Evening star., 1900-09-19

British Iress CSmmends Punishmen
of Chinese ReactiOnists.

Oh SnEheSe heNStsOn1stS.
LONDON, September 19.-As might have
been expected, coincdent with the arrival
of Count Won Waldersee IN China comes the
most important declaration OF policy yet
issued by any of the allies.
AS the Daily News remarks. Germany S
circular note has turned the tables on Rus
sia, whose evacuation proposal had put
Germany into an awkward corner. Now, il
Russia assents to the German note she Will
be unable to continue to pose as Chlna's
lenient and forgiyng friend, while if she
dissents Russia will lay herself liable to the
charge of reducing the punitive expedition
to Il farce.
Text of the Note.
The text of the teiegTap phic note is as
follows:
The government of the emperor holds
preliminary to entering upon diploma tic
relations with the Chinese government that
those persons must be delivered up who
have been proved to be the original and real
instigators of the outrages against inter
national law which have occurred at Pckin.
The number OF those who were merely in
struments in carrying out the outrages is
too great. Wholesale executions would be
contrary to the civilized conscience, and the
circumstances of such a group Of leaders
cannot be completely ascertained. But a
Few OF those whose guilt is Notorious should
be delivered up and punished.
THE representatives Of the powers at
Pekin are in a position to give or bring for
ward convincing evidence. Less imporL lance
attaches to the number punished than to
their character as chief instigators and
leaders.
The government believes It can count
on the unanimity of all the cabinets in re-
gard TO this point, insomuch as indifference
TO the idea of just atonement would be
equivalent to indifference TO a repetition of
the CRIME. Ine government proposes, there-
fore, that the cabinets concerned should in
struct their representatives at Pekin to
Indicate those leading Chinese personages
from whose guilt IN ins lgat.ng or perpe-
trating outrages all doubt is excluded
Won BUELUW''
The note has been sent to me German
embassies at Washington, London. Paris
81. Petersburg, Rome, Vienna and Tokyo.
Praised by London Press.
The London morning papers have little
but praise for what is called Germany's
admirable note. The Times goes so far
as to wish that the credit for making such
proposal belonged to Great Britain. The
Morning Post alone, in a cOgent and we'll
reasoned editorial. points OUT a grave OBJ
Jocton namely, that, if the authors and
instigatorS OF the uprising should prove To
be identical with the personnel of the Chi
neSc government, it can hardly be expacted
lndt tncS Will denver themselves uD. and
that, If the Chinese government should be
designated as guilty, it would be under he
pan or the powers, condition Of things
only terminable by the conquest of China
or revolution producing a new govern
ment.
Wherefore" says the Morning Post. "the
powers should carefully weigh the matter
before committing themselves"
German View OF Note.
A Berlin dispatch says: The publca ton
Of Count Won Buelow's circular note
which was made through the Norddeutsche
Allgemeine LeitunS. was decided upon be-
cause 1t was deemed best to let the world
see that Germany had nothing to hide re-
gardng her real aims in China. The diplo-
matte corps here SO interprets it.
The note shows also that Count Won Bue-
lows sober and moderate views regarding
the Chinese muddle and its solution have
now riumphed over Emperor Williams
more expansive plans.
Tomorrow the leading German papers
Will approve the note. The Freisinnige
Heitung, calling particular attention to the
passage declaring that wholesale execu-
tfOns would be contrary to the civilized
conscience, Will say:
This IS in striking contrast with En-
peror Williams instructions to he depart
ing troops to spare no one and to make no
prisoners.