the Chinese
are peculiar. Neverthe less, it seems
that there is ring of sincerity in an
interview given out in this city by
Chairman Babcock of the republican
congressional committee day or two