Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-12-27
fCorrespondence OF the Alexandria Gasette.l
WASHINGTON, December "a.

| cOo.rary, received even preliminary
consideration, The idea which has been
advanced 10 some quarters that the
bowers will forego any claim for casb
| Indemnity, Assuming themselves the
claims Of their ciizsns for damages, on
the erourd that the establishment and
maintenance of good government Ia
China for the future will be suhclent
recompense for past Injuries. receives
little enoouragem mt from officials Of
the State Department. Il Is held by
these officials that these claims for
damages are most just and that they
must be collected from China ii for no
other purpose than to establish the
price pl 90 thai the lives and property OF
| foreigners must be respected 10 that
oountry. The only effort of the State
Department is 10 keep the claims OF
Americans within reasonable limits, and
10 induce the other powers to also be
moderate, so that the total bill to be
naid by China may not too severely tax
her resources. The American mission
ary board will be one OF the largest
claimants because of the large number
of IFS churches and cbapels that were
DESTROYED. The were 81 Americans,
nep. women and children attached to
the mission stations killed by the Box
ers. For each one of these indemnity
will be collected by the U. S. govern
mept. The basis Of assessing damages
has not been established yet, but the
course OF this government itself in the
past in settling similar claims is mat
Ter OF interest Ia this connection. Inc
United States has just collected S5,OOO
{ ON the Sultan of Morocco which
was the amount OF damages claim
ed for the murder OF Marcos
Ezagui, nsturalized American
citizen, by the people OF Fee. A
bill is now penuing in Congress to pay
the relatives of 8 Mexican lynched in
Texas $1,000. Ia the case OF the
Italians lynched in Colorado o few
wears ago the amount paid by the
United States vas So ,0O0 for each per-
son killed. The same was paid for
Italians killed by rioters 10 New Or
leans. The government OF Honduras
was recently forced to pay $4,000 for
the murder Of one of our soldiers, Frank
Pears, Of Pittsburg. These figures
may form a basis for estimating the
damages to be assessed on China by
this government. 1t is calculated that
900. American troops, which consti'
tuted Gen Chaffee's command IN China,
together with the expenses OF the lega
ton guard of 300 men that have been
retained in Pekin since the capture OF
that city, including transportation, etc.,
have cost the Uoited S ates about
SIS 100000 Adding to this OF five
million dollsrs for indemnities to
American citizens for lives and proper
" will bring the bill OF the United
States against China up to a total OF
about $40 100000. The total sum to be
paid by China for its Boxer insurreclion
may we'll reach the total OF two hun
dred millions.
What has been pronounced TIM finest
private ball room 10 America will be
thrown open to the guests of Mrs. Scott
Townsend tonight. 1t extends the full
length of the house on Massachusetts,
avenue, is 10 feet long and finished In
the Louis Quinze style OF decoration.
A long interior stairway leads to the
apartment, with retiring rooms on
either side. The mansion 10 of gray
stone ard brick, and its every appoint
ment has been in the hands OF famous
experts in every liue of building and
finish. For tie bali tonight expense
has been no factor in converting the
building into fairyland OF floral and
electrical beauty, and the result. will be
a surprise to even the most blase OF
Washingtonians. Mrs. Scott-Townsead
is daughter OF the late VIM. Scott, OF
Erie, Pc.
Investigation of the brutality of sol.
diers in the international army which
forced its way to Pekin is being made
by the japanese government. Mr..
Taguchi, japanese, whose testimony
Ia beyond impeachment and who speaks
in the sequel Of Investigations person
ally conducted by himself, says, that
10 Tung.chow alone, IL city where the
Chinese govern ment made no resistance
and there was no fighting, 573 women
of the upper class committed suicide
rather than survive the indignities they
had suffered. Women of the lower orders
Jared similarly, he says, at the
hands of the soldiers, but were not un-
willing to survive their shame. With
what show OF consistency is the Occl-
dent to denounce the barbarity of the
Chinese when Occidental soldiers 60 to
China and perpetrate the very acts
which constitute the basis Of the charge
of bal barity2
1t was suthoritstvely stated at the
White House today that the President
will not invite the Prince OF Wales and
Emperor William to the yacht races
next spring. A story was printed aud
circulated 10 New York this morning. to
the effect that he would join In the in
vitations that the yacht club will send
to the two percentages mentioned. THE
President would be pleaded TO extend
to the Prince and the Emperor all the
courtesies due their high rank" said
an official of the White House, shut he
does not consider 1t incumbent upon
him to invite them to this country to
attend the yacht or any other races"
Stocks continue to he quoted ropg
here today, and cotton, wheat and corn
as steady. The spectators, however,
are anticipating an early decline in
stocks, and look upon the reported
business failures as forerunpers of what
must come.
Representative Gatherings, democrat,
Of Mississippi, to whom Alexandria is
indebted for the provision 10 the river
and hsrbor bill for surveys for a chan.
mel through the fats for ferry boat
from that city to the opposite Maryland
shore, and for deepening the channel OF
Hunting creek, did not 90 homs for
Christmas. He says he had the pro-
vision inserted at the REQUEST of q friend