Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-08-08
FORCES WILL SOON MEET.
Fiction that War Does Not Exist
will Soon be Shot to Pieces.
FOOD IN PEKIN SCARCE
On July % Minister Conger Said He
Had Provisions Enough to
Last Six Days.

London, Aug. 4.-War between China
and the powers seems very near at hand,
but whether it will actually come about
depends Oh the events of the next few
DAYS. If the Pekin relief army now
marching toward the capital comes into
conflict with the Chinese troops directed
from the imperial palace, it is generally
acknowledged the theory that technical
war does not exist will very speedily be
shot to pieces. Ambassador ChOate was
asked if he considered that formal war
was prevailing in the far East.
THAT is very delicate question, he
replied, "aGd you had better PROFOUND
it to some great international lawyer
Sir John MacClure. NJ. F., when asked
the same question, said: Certainly a
state of war now exists in China, for the
Chinese government has forfeited every
right to gentle treatment. 1t promises 10
deliver the foreigners unharmcd, put II
does not keep its promise, so the powers
cannot suspend operations and wait any
longer. They must scatter all opposition
and seize Pekn. If the imperial govern
ment does not want to see its empire DIS
membered let it stop all resistance TO the
advance of the relief army and do all 1t
possibly can to make the task of civllza-
ton easy
Yellow Men to Fight for Years.
The Chinese officials in London firmly
maintain that terrible struggle III the
far East can be prevented only py
speedy and full assurance to China from
the powers that their intentions are
friendly They declare that if the white
race attempts to rob the yellow race CT
its national heritage in the Orient there
will be q scene of bloOdshed for years
to come.
No Declaration of War.
Washington, D. c., Aug. 1.-The adj
ministration yet sees nothing In the sit
uation calling for q declaration of war.
On the contrary, it is still believed that
the objects sought by the powers can be
best accomplished without formal dec
laration that Il state of war exists. "A
member of the cabinet gives this state
ment of the view taken by the admins
tration of the Lii Hung Chang message:
Lii Hung Changes threat does not af-
feet our position. Consul-Gen- Good
now's dispatch was given out simply as
a matter of news and too much attention
should not be paid to it. Ii Hung Chang
has received cur message. Denial Oh
communication with our minister is not
necessarily cause tor war. Nopod! ue-
cIares war unless it is to his advantage.
We see no advantage in declaring the
existence of state of war, nor SO lar
as we know does any other nation.
China is an Exception.
Under the ordinary rules of interna-
tional law as recognized by all Christian
nations. any interference with the tree
dom Of communication between dlplo-
matte representatives and thelr govern
ments or the holding of them as virtual
prisoners or as hostages would be cause
for an instant declaration of war 5y the
nation or nations aggrleved. The ordl-
nary rules of international law do not
apply with full force. however, to coun-
tries like China. which have never been
admitted to the family of nations on eX-
actly the same footing as other cOun-
tries. This was explained yesterday after
noon by Alexander Porter Morse, one
of the recognized authorities on lnterna-
tional law in the United States, who said:
The law Of nations, so far as it is
founded on principles Of natural law, is
equally binding in every age and upon all
mankind. but the Christian nations Of
Europe and their descendants on this
side of the Atlantic have established a
law of nations peculiar to themselves.
There is Il class of states which has only
recently been admitted into the society
of international law and which can hard
~ lay claim to the rights of sovereign
states. These are China. Turkey, Mo
rocco and other smaller states. The for
eign cOnSuls there resident exercise a
jurisdiction in these territories which der
ogates from the sovereignty of these
states In this latter respect it may be
said that limitation is imposed upon
the sovereignty Of the powers men
toned"
No Cipher Messages Delivered.
Washington, d. c., Aug. 4.-Minister
WI called at the state department at an
early hour this morning and presented to
Acting Secretary Adee a copy of cable
gram he had received from his govern
ment relative to the transmission Of mes
sages between the foreign ministers in
Pekin and their respective governments.
1t is understood that this was simply a
copy Of the notification already served
upon the French consul at Shanghai,
that the tsung Ii yamen had ordered that
no cipher messages be exchanged.