Evening star., 1900-08-02

The present attitude of the United States
government with respect to the situation
! in China is clearly indicated in the follow
| ing telegraphc instruction sent by Secre-
tary Hay to the United States embassies
| in Berlin, London. Paris Rome and St.
Petersburg. and to the United States min
lister at Tokyo:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington. August /, 1900.
In reply to a suggestion of Ii Hung
Chang that the ministers might be sent un-
der safe escort to Tien Tsin, provided the
powers would engage not to march on Pc
kin. the Secretary of State replied on the
Both of July:
This government will not enter into any
arrangement regarding disposition or treat
ment of legations without first having free
communication with Minister Conger. Re
sponsihility for their protection rests upon
the Chinese government. Power to deliver
at Tien Tsin presupposes power to protect
and to open communication. This is in
sisted on
This message was delivered by Mr..
Goodnow on the 31st to Viceroy Lii, who
then inquired whether. If free communica-
tion were established between ministers and
their governments 1t could be arranged
Pekin, pending negotiations
ITO this inquiry the following reply was
sent on the 1st of August:
'Goodnow, Consul General, Shanghai:
Il do not think it expcdient to submit
the proposition of Earl Ii to the other pow
ers. Free communication with our repre-
sentatives in Pekin is demanded as a mat
ter of absolute right, and not as favor.
Since the Chinese government admits that
1t possesses the power to give communica-
tion, it puts itself In an unfrendly atti-
tude by denying 1t. No negotiations seem
advisable until the Chinese government
shall have put the diplomatic representa-
tives of the powers in full and free commu-
nication with their respective governments
and removed all danger to their lives ind
liberty. We would urge Earl Ii earnestly
to advise the imperial authorities of China
TO place themselves In friendly communlca-
| tion and cooperation with the relief expe-
dition. They are assuming a heavy resron-
| sibility in acting otherwise.
"(Signed) HAY
You will communicate this information
to the minister of foreign affairs"
Crisis Reached.
The State Department, having made pub
lie today the correspondence with Ii Hung
Chang relative to the release of the min
listers at Pekn, and the position of this gov
ernment being thus officially disclosed as
one of unaterable opposition to the insti-
tuition of negotiations in advance of free
communication with the ministers at Pekn n.
| 1t is believed that a crisis has been reached
| automatically speaking. If the Chinese
government decides to accept Secretary
Hays terms, 1t must do very promptly
n,,l I,o
moment. Otherwise the march on Pekin
proceeds.
Neither the military or naval commanders
| at Tien Tsin Taku have advised the gov
ernment here of the reported forward move
ment of the international force. The Off
Gals would not be surprised at the lack of
report, even We're the march already under
way, for owing to the delays in kilograms
between Tien Tsin and Chefoo it might be
at least four days after the march began
before news of the fact reached the cable
end.
Doubt Regarding Advance.
Doubt is expressed here however, as to
| the actual forward movement in force ow-
Ing to the lack of cavalry and artillery, and
1t is declared here by military experts that
the slight engagements beyond Tien Tsin
| referred to in the cable dispatches are
| ternational scouts and the Chinese force re-
| ported by MIR. Fowler last week to be about
eight or ten miles distant from Tien TsIn
on the road to Pekin. 1t is stated that mil
| ltary practice would not warrant the for
ward movement of the entire interna tional
command, until thorough reconnat tssance ha d
been made OF the country in the immediate
front. Moreover, the column would not
start forward as whole, but in detached
bodies, hours, and even days, intervening
between the movements. Then a consider
| able force would be left at the base-Tien
Tsin-and this last consideratio ton probably
accounts for the statement that the relief
column reported as started numbered but
! 10000 men.
Strength of the Allies.
The latest advices from any official
source that have been received by the State
Department were to the effect that the en-
tire interna uonal strength was 5000 men
| or all arms OF course this has been in
creased by at least two battalions of in
| fantry and one battery of United States
| troops by 80 United States marines and
| by an unknown number of japanese troops
| since that report was made but the i'm
| preston is that the aggregate strength CT
the column is not above $1,000 men, This,
| however, is regarded by our governmen,
| as quite sufficient for the purposes of an
| immediate advance and, holding that view,
1t has lost no opportunity of quietly but
| earnestly urging the Europeans to action
| Report to the Cabinet.
| Advantage was taken of the opportunity
| afforded by the Presidents return to
| Washington this morning to hold a meet
ing of the cabinet. Secretary Hay was pre-
| pared with full report of all that he ha Z
! done in relation to the Chinese troubc
since the Presidents departure, and there
was little for the cabinet to do but to set
| the seal of its approval upon the Secre-
| tary's policies, and particularly upon the
energetic and Enthusiastically earnest COM
| munication to Ii Hung Chang.