Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-10-13

Washington, Oct. 1.-THE administra-
tons answer to tho French note on
China was put into proper form yester-
day and handed to Nj. Thiebault, the
French charge.
Following the inflexlble rule, the state
department declined to make public the
text of the communication or to make
any statement of the nature of its con-
tents, until opportunity had been af-
forded for its reception by the French
foreign Office. 49,
1t is believed, however, to take ia
vorable viewsof the suggestion submitted
by the Freach government, ina general
way, although It. does not commit this
governmental all of them. The infer
cnce is general that. while approving the
spirit of the note in the main. our gov
ernment will set aside as unwise to con-
slider for the moment the three particu-
lars concerning permanent guards at
the legations, the razing Of the forts and
the prohibition Of the importation of
firearms. These, being In the nature
of guarantees for the future mainte-
nance Of peace, might be left to the peace
commissioners when they meet. They
also, as military measures In a Foreign
country, involve the constitutional pre-
rogratives of the president and congress,
and ION that ground satisfactory repre-
sentations could be made to the French
government as. to the mbarrassmentS
which might ensue If we accepted them
as they stand. In other respects our
answer expresses approval Of the French
note as the answers Of the remaining
powers have expressed theirs. This
will expedite the movement towards
peace negotiations. - .''..
Indeed, the onlyhthing which now
seems to stand In the way of the return
of the Chinese court to Pekin and the OPP
portunity to set the joint commission
at work Is China's fear Of Germany,
fear which is accenuat ed by. the way
Won Waldersee has settled himself down
at Pekin and the continued hostile opera.
tions Of the German soldiers In th' IN
terror. The way events are now shap.
ing themselves, Germany appears in the
light of the one power which Is willing
to prolong the present unsettled state
Of affairs for some purpose of her own.
Our government Is much grattfied at
the cable dispatches announcing that
q number of Chinese Of eminence had
their punlSnments, ranging III severity
from banishment to place In the midst
of the Cobb desert for Prince Tuan up
to decapitation for some of the lesser dig
nitaries. 1t is probable that, If the
question is to be left to us, we shall ac.
cept this program as satisfactory.
There is good ground for saying that
Minister Conger has sent in list of the.
persons he regards as deserving of pun
ishment, but that he named no one no,
included in the penal edict. though he
added that there were several others not
specified by nanrs who were deserving
of severe punishment also.
Berlin, Oct. 11-Great Britain's an
swer to Germany's second note was re-
ceived yesterday. 1t Is an unreserved
and unconditional acceptance Of the
German position. A high official of the
foreign office made the following state
ment on the subject: "Great Britain is
following the example of the United
States. Atthe same time she has direct
ed her representatives In Pekin to
proceed in accordance with Germany's
second note"
Hong Kong. Oct.s 11.-Ten thousand
more troops from India have been re-
QUESTIONED for. Hong Kong. Two Brit
ish regiments have been recalled from
the north to Hong Kong The present
Indications are that there will be
Boxer rising similar to that which has
IN,