, 1900-12-07
AMERICAN PLAN
HAYS BASIS FOR CHINESE SET.
ELEMENT ACCEPTED BY
POWERS.
The Agreement Points to an Early
Military Evacuation of Pekine
and a Return of the Court to the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and Indem-
nifty.

Washington. Dec. G.-American dip.
lomacy leads the world. The great
powers have practically reached an
agreement as to the basis of future
movements in China. and this basis is
that which was proposed by Secretary
Hay.
Secretary Hay cabled Minister Con,
ger to sign for the United States an
agreement which the ministers reach
ed at Picking. This agreement was
sent to the home governments for their
approval, and, with a single exception,
every power has already cabled its rep
resentative at Picking to sign the agree
ment, and that power will probably do
SO tomorrow or the next day.
Thus the concert of the powers is
preserved and a practical and ration
al basis of settlement has been reach
ed at last, thanks to the skill and firm
ness of the American secretary of
state.
The chief features of the agreement
are as follows:
Features of the Agreement.
1t is stipulated that the punishments
to be melted out to the guilty Chinese
are as severe as it is possible for the
Chinese government to administer. but
not more severe. The government of
China is not to be asked to do the i'm
possible.
1t is expected hat under this obliga-
ton the government will punish Sc
verely eleven ~ringleaders in the at
tacks upon the legations and in the in
element of a]nti-forcign o~utrages.
Some of these will be beheaded. 9th
ers will be banished or degraded.
If Great Britain and Germany had
been permitted to have their way. the
dynasty would have been compelled to
agree to behead men who are beyond
the reach of the emperOr's government
men who are in the western pro-
vinCes and in command of military
forces sufficient to protect them. Sec
rotary Hay has from the first contend
ed that while in justice to all these
heads should be taken off. it is neces,
sary to catch your hare before cook.
ing him, and that it was simply absurd
to require the Chinese government to
decapitate men whom it could not get
hold Of.
These guilty officials will be Danish
ed and degraded, and thus it will be
made impossible for them to return to
positions of power.
The Indemnity.
1t is stipulated in the agreement
that the Chinese government is t o for
mally admit its liability to the powers
for damages and for the expense Of
military operations. This done, the
amount of indemnity to be paid each
nation is to be ascertained afterward
by means of careful inquiries and es-
Inmates.
This part of the plan will require
much time, and while, of course, it will
give rise to opportunities for trouble,
making powers to precipitate new COM
plications, it is felt that a great point
has been gained by making the amount
of indemnity a subject of negotiations,
~. ~ cInuII Ia, rntba, than n prA1intp-
airy condition.
Other features of the agreement per
tain to the legation guards to be kept
at Picking, to the razing of the Picking
forts and other military precautions
similar to those proposed by the
French government a month ago.
To all these conditions, it is under
stood. Ii Hung Chang and Prince
Ching. representing the emperor, are
willing to accede.
In official and diplomatic circles here
the belief is expressed that a great step
forward has Deer taken. and that again
there is good prospect of an adjust
ment of the seemingly unending com
plication without ACKNOWLEDGMENT and
without destruction of the dynasty.
The agreement now reached points
to an early military evacuation of Pc
King and a return of the court to that
capital.
WI Pleased.
Washington, Dec. 6.-Minister WI
called early this morning at the state
department for the purpose. as he said.
of obtaining information in detail of
the agreement signed by the ENJOYS at
Feking yesterday. After his confer
ence with Secretary Hay he said that
he had not seen the text of the agree.
ment. but he did not doubt that its sa-
lent points were covered in cable