The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-19
Germany in China.

Yesterday. announces that the German
Government has addressed circular note
TO the powers, announcing that it consid-
ers the delivery of the Chinese officials
Who were responsible for the outrages as
an indispensable prerequisite to peace me-
gotiations Whatever the Administration
may think on the subject. the majority of
Americans will undoubtedly endorse the
German view.
Our national attitude and diplomacy
have been so deplorably dominated by con-
siderations of domestic politics that the
real duty Of America in China has been
obscured as much as it could be for Ad-
ministration purposes. Mr. Mckinley went
into China with hurrah. because the
, Standard Oil Trust, the Flour Trust, and
several syndicates. concerned in Chinese
railway and other concessions. demanded
that he should hasten to the rescue of
their interests. The peril of the legations
was a secondary matter, and the lives of
three hundred American missionaries and
their native converts did not materially en-
ter into the consideration.
But Mr. Mckinley made the mistake Of
engaging in q foreign war Of invasion,
without the authority OF Congress. AS the
Hon. George F. Edmunds automatically
puts 1t. he is guilty of technical viola
ticn of the Constitution. Now, a tech
meal violation could easily have been
overcome if the President had called Con-
gress together as soon as he discovered
that he had real war on his hands. he
did not dare to. He feared that once in
4, session Congress might undertake to dis
cuss other usurpations and violations OF
the Constitution: and so he elected to take
the desperate chances involved in his
prosecution of an executive war. and to
cut and scuttie out of it as soon as might
be.
The excuse for conducting the war was
that it was not war; but merely a picnic
excursion undertaken to assist the delect-
able Empress Dowager and her Hanna,
Prince Tuan. in their praiseworthy efforts
TO suppress the Boxers and to protect the
legations. Unfortunately there is now
ample and official evidence that the Boxer
outbreak, the murder of Baron Won Ket-
teller. the attack upon the legations, the
torture and massacre of the American mis-
sionaIies. women and children at Paoting-
fu and elsewhere were all planned and or
dered by the responsible Chinese Govern
ment. of which the Empress Dowager was
and is de facto the head, ard certainly is
the power and inspiration
When Minister Conger and Special Com
missioner Roekhili stated their convictions
in this Ike there was immediate panic in
tn
finding an excuse to adopt the scuttIing
policy in China 81. de wollant came along
opportunely with his Russian proposal. Our
State Department was out of town. MIR.
Mckinley had only Root. Smith, and Will
son to advise with. They advised as the
New York Russian syndicate desired. and,
very likely, according to a hasty opinion
by Magoon. The country was committed.
foolishly and ridiculously. and the re-
sources OF what sane diplomacy we have
in the State Department have been called
upon ever since to repair the damage TO
our international prestige
That is the situation today. Russia
wants us TO keep the scuttling agreement.
Humanity demands that the native Chris
tians in Pekin shall not be abandoned 20
butchery- But peace at any price is the
inside policy OF the Administration; peace
even with recognition OF the she devil who
caused the nameless torture of the unfor-
tunate American women at Paoting-fu.
The American public Will not tolerate such
| a peace. Germany is right. At no matter
what cost this as well as other countries
should stay in the field and continue to
punish China until the last parsonage
guilty Of the recent atrocities has been de-
livered to the allies for condign punish
ment.