Arizona republican., 1900-08-22

Washington. Aug. 21.-The cabinet session today practically opened con sideration of the momentous questions growing out of the capture of Pekin, and the war in China. Until today's session the absorbing question has been the safety of Minister Conger and the legatiOners at PeNin. Now, however, that has given place to problems of a more intricate and far reaching char acter, touching the existence of the Chinese empire and the part which the American government is to take in the reconstruction of that country.
 The meeting today was devoted to the Chinese situation. Secretaries Hay and Root, who have been most active in directing the affairs, were absent from the city, so that the attendance was comparatively small, the president having with him Secretaries Gage, Hitchcock and Wilson, and Postmaster General Smith.
 Several questions were awaiting at tention. The first of these was the ap- piication of Lii Hung Chang for the ap- pointment of Minister Conser or some other commissioner to negotiate for a cessation of hostilities. The decision arrived at was to reject the appeal and a reply of this character will be sent to Minister Wu to be forwarded to Ii Hung Chang. The moving cause for this action is that this government is at present very much in the dark as to whether there is any existing govern ment in China. With the capital in the hands of the allies. the emperor and empress dowager fugitives in. hiding and the entire governmental fabric paralyZed, there is no evidence of an authority adequate to conduct negotia- tions and secure results which will be final and binding.
 It was stated by members of the cab- inet that the Chinese establishment, instead of being a government, appears to be an enormous. headless affair without knowledge of what is for it's best good and without power to enforce it's wishes, with the recognized ruler in flight no one seeming to know If anybody is directing its affairs. As China is an absolute monarchy without any executive branch, the emperor and empress dowager are all powerful and practically they are the empire of China.
 Under the present remarkable condi- IiOilS' bllC C lllhCu olebSS VIII att Nltll extreme caution in whatever steps il may take toward a solution of the pending problems. In the meantime there is reason to belive that United States and all the other powers inter- ested will keep their, armed forces on the ground so that order may be main tained and at least a semblance of a stable government brought out of the existing chaos.
 The reply of this government to the appeal of the viceroys of Ranking and Human that no indignities be offered the emperor and empress dowager, is a formal acknowledgment of the receipt of the communication, with a satis- factory assurance that no indignties would be offered the persons of theil majesties. This reply is couched iT the polite language of diplomacy, but it is understood that it does not, in anI way. commit the government to refrain from imposing on the emperor and en- press dowager any penalty that subse- quently might be decided upon in case it is proved that they were indirectly responsible for the recent atrocities.
 It was stated tonight that the reply of this government to the appeal of Ii Hung Chang for a cessation of hos tilities and the appointment of a peace commissioner, has not yet been trans mitted to the viceroy.