The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-23
The Chinese situation.

All Europe is amazed at the mingled
gullibility and recklessness displayed by
the American State Department in accept
ing a three-weeks- message from MIR.
/ Conger as having been signed last Wednes-
day, and, thereupon assuming that our
Minister is alive. insisting that an advance
on Pekin should be made at once.
All told. there are but three thou
sand Internal .onal troops in China, and the
number will not be greatly increased be-
fore the middle of August. The British
Government does not consider that it will
be practicable to start a flying column from
Tientsin before the LIST of September, and
the Continental War Offices concur in that
opinion. They are none of them affected
by the haste shown by Mr.. Hay, for the
simple reason that the Cabinets of London,
Paris. Berlin, Vienna, Rome, and st. Pc
tersburg are privately agreed that their
diplomatic representatives and other citi-
zenE in Pekin have been massacred. Off,
cisl Washington, too, would believe the
same thing, if 1t were not that conviction
would impose the duty of calling an ex-
traordinary session of Congress. All lie
Atlantic governments are proceeding upon
the assumption that the legation people are
dead, although the contrary is officially an
nounced. It is true they are demanding
hat China which declares that the diplo-
nsts are safe and sound and under protec-
ton, shall place them in communication
with their Governments; but this is done
with any hope that the Ministers Will ever
be heard from again in life.
1t is not impossible that the present
week may witness an end to the suspense
regarding the legations which the world
has been in torment under for a month.
Four trusty Chinese runners in the service
Of the British Government have started
from different and far separated points for
Peiin The probabilities are that at least
one of them will succeed in getting into
the city and out again, and under normal
conditions all should be at their starting
places by Tuesday or "Wednesday. The in
formation which will thus be brought to
the coast will be reliable beyond any doubt.
Lord Salisbury has given his people in
China absolute carte blanche as to eX-
pense. and they have selected emissaries
whose reports will be unquestionable
/ should they or any one Of them succeed IL
getting back alive. It must be admitted
Z that there is q chance that all four OF the
runners may be suspected, in which case
1 they viii lose their heads on the instant;
bu, if they fail to turn up on time, mo. c
viii be sent, and soon or late Pekin will
! have to surrender its horrible secret.
What will happen then? II the British
| Government should inform the President
I Of the United States that it has acquired
! official knowledge Of the massacre OF the
Ministers. including Mr. Conger, and hat
4 the Chinese Government is responsible for
/ the crime. we DO not see how Mr.. Nc
KinIey could longer refuse to perform the
I duty Of calling Congress together. Such
I news would in moment sweep away the
I fabric of fiction and subterfuge upon which
/ the Executive war policy now rests. What
/ ever may be the truth concerning the fate
I OF the legations and their inmates, it is
/ bound TO be revealed, and we trust that
/ it is not a vain hope to expect that we
shall know all about it before next sun
/ day.