The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-22
Apparently No Govern
ment Exists in
China.
HOW TO NEGOTIATE?
The World Is Confronted d
by Remarkable
Situation.


| REPUBitC' SPECIAL.
Washington. Aug 2l-President Mckinley
and the other officials of the administration
received their first detailed information oi
the taking of Pekin ana Of the conditions
| that had existed during the siege OF the
| legations through the Hcrald-Repubiic spe'
| cial dispatch from Pekin.
| y cable message had been received last
night from Minister Conger, little Of whlci,
| was made public. but which agreed with
the Herald-Republic dispatch, though the
| latter served to supplement and amplify the
official dispatch. Some Of the expressions
used by Minister Conger in his official dis
. patch were Identical with expressions
which he used in his interview with the
Hera!d-Repuh!ic correspondent in Pekin.
The suspicion which the authorities here
! have had that the Government of China
was either at the bottom of the so-called
| Boxer movement or was unwilling or un-
! able TO curb it mas been strengthened into
positive conviction by the dispatch to The
Republic. A high official Of the Govern
F; ment. discussing the matter to-day, said:
"The light which this dispatch throws on
| the situation makes it apparent that the
Powers have very difficult problem to deal
with. How are we to open negotiations
Whom are we to negotiate with? Nho Or
what IS the Government of China, and
where is It? What assurances have We that
any representative of the so-called Govern
, ment of China with whom We might negoti-
ate can guarantee the fulfillmert of any
pledges that he might maker
THE interview with Minister Conger as
published shows that the so-called Govern
ment is not strong enough to control its
own officers. They could not be restrained
from firing on the legations even by threat
Of being beheaded. It Is apparent that Il
Government which has no authority over It's
officers is very weak and cannot be de-
pended upon to carrysout its promises.
Government No Longer Exists
LAS matter of fact, the dispatch, taken
in connection with official messages. seerns
to Indicate that the Government of China
has practically ceased to exist except in
mere name. Such real power as exists III
China to-day is in the hands of the Vice
roys. who have gradually sapped the central
government OF its vitality, and this was
made possible by the system which made
the central government dependent upon the
yiceroys for most Of its revenues.
1T is practically the same condition that
we might expect TO have in the United
States If the Central Government in Wash
ington had to depend on the Governors of
the States for its revenues. In snort time
the Governors would have the power.
The problem OF dealing with the stua-
ton as revealed by the dispatch is q, diff
ficult one How it will be solved II is too
early to cay yet II is the policy OF this
Government to maintain the territorial In
tegrity Of China If possible. 1t is plain
however that Il this is to be done there
must be some kind OF a central government
that will be able to carry out its agree
ments ana to protect foreigners throughout
the Empire Whether such u government
can he built up on the skeleton OF that
which has existed / do not know
Congcrs Dispatch.
Part of Minister Congers dispatch was
made public to-day. as follows:
United States Legation. Pekin undated,
via Chee-Foo, Aug 2o-Secretary of State.
Washington: Saved. Relief arrived to-day.
Entered city with little trouble. Do not yet
know where imperial family is. Except
deaths already reported. all Americans
alive and well. Desperate efforts made last
night to exterrnlnate us. Mitchell. Ameri-
can soldier ard Russian and Japanese
wounded. German killed. Advise Wood
ward, Chicago; Conger. Des Moines: Sims,
Council Bluff; ConGer, Pasadena: Porter,
Paris. CoNGER'
"By Fowler, Che-Foo.'
ENJOYS GOING TO TIEN-TSIN.
London, Aug %, a. m.-The foreign en-
VOWS. according to the Shanghai corre-
spondent of the Daily Express. are pro-
ceetling to the city of Tien-Tsin. The same
correspondent AYERS that the Sacred City
was entered August 10, two days earlier
than Rear Admiral Bruce reported.
THE flags of the allies" says the Shans-
hal CORRESPONDENT of the Daily Mail. wir-
ing yesterday, "are now floating over the
imperial palace. Street fighting, however.
continues. Considerable assistance in the
capture of PekIn was rendered by 4.ooo
armed native Christians. The legations
were enabled to hold out by purchasing
ammunition from the Chinese.
American action in refusing to deal with
Ii Hung Chang in the peace proposal meets
with unanimous approval at the hands OF
the morning papers. The Standard says:
I'VE imagine that Otner POWERS VIII tdite
the same course. at any rate until Earl Lii
produces satisfactory evidence Of his au-
thority to negotiate.
The Daily Chronicle says:
"NIr. Conger has at last opened the eyes
of the State Department to the real charac
ter of Orentals.'
HOW PEKIN WAS ENTERED.
Conyrght 1900 by the Associated Press.
Pekin, Aug u. via Che-Foo. Aug. 21-
The American and Russian flags were
planted on the cast wall of Pekin at II
o'clock this morning. The Indian troops
entered the British Legation at 1, and the
Americans at g. There was joyful recep-
ton from the wall.
The emaciated tenants could have lasted
but little longer They had only three days
rations. The Chinese had been attacking
furiousIy for two days. -Four thousand
shells fell in the legation during the siege.
sixty-five we're killed and 1so wounded
The japanese began the battle before day.
light and they were stin fighting about the
north wall, where part of the Chinese
are defending the Imperial City. The jap