Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-09-08
WITHDRAWING FROM PEK|N
SOLDIERS GO TO TIENTsIN.
o,,,sr Powers May Do the SRme-Ger-
0tneE
any sends a Reply to American
D,ssian PrOpOsals-Suspici of
r.oIand-May Reject Plan.

Of negotiations on the Chinese question
!, now dependent upon the responses of the
covers to the Russo-American proposals.
:. was stated authoritatively at the close
q official hours Saturday that no answer
had been received from any source, other
4ban those of preliminary and inconclu-
.;ro character heretofore announced. More
over it is stated by responsible administra-
t;on officials that not until the answer is
rooeived will the negotiations assume any
definite form, as the last answer may
MOVE to be the dissent from an interna-
t;onal accord toward which all efforts are
now being made
Much interest was aroused by the dis
match from st. Petersburg giving the full
text of the Russian proposal, as it cleared
I'm some discrepancies which had existed
owing to the oral nature of the communi-
cation made to this government by the
Russian charge. BY far the most import
ant admission it makes is in disclosing
that Russia has not ordered her minister
and troops to withdraw from China"
as was stated in the American paraphrase
of the proposal, but that she intends to
recall De Giers and his staff "to Tientsin
whittier they will be accompanied by the
Russian troops In short, Russia has not
announced d purpose to withdraw from
China, but only to withdraw from Pekin.
As the negotiations progress the view Is
strengthened among officials that the
Russo American plan of withdrawing from
Pekin ultimately would be concurred in by
all Of the powers. In diplomatic quarters
this outcome is looked upon as practically
assured. 1t is pointed out that ii the Rus
sian, American and japanese troops are
withdrawn from Pekin the other powers
would not have 5000 men remaining there,
which would be a force utterly inadequate
to garrison and defend the capital. The
British force now at Pekin is said to
number 5000, and the German force is
only few hundred. On the other hand,
the Russian and japanese contingents are
very large, and with their withdrawal
the main strength of the allies at Pekin
would be taken away. As a matter OF
necessity, therefore, it is held that the
withdrawal of the larger forces will com
pei the smaller forces of Great Britain
and Germany to leave at the same time.
The brief answer which Germany al
ready has made to this government states
that any general consideration of the
proposition will be dependent upon in
quiries as to the condition of affairs at
Pekin. These inquiries are now in prog
ress through the German officials at the
expected to form the basis of Germanys
general answer. Those in a position to
take an intelligent view of Germanys
course say there is little doubt OF Ger
manys acceptance. One OF the chief rea-
sons set forth for this course is that after
all the question of staying at Pekin is OF
secondary character, and it is quite insig-
niticant compared with the far-reaching
question OF maintaining an accord among
those continental powers which thus tar
nave acted together, not only as to China,
but as to many other questions OF general
policy. In short, it is felt that Germanys
accord with Russia and other continental
nations Is Of primary Importance, where
as the holding OF Pekin is of secondary
character, and III such circumstances the
primary condition will prevail. The course
OF the British government is being await
ed with keen interest, not only Tor Its Ell
leet upon the present question, but be-
cause OF the part it will have III main
tanning the accord between the powers.
There Is noticeable feeling among some
OF the foreign representatives here that
Great Britain will decline to accept tho
plan, and will thereby become isolated
from the rest of the powers. In this con-
nectlon the present situation is being COM
pared to that at the close of the Japan
Chlna war, when Russia, Germany and
france formed a triple alliance which
practically determined the results OF the
conflict. The issue at that time was as
10 Japan's holding Chinese territory, par
ucularly the Liza Tung peninsula Great
britain declined to intervene, and to a
certain extent became isolated, while Rus
sid, Germany and France, by their united
acton, made it imperative that the peace
settlement should be the basis of Japan
eventually Withdrawing from the mainland
VI ASIA. 1t was remarked in well-post-
eu diplomatic quarter that Great Britain's
hesitation at this time might bring about
repetition of the Japan China alliance,
~ which event, the opinion was expressed,
british influence in the far east would be
shaken materially, if not entirely broken.