The evening times., 1900-09-21
Circulation Statement.
The Administration and China,

The Administration and China
After playing a waiting and wobbiinG
game for weeks, the Administration Is
row confronted by diplomatic situation
cf character which will compel it to an
nounce some definite policy. The German
note must be answered. and that answer
while il may attempt evasion of the di-
rect issue, VIII necessarily show whether
The United States is TO join with Great
Britain. Germany, Austria, and Italy IN a
common policy and programme TO secure
The punishment OF the Chinese guilty OF
the late atrocities, and to effect peace
settlement upon a basis at once safe and
honorable; or is to destroy the hope Of
international concord, by siding with the
Chinese and perhaps some power whose
interest it may be just now to save the
murderous Empress Dowager from pun
ishment, and to re-establish her power for
mischief in the Empire.
As we have been repeatedly forced %
remark the situation. as far as the All
ministTation is concerned. is dominated
by the desperate wish of the Pres5d dens
TO get out of China before the PTesider-
tiaI election. On no other ground can
the apparent inclination OF this Govern
ment to play the Chinese game be ex
planned. Administration organs assert
thal it is sick of delay, fer which they
say the European powers are, to bla-ne.
They ignore the notorious fact that the
most serious and dangerous delay tnat
mas yet occurred is due to the effects
OF the miserable blunder of the Russo
Yanko compact. What is probably in
course of incubation is a scheme Of n
dependent negotiation, to be immediate
y followed by general scuttlinS. L
lnay be lcs,l vents will preclude such
thing bur there is no doubt that it i
much favored in principle by the ANA
tour diplomatists OF the Cabinet. They
are able to ignore considerations Ct TIA
future Of our citizens and trade in China
and of national dignity and respect Tor
The cause of civilization and humanity.
ano TO confne their attention strictly
10 what may be the campaign effect Of
this that course.
Griggs, for example, is in close touch
with the trusts. He can tell the President
what the Russian loan syndicate and the
Russian railway contractors want done
in China; also the policy which
would accord with the wishes of
the Standard Oil Trust. the Flour
Trust and the Cotton Manufactur-
ers' Association. Smith knows the views
OF The country postmasters. and Wilson
has clear ideas as to how the potato crop
might be affected by the evacuation
OF Pekin. Against such advisers, with the
political views and motives that may be
presumed to govern them, the trained di-
plomacy of DR.. Hill would appear TO have
little chance of winning.
The diplomatic conditions, which were
confused enough yesterday, are not
straightened out to any considerable ex-
tent today by a sudden revival of the
peace e-coincident-w withwar paradox inChi-
ma. The allies have 6OmbaTded. assaulted,
and carried the Peitang forts, encounter
ing fierce resistance from the Chinese
forces holding them An American and
British column has gone west from Pekin
to attack and capture the Chinese arse
nal at San Hal Tien. Yet the Administra-
tion still sticks to its old fiction that there
is not and never has been "a state of war
IN China.
That fiction, by the way. should furnish
Germany with the reason why Mr.. McKin-
ley would never agree to assume the re-
sponsibility of the Empress Dowager and
Prince Tuan for the war and it's attend
ant atrocities, in advance of peace nego-
Iiations. He and his advisers have full
viduaIs named are fully responsible, and
that they ordered the attack upon the le-
cations, and the torture and butchery OF
the American missionary women and their
children, as the responsible Government of
China. But to admit that knowledge
would be TO also admit the unconstitu-
tionaIity of the executive war, waged by
the President without the authority OF
Congress.
With this point in view the Berlin Cabi-
net need not be as much surprised at the
rejection of its proposal as. otherwise, it
might be. Every development which tends
10 show that the Chinese Government de-
liberately engaged in war against the pow
ers represented al Pekin casts a new and
black shadow of ilIegality over the pro-
ceedings os the Administration, and this.
We take it. is the rock-bottom foundation
for The cut and scuttle policy