Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-17
THE CHEERING NEWS
Officials Believe the Legationers Have
Been Rescued.
TEE CHINESE MINISTER ELATED
Questions That viii Now Have to
Be Determined Upon.
NO TERRITORIAL EXTENSION

iidiy SoulCeS lOudS, uIOlllcldl Dul SO cir
cumstantial and positive as to be generally
credited in official quarters, that the allied
armies have reached the imperial city and
that the legationers have been liberated.
This information came first from press dis
patches from London, Shanghai and Ber-
lin, which were eagerly scanned by the
officials in Washington. They were una
BILE, however to furnish the slightest con-
firmation, neither the State, War nor Navy
Departments nor the Chinese minister hav-
ing any advices that this happy consumma-
ton had been reached. When the cabinet
session began at IL o'clock it was with this
lack of official information, and yet with
the conviction from unofficial information
that the crisis had been relieved. At the
State Department a cipher dispatch was
received from Consul Fowler at Chefoo,
a point quite near Pekin, but unfortunate
ly it conveyed no word of the arrival at
Pekin or the rescue of the legations, but
referred to points already pretty well
known. The War Department is inclined
to be somewhat skeptical of reports origi-
mating in Shanghai, but at the same time
the unofficial reports tailed with the depart
ment's calculations to the point reached
by the relief column. dispatch from Ad-
miral Remey, dated at Taku yesterday,
eiAS 'HsN@'s>'''A
Pekin on the 10th, but nothing of the ar
rival at Pekin, which is said to have oc-
Cured on the day before the admirals
message was sent. 1t was as follows:
'.TAkU, August 16.
Bureau of Navigation, Washington
Message from Pekin 10th; legations
closely blockaded by Chinese; provisions
ample for three weeks; all reported well.
.REMEY."
Chinese Minister EIated.
The Chinese minister was elated when
word reached him of the press dispatches
announcing that the legationers had been
relieved Not a word had reached him con-
firmatory of the reports. and this led him
to examine the unofficial advtces from
Shanghai and elsewhere with considerable
care. He pointed out that Shanghai was
some eight hundred miles from Pekln, and
it was surprising that Information did not
come from Tien Tsin Chefoo, only about
100 miles from Pekin, and the. base of the
allied forces. Moreover, the appeal of Ii
Hung Chang for an armstice was dated the
18th, and showed that Earl Ii did not know
at that time of the alleged retirement of the
imperial party from Pekin. But the reports
that the legationers were relieved came
from SO many different quarters that Min
lister Wu disposed to credit them even
in the absence of official confirma ton. He
reckoned that since the allied forces were
at Tung Chow there had been ample time
to cover the short distance between that
place and Pekn. so that the reports tailed
with his own calculation on what was likely
to have occurred.
Authority Goes With the Emperor.
The Chinese officials have no knowledge
whatever OF the reported departure of the
empress dowager and the imperial house
hold from Pekin on August Z, as mentioned
in the Shanghai dispatches. The place
named as the point which they took for
refuge, Hsi-man-fu, is said to be about 1CO
miles back from Pekn. 1t is not the place
where the summer palaces are located. Ru-
mOrs have heretofore reached Chinese Off
cials that a movement from Pekin might be
made, but they have never been borne out
by official advices. In case the imperial
party has left Pekin this is said to make no
change in the prerogatives of the imperial
government, as the authority goes with the
emperor, wherever he may be located
Questions to BE Decided
If it proves true that the legationers are
relieved. the gravest crisis is removed, but
there remain many momentous questions to
be determined, chief OF which probably is
whether the allied troops will remain In
China. 1t appears to be accepted that some
of the powers will keep their military forces
in China, at least until all questions grow
ing out of the crisis are settled This is
expected to involve questions not only of
money indemnity, but of territorial extern
sion on the part of some of the European
parties to the controversy. 1t is not at all
probable that the United States will be u
party to any such territorial controversy
The declaration of Secretary Hay, in his
note of July last, forecasted the purpose
OF this government TO seek to preserve
Chinese territorial and administrative en-
tity. His words were:
1T is, of course. too early to forecast
the means of attaining this last result (pre-
vent spread of disorder), but the policy
of the government Of the United States is
to seek solution, which may bring about
permanent safety and peace to China pre-
serve Chinese territorial and administrative
entity, protect all rights guaranteed to
friendly powers by treaty and international
law, and safeguard for the world the prin-
ciple of equal and impartial trade with all
parts of the Chinese empire
No Party to Territorial Extension,
There have been many changes In the sit
uaton since that declaration was made and
yet II seems to clearly indicate that if ter
ritorial extension is one of the seouels to
the crisis, the United States will not be n
party TO 1t. Chinese officials are apprehen-
sive that long period of diplomatic ex-
change may follow the crisis covering six
months or year, during which period
Germany, France and some of the other
powers will keep their armies on Chinese
soil to inforce extreme demands for money
and territorial indemnity. In China's pres
ent impotent condition, there appears to
be no issue out of this long struggle but
for her to eventually yield to the various
demands.
Takes No Stock In the Story,
The State Department takes no stock in
the story put forth by the China Gazette
at Shanghai accusing Consul General
Goodnow of completely with the Chinese.
On the contrary he is spoken of In the
very highest terms and his course in the
trying situation is commended. A number
OF statements have appeared concerning
Mr. Goodnow's suggestion about the land
ing Of British troops. The only part which