The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-29
IS WITH DIPLOMATS
CHINESE QUESTION SEEMS TO HAVE
REVERTED TO THEM.
MINISTERS CALLED ON ADEE.
EEAsoNs FOR THEIR VISITS WE'RE
NOT GIVEN OUT.

Messages From Chaffee-Government
Is Determined to See If Dispatches
Cannot Be Sent Bearing Dates.
Russia, England and the United
States Seem willing to Negotiate
With Earl LIMO Friction Expect
ed Regarding China.
Washington, Aug. 2S.-Several communi-
cations came to Washington from the
United States officials in China to-day,
but being without dates in most cases. the
government was by no means satisfied
with the state of communications, and
the cabinet meeting held this afternoon
gave the largest part of Its attention to
the problem of rectifying this state of af-
fairs.
Evidence of interference with the mes
sages have accumulated to a point where
the government has determined to take
steps to establish channels of its own and
TO employ the rather expensive device of
man-of-war plying between Shanghai
and Che Foo for this purpose Either the
New Orleans or the Princeton will be
dered on this duty. Meanwhile word
NOuIcS tlSt Idtlu piOSIeSS 10 iHdhlilS W III
the short cable which is to connect these
points, and it is believed that within a
week this means of communication will be
open.
Siege Battery Not Needed.
Three messages from Gen. Chaffee were
received to-day, and while they cast no
direct light on the military situation, they
On
follows:
"Taku, Aug. --Adjutant General,
Washington.-Sieg battery not needed.
Chaffee"
This dispatch is in reply TO an inquiry
sent some time ago to Gen. Chaffee rela-
tive to the siege battery which was taken
from Manila to Nagasaki to be sent to
China, if needed.
Announcement was received of the ar
rival of the Garonne, with eight companies
of the First Cavalry aboard, at Kobe, Ja-
pan, and a companion ship with animals
for the troopers. An order was sent from
here to the governments agents at Kobe
to divert the cavalry and their animals
from that port to Manila, instead of al
lowing them to proceed to Taku, accord
ing to their original orders. Gen. Chat
fees statement that he needs no siege
battery taken in connection with the di-
version of the First Cavalry, which was
bound for Taku to Manila, seems to make
clear that there is. no intention TO enter
into a prolonged campaign in China, such
as would involve the use of heavy artil-
lery or of reinforcements in the shape OF
men and horses.
Battle of Diplomacy.
At the time it cannot be said that the
government has shown any sign of
purpose to abandon any just claim it
may have secured upon China through
the brill operations of the little Amer
lean force in the Flowery Kingdom. But
l. begins to appear that the battle of to-
day is one cf diplomacy, rather than one
of arms and, notwithstanding, the va
rous rumors that have filtered out from
Chinese sour es of heavy engagements
betue n the international forces and the
Boxers, the officials here are satisfied
that no formidable organized resistance
will be offered by the Chinese if the de-
mands of the Powers are limited to the
principles laid down by the United states
in its several notes.
Therefore more interest attaches to
series of diplomatic calls upon Acting
Secretary Adee this afternoon than any
report of purely military operations in
China First came the Japanese minister
next the Russian charge, and finally Mr.,
Thiebaut, the French charge. These train
ed diplomats naturally are averse to let
ting the public know the developments OF
was gathered that one of the principal
topics of discussion was the propriety OF
accepting Ii Hung Chang as proper per-
son with whom the Powers might nego-
tiate for a settlement in China.
1t is quite evident, from the conferences
held this afternoon, that this matter Is
still an open issue. Otherwise II would
not have been necessary for the offlclaIs
to enter into a laborious comparison OF
the texts of the credentials
supplied by Ii Hung Chang to
the various Powers of Europe, as well as
Japan and the United States Past ex>
perience with some of the Chinese de-
crees has shown very radical direrences
in the translation, and as so much turns
on the form of Earl LIS credentials, 1t is
regarded as highly important that these
shall be shown to agree in each Case
willing 10 Deal with Ii.
The statement is made that the Russian
government for one, is willing to deal
with Ii, of course upon properly framed
conditions and this appears to be borne
out by the earnestness with which MI
Wollant the Russian charge, is trying
to impress upon the state department the
entire agreement between Russia and the
United States as to China AT least he in
sists that Russia wishes to prevent the
dismemberment of China, and, also, that
her anmating purpose is the restoration
of order and the safeguarding of the fu-
ture. Under these limitations, II is urged
here that Russia's objects can be achiev-
ed as well as those of the United States
by dealing with Ii Hung Chang, who oc-
cuples the advantageous position of being
the only Chinese parsonage so far Off
cially accredited as n peace plenipoten-
tiary.
Acting Secretary Adee found sufficient
matter Of interest in these three calls 10
repair to the White House later in the
afternoon to confer with the President.
II is quite certain that our government
is willing and anx ious TO do all It can 10
bring out "a speedy settlement of the
Chinese difficulty and a retirement OF the
forces. But it is determined that no prop
or advantage Is 10 be lost through this
With. and the government VII not be
COerCed by foreign combinations or