The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-11-24
We WILL HAVE NONE OF II
The European Powers Are Evident.
" Bent on the Ultimate Par.
tition of China.
UNITED STATES DOESN'T WANT Any OF IT
The Result, However, In Likely to Be
that We shaI Find 1t DImcult, II
Not Impossible, to Collect Our
share of Indemnity for Losses and
Expenditure.

New York Nov. 21.-The China ne
ROTATIONS, according to a dispatch to
the Times from Washington, have
reached a most serious stage The
actions of the power are making par
tition almost inevitable. The United
States faces the probability that 1T
will either have to take a slice or
China or go without any indemnity.
In that case it is positively asserted
by high authorities that the United
States will go without indemnity.
The United States may succeed IN
reducing the demands of the other
powers. and is nov making every ef
fort to that end. but with no NINE
date prospect of success.
Disavo,SaIs of the Powers.
Every nation has disavowed any in
t~ention of Remembering China, but
that merely relates to dIsmember-
ment as a punishment for the Boxer
outraees. No nation has pledged IT,
self to avoid taking a course which
will sooner or later make d:sm"mber-
ment inevitable. 1t is firmly believed
in official circles in Washington that
the powers are proceeding dellDcr-
ately with the intention OF bringing
about a situation which will compel
dismemberment.
Where the Question n
The whole question hinges on the
amount of the money indemnity to
be demanded. While the United
States has not officially set a maxi
mum figure for the indemnity, it is
unofficial opinion of some of the high
est officers of the government that
5000, 600, OCO is all hat China can pay.
The powers are DESTROYS of swelling
the indemnity to at least twice that
amount.
Two Causes Considered.
Two courses are considered for the
payment of this large indemnity.
Each is innocent on its face. but both
mean partition, and the American
government is so sure of 1t, that as
soon as the powers adopt either
course, this country will retire from
The concert and lose all but a faint
chance of ever recovering any in
demnity. One course is to exact ter
~ritorial pledges. This is n same
thing as partition, for it simply
means a mortgage, which is certain
to be foreclosed. The United States
will not have anything to do with
this scheme.
The Other Plan.
The other plan is to have China is
sue bonds, guaranteed by the powers.
This, in the opinion of the American
government, means partition just as
surely as the first scheme. The bond
holders would have to the
guarantors, who could not fulfill their
guarantees except by taking terri
tory. Partition by this means may
appear a thing of the distant future.
but a high official of the government
has recently given it as his deliberate
opinion that the bond scheme would
bring about partition almost as soon
as the other. The United States will
not guarantee any bonds.
Give Up the COnnundrum.
How the United States can collect
its indemnity if it does stay out is
a mystery. The government officials
frankly give up the conundrom. The
United States will not. of course, sur
render its claim and give China a re-
ceipt in full. 1t will endeavor in every
a possible to get its indemnity,
but there is no way open in the i'm
mediate future, if the powers carry
out their plans.
Only One Way to Do 1t.
The United States has, therefore,
only one way of getting indemnity.
That is by inducing the other powers
to reduce their demands to an in
deInnity which China is able to pay.
The administration is hopeful of sue
cess, but so far it has made no prog
ress, and the chances seem to be all
against it.
What 1t Has Cost Us.
The United States spent about $780,
900, 900 on going to Pekin, and this
country's demand for damage to per-
son and property may range from
S1O,O 200, 900 to $50, 900, 900. But the 9TH
err powers are actively swelling their
expenses as much as possible.