The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-11-08
A CHINESE PUZZLE. WILLPAY ALL DEBTS
Ministers at Picking Have Much
Work on Hand.

Washington, Nov. 3.--It was stated
Friday in quarters well versed in Chi
nese affairs that outside of the ques-
tions of indemnity, punishments, ETC.,
now under negotiation at Picking,
there are three vital and far-reaching
questions to be determined, viz: First,
the removal Of the empress dowager,
personally and through the influence
of her advisers, from all participation
in the Chinese government; second, the
creation of an indemnity fund by the
increase of China's customs revenue,
either by the payment of the duties in
gold instead of deprecated silver as at
present, or else by doubling the present
silver duties from five to ten per
cent. ad yalorem; and, third, the estab-
lishment of minister of foreign af-
fairs, in place of the old and cumber-
some system of the tsung-li-yamen.
Empress In bad Favor.
The demand for the retirement of the
empress dowager is said to result from
the conclusion now generally accepted,
that the imperial government of China
was responsible for the Boxer upris-
ing. As the empress dowager was the
ruling authority of the imperial gov
eminent during the uprising, this re-
sponsibility is brought home directly
to her. There is understood to be no
purpose, however, to visit upon her any
personal punishment or indignity, but
merely to so form the reconstructed
government, as to exclude her from all
participation in it. 1t is deemed adj
visable for that reason that she should
remain permanently away from Pc
king, and that her advisers also should
be kept away from the seat of govern
ment.
Plan to Double China's Tariff.
The plan of doubling China's customs
duties has arisen from the need of find
ing source to pay war indemnities,
which the various powers demand. 1t
appears, however, that the increase of
the duties has heretofore been brought
to the attention of the United States
government by Ii Hung Chang.
This occurred during his visit to
Washington few years ago, when
1t was represented that the five
per cent. was fixed in 1858, by
treaties with the United States, Great
Britain and other countries, and was
payable in silver, at which time silver
was worth as much as gold. But with
the change in the value between silver
and gold, Ii Hung Chang pointed out
that China's five per cent. duty in sill
yer actually Melted only about two and
a half per cent, judged by the prevail
ing gold standard. The matter was not
pressed at the time.
Present Revenue Already Pledged.
China's present customs revenues are
said to be already pledged to meet the
interest and principal of Chinese loans,
so that it will require some entirely
new source to meet the indemnities. In
case the enlarged duties are determined
upon, it is understood that their coli
lection will be placed under the super
vision of representatives of the pow
ers, at least until the indemnities are
paid. The plan of substituting a minis
ter of foreign affairs in place of the
tsung-i-yamen has long been in con-
temptation, as foreign representatives
have found it very difficult to deal with
this mixed body, and to locate response
bility upon it, particularly during the
Boxer troubles.
Sentenced to Death.
Pao-ting-fu, Friday, Oct. 26.-The
commission of inquiry into the out
RACES on missionaries here has SEN
fenced to death Tien-Yang, the pro-
vincial judge; Wang-Shung-On, the
military commandant; Gen. Kin and
two other officials.
German and French troops will gar
rison at Pao-ting-fu for the winter.
The preparations are complete for
destroying, October 81, the most
venerated temple in the city.
Found I'm n Well.
Berlin, Nov. "a special dispatch
to the Hamburg Correspondent says:
"In a well situated in the imperial pal
ace precincts in Picking was found the
body of Emperor Kwang-hsu's favor
lite wife, Shen I'll, whom the empress
dowager caused to he drowned before
the fight of the court from the capt.
tai. The second fayorite, Shing Fl,
and hundred ladies belonging to the
imperial harem are prisoners in the
hands of the allies"
German Troops in China,
Berlin, Nov. 3. - Official kilograms
from Count Won Waldersee show that
all the German troops have arrived
in China and been distributed. The
First and Second marines, the First
infantry brigade and small force of
cavalry and artillery are stationed at
Picking. The Second infantry brigade,
with a corresponding force of artil-
lery, engineers and cavalry, is at Pao-
ting-fu. One battalion is at Shan
Hai-Kwan. The Third infantry bril-
gade, witha company of sharpshoot-
ers, two squadrons of cavalry and sew
eral batteries is at Tientsin. One bat
terry and several howitzers are at
Taku, and a force of troops is dis
tributed along the railway from Pc
king to Yangtsun, uperintending the
work of construction.
A dispatch from Pao- ting-fu, dated
Thursday, says; Photographic con-
nection has been completed with Pc
king, entirely by the Germans. The
railway from Pao-t.ng-fu to the cap
ital is nearly completed. French de-
tachments are guarding the line. The
health of the German troops is stead
lily improving"
Another batch of letters from Ger
man soldiers in China appears in
number of papers, among them the
Hanover Cnnrier which editnrinllv de-