Evening star., 1900-07-24
A Wise Reply.

The Presidents reply to China's appeal
for mediation embraces substantially the
conditions anticipated by The Star as in
evitable precedents to any agreement to
aid the celestial government in rescuing
itself from its present dilemma. It's minis
ter and those OF the other powers must be
extricated from their present peril and
placed in communication with their re-
spective governments In short. China
must assert the elementary function of gov
ernment that of maintaining relations with
the rest of the world. before she can look
for assistance from the nations.
The President adroitly avoids placing the
United States under suspicion in Europe.
He distinctly ranges this country alongside
the others whose ministers are now endan-
gered and he states its desires as coinci-
dent with theirs. as publicly declared. Thus
he in no wise interferes with the interna-
tional program as far as it is outlined, de-
signed to secure the relief Of the foreign
ers now besieged in Pekin.
In still another feature of his reply the
President endeavors tactfully to reduce to
a minimum the chances of friction He
Acknowledges the inference from the Chi
nese emperor's message that the disturb
ances at Pekin have resulted from the
activities of malefactOrs and are not trace
able to the imperial government. Yet. in a
clear reading of the document. there is no
mistaking the strong Indictment of the
weakness which permitted so serious a
state of affairs to arise, leading to the as
sured death of two foreign envoys and the
menacing of all the others and their pro-
teges.
The President pledges results. He ex-
presses the belief that II China will grant
the desired conditions no obstacles will be
found to exist the part of the powers to
an amiCable settlement of all the ques-
tions arising out of the recent troubles,
and the friendly good offices of this gov
ernment will. with the assent of the other
powers. be cheerfully placed at Kwang
sus disposition for that purpose.
The President looks first of all to the
security Of our minister and of the other
ENJOYS at Pekin. He asks China to assert
sufficient national force to restore rela-
tiOns with the powers and to cooperate
with the relief expedition now at Tien Tsn
In other words. he demands that China
show good faith toward the powers. and
he undertakes that the powers will. as far
the offices of the United States can
avail. show good faith toward China.
OF course, this discussion is all based
upon the assumption that the troubles at
fehin nave DeeI Que 10 an lnSurrectlOnary
movement In that case China is to be
saved only from her own domestic enemies
rather than from the powers. The Presi-
dent wisely avoids joining issue as to the
responsibility for the conditions at Taku
and Tien Tsin. 1t is clear that he reserves
the point that the weakness and the silence
of the imperial government precipitated
those conditions. which China now claims
10 be threat to her integrity.
The prompt publication of this CORES
pondence is in the interest of international
harmony and probably of a settlement of
the disorders in China If the government
al Pekin needs only the sincere co-opera-
tion of the powers to suppress the insur-
gents and to restore order. the case calls
merely for just such an avowal as this ap-
peal Of the United States and for just such
reply As that sent by President McKin-
ley in order to insure peace without par
tition
pom the answer now sent by China de-
pends her own future. The chance for her
preservation is offered and If her hands are
clean. her motives honest. she may take it.