The evening times., 1900-09-19
Our Duty in China.

All right minded people will approve
the stand taken by the German and Brit
ish Governments in insisting that the pun
ishment of the Chinese officials chiefly re-
sponsibIe for the Boxer outbreak, the
murder of Baron Won Ketteier. the attack
anon the legations, the torture and massa-
ere of American and European missiona-
ries, must be accomplished as condition
precedent TO the beginning of peace. neso-
tiations. Germany insists that the guilty
persons shall re turned over to the allies,
and this is o. Yiously necessary cond
ton since nobody familiar with Chinese
affairs and Chinese treachery would for
moment think that retr1bution would ever
reach its proper objects otherwise
Lord Salisbury has notified Ii Hung
Chang that the presence Of the kmpe-
ror Kwang Hsu in Pekin is the only
means whereby the Chinese empire can
be saved from dissolution; that the aims
of the allies are TO preserve the terri
toriaI integrity of China, and that the
powers Will recognize the Emperor alone
as the responsible Government of China.
Lord Salisbury also warned Earl Ii that,
,
criminals responsible for the oulrag ges
and atrocities all over China.
i Whatever may have been the Conii-
! lions OF accord or of dtscord between
| the Cabinets of London and Berlin,
| there Is internal evidence in the prae-
! teal coincidence of these definitions Of
| policy that there is now an underst:nd-
ing, probably amounting to an as"se-
nient for joint programme in China.
II that be true. it will have the adhesion
OF Austria Italy. and, no doubt, Japan
| and leave only the United States and
Russia in the doubtful column. On the
| this countrys adoption of line of ac-
| tion which, as the London Times" says.
| is so firmly and clearly marked out III
| the German circular as to commend
| itself to the judgment of all the powers
who are really pursuing commer,iai and
missionary objects IN China
| There is 10 doubt that the Administra-
| tion is pursuing commercial objects of
some sort in China. Whether they are
general in character or specific in the in
| terests of the Standard Oil and a few 9TH
|
| syndicate and The contractors for Rus
| sian railway and bridge material, is a
question which will be answered in what
| ever course is about 10 be taken in refer
| ence to the Russo-Ameriean cut and scut-
| tie compact, and the latest German note
| There is an apparent intention on the
part of the Administration TO scuttle, in
pursuance of promise; but it is possible
| that this may be changed at the Cabinet
meetings today and tomorrow, in view of
the indignation which such a course would
| be certain to create among friends of the
abandoned Chinese Methodists and Presby-
terians in the United States. 1t is reported
| that as TO the question OF demanding the
punishment of the Chinese officials respon-
| sible for the war and its attendant hOr-
rors. Mr.. Mckinley viii probably favor the
| idea of punishment without insisting that
anybody be delivered to the allies IN other
| words, that he would accept Ii Hung
Chang's word that the Empress Dowager
had committed suicide. and that Tuan Ii
Peng Heng. Yung Lu and lot more had
been decapitated. We shall he disap-
pointed if he takes any such ridiculous po-
sition It is not difficult to see that the
sensible and straightforward move OF Ger
many and Great Britain has greatly cleared
and improved the Chinese situation and We
earnestly hope that it is not destined to be
narred and muddled again by any fresh
display of paretic American amateur diplo-
mary