The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-09
SHARP NOTE.
RELATIONS BETWEEN wAsHINoToN
AND PEKIN STRAINED.
LIS OvERTURES REJECTED

LIS OVERTURES REJECTED
Terms laid Down by Secretary Hay PAR
take of the Nature ofa UItimatum, aud
IL Not Promptly Accented Diplomatic
Intercourse VIII Cease Reported Adj
vance from TIentsin, Not Credited Here.
Washington CSpeciaD The state
Department has made public some i'm
portant correspondence between Iii
Hung Chang and the department re-
garding the suggested abandonment
of the campaign against Pekin. II is
in the form of a cablegram from Sec
retary Hay sent to the United States
Embassies in Berlir, London, Paris,
Rome and st. Petersburg and to the
United States Minister at Toxic. as fol-
lows:
I'm replying to a suggestion of III
Hung Chang that the Ministers might
be sent under safe escort to Tientsin,
provided the powers would engage not
to march on Pekin, the Secretary of
State replied on the 3Oth of July as
follows:
This Government will not enter
into any arrangement regarding dis
position or treatment of legations.
without first having free communica-
tion with Minister Conger. RESPONSE
bility for their protection rests upon
Chinese Government. Power to de-
liver at Tientsin presupposes power to
protect and to open communication.
This is insisted on.
This message was delivered by Con-
sui Goodnow July 81 to Viceroy Ii, who
then inquired whether, If free COM
munication were established between
the Ministers and their Governments,
it could be arranged that the powers
should not advance on Pekin pending
negotiations To this inquiry the fol-
lowing reply was sent August / ad-
dressed to Consul Goodnow, at Shang-
hai
81 do not think it expedient to sub
NIT the proposition of Earl Ii to other
powers. Free communication with our
representatives in Pelin is demanded
as a matter of absolute right and not
as favor. Since the Chinese Govern
ment admits that it possesses the pow
er to give communication, it puts itself
in an unfriendly attitude by denying it.
No negotiations seem advisable until
the Chinese Government shall have
put the diplomatic representatives OF
the powers in full and free communi-
cation with their respective Govern
ments and remove all danger to their
lives and liberty. We would urge Earl
Iii earnestly to advise the imperial
authorities of China to place them
selves in friendly communication and
cooperation with the relief eXpedi-
ton. They are assuming a heavy re-
sponsibility in acting otherwise.
HAY.
You will communicate this infor-
nation to~the Minister of Foreign At
fairs"
Secretary Hays last reply to Ii has
closed the negotiations with China un-
less the old Viceroy is able to secure
the full acceptance of the terms rela-
tive to the foreign Ministers, and that
at once. No orders, therefore, look
ing to a relaxation of the preparations
for the advance on Pekin have gone
out from Washington, for, as the situa-
tion Is described by one of the leading
officials here there will be no bar
gaining on our part in advance of the
| concession by the Chinese authorities
of full and free communication with
the foreign Ministers"
There is a note ominously close ia
actual war in Secretary Hays declara-
tion that the conduct of the Chinese
Government is "unfriendly." That
| kind of language is extreme in diplo-
macy, and 1t is only a narrow step
between it and formal war.
The impression prevails here that
the Chinese Government, if it is not
absolutely bereft of power to act in de-
| fiance of the Boxers, will accept Sec
retary Hays terms, and some such ac.
| tion is locked for soon. Possibly q
bottle-not more, K is believed, than
one at most-will be required to bring
the Pekin Government to the point OF
acceptance, though in that case it is
questionable whether the original con
ditions would be regarded as still oper
to acceptance.
If the Chinese Government now ac.
cepts, however, the United States viii
be face to face with one of the mos
delicate and momentous diplomatic
| tasks ever undertaken. 1t must at.
tempt to redeem its promise to use it.
| good offices in favor of China and il
| the present temper of some of the Eu
ropean powers great difficulties may bt
expected to arise in the prosecution O
the attempt.