The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-29
SHE SOUNDS THE POWERS
England, Russia and America Would
Treat with Ii.
GERMANY DECLARES THAT SHE WILL NOT
Interference with Official CabIegrams Will
Cause This Government TO Send a
Warship to Ply Between Shang-
hal and Che Foo.
hal and Che Foo.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
Washington, August 2S.-Several COM
munications came to Washington from
the United States officials in China to-
day, but being dateless in most cases the
Government was by no means\ satisfied
with the state of the communications and
the Cabinet meeting held. this afternoon
gave the larger part of its attention to
the problem of rectifying this state of
affairs. Evidences of interference with
the messages have accumulated to
point where the Government has de-
termined to take steps to establish chan
nes of it's 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 ordered on this duty
Meanwhile word comes that rapid pro-
gross is making with the shore cable,
which is to connect these points and it
is believed that within a week this
means of communication will be open.
Three messages from General Chaffee
were received today and while they cast
no direct light on the military situation,
they were inferentially important. One
was as follows:
"Taku, China, (no date).
''Adjutant General, Washington.
''Siege battery not needed.
(Signed) "CHAFFEE."
This dispatch is in reply to an inquiry
sent some time ago to General Chaffee
relative 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,
Japan, and a companion ship with ami
mails 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 allowing them to proceed to
Taku according to their original orders.
General Chaffee's statement that he
needs no siege battery taken in con-
nection with the diversion 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 in
volve the use of heavy artillery, or of
reinforcements in the shape of men and
horses. At the same time it cannot be
said that the Government has shown any
SIGH OI d puTpOSc " dUduuOH any just
claim it may have secured upon China
through the brilliant operations of the
little American force in the Flowery
Kingdom. But it begins to appear that
the battle of today is one of diplomacy
rather than one of arms, and notwith-
standing the various rumorS that have
filtered out from Chinese sources of
heavy engagements between the inter-
national forces and the Boxers, the Of
ficials here are satisfied that no formida
BILE organized resistance will be offered
by the Chinese if the demands of the
powers are limited to the principles laid
down by the United States in it's several
notes.
Therefore more interest attached to
a series of diplomatic calls upon Acting
Secretary Adee this afternoon than any
report of purely military operations in
China. First came the Japanese Minis
ter, Mr.. Takahira, the next, the Rus
sian Charge, Mr.. Wollant, and finally
Mr.. Thiebaut, the French Charge. These
trained diplomats naturally are averse to
letting the public know the developments
of incomplete negotiations. Nevertheless,
it was gathered that one of the principal
topics of discussion was the propriety of
accepting Lii Hung Chang as proper
person with whom the powers might ne
gotiate for settlement in China. 1t is
quite evident from the conferences held
this afternoon that this matter is still
an open issue. Otherwise it would not
have been necessary for the officials to
enter into a laborous comparison of the
text of the credentials supplied by Ii
Hung Chang to the various powers of
Europe as we'll as Japan and the United
States. Past experience with some of the
Chinese DEGREES has shown very radical
differences in the translation, and as so
much turns on the form of Ii Hung
Changs credentials, it is regarded as
highly important that these shall be
shown to agree in each case.
The statement is made that the Rus
sian 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 Mr.. Wollant, the Russian Charge,
is seeking to impress upon the State De-
partment the entire agreement between
Russia and the United States as to China.
At least he insisted that Russia wishes
to prevent the dismemberment of China.
and also that her animating purpose now
Is the restoration of order and the safe
guarding of the future Under these lin
itations, it is urged here that Russia's