The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-25
CHINESE DIPLOMACY.

The frank ard straight forward way IN
which the state department is dealing with
the Chinese situation surprises the gov
ernments OF Europe. Secretary Hay has
accepted as genuine the Conger dispatch.
because ne cannot understand why the
government OF China should wish TO de-
ceive the government OF the United States
about a matter concerning which deep
ton could not benefit China. In Europe the
ly accepted. officials of European govern
nents say that the Chinese are the shrewd-
est diplomatists in the world. By that they
mean that the Chinese do not hesitate
10 resort 10 any kind of deception TO gain
their ends. They are confident that all Of
the foreign ministers that were at Pekin
were assassinated days ago, and they
would be surprised beyond measure II il
should turn out that they were mistaken.
It must be admitted that the arguments
they present in support Of their view are
strong ones. Besides they are much bet
ter acquainted with Chinese character and
diplomacy than officials of our govern
ment are, having had much greater ex-
perience with the Chinese. sun the
promise of the Chinese government, made
apparently in good faith. to deliver the
foreign ministers at Ten Tsin. is calcu-
lated 10 make them concede that Secre-
tary Hay may be right.
Their view is that the purpose of the
Chinese government now is to sow dissen-
sion among the nations that are making
war on China. Having accomplished that.
its chance of making terms Of peace with
all Of them without further hosthities
would be greatly improved. There is some
thing in this view. Already there is COM
plant by the European governments that
the United States are out Of harmony with
them, and they seem disposed to pursue
a pOlicy of their own. There is some truth
in this. The United Stat have only one
object in view. and that is to rescue the
ministers at Pekin if they are still alive.
Having accomplished that. they will en-
deavor TO prevent the dismemberment Of
the Chinese empire. Il is to their interest
that the integrity Of the empire shall be
preserved.
II Is not stated that any of the Powers
of Europe have in view the dismember-
ment of the empire. but there are good
reasons for thinking that that is their vi
innate object. If the United States, there
fore, should permit themselves to be guild
ed by European diplomacy the chances
are they would soon find themselves in
VOWED in vexatious complications.
The difficulty of securing harmo-
NOUS action among the allies is shown
by the fact that no time has yet been
fixed for the forward movement from Tien
Tsin to Pekin. It is not even known who
viii command the allied forces. The dis
lance from Ten Tsin to Pekin is only "a
miles, and it is asserted that the way is
practically open and has been ever since
the taking OF the city OF T1en Tsin. II
Immediately after the fall OF that city
the allied forces had started to Pekln it
Is not improbable that they would have
reached there without a great deal of op-
position As far as is known efforts have
not been made to find out whether
the way TO Pekin IS practically open or
not. Unless some one OF the allied nations
takes the lead and dominates the situa-
ton it will be a most dificult matter to
secure any concert of action for a move
ment on Pekin. The trouble is not so
much Chinese diplomacy as jealousies
among the allies and the lack of prac-
tica, common sense plan of action.