The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-18

A long instruction was sent 10 Minister
Clagar Yesterday informing him fully as
90 his ,oursc. lie already had been auth
,y.zeG 90 Egu the agreement. and IL is
stated taat this fresh instruction will so
clear the way 81 obstacles at Pekin as
a. make lt probable that ali of the sigma
tgrfg Ol the Ministers can be affixed at
once. This statement even includes the
Erfsh Minister, Sir Edward Satow, who
las been the last 10 come forward.
such reports as the State Department
ias bad from Mr. Conger up TO the pres
ert faIl % develop a satisfactory reason
90. The insistaute OF the British govern
n,nt upon amending the Pekin agree
usut on the one hand or for the hesita-
Ton Of the foreign Ministers in acceding
10 the amendment ON the other A close
r.lsal Of ;hc British suggestion still
fails t0 show that 1t is in any sense
r.f-ral As already stated. IL appears
o. lbs la~e 70 De nothing more than the
elimination Of an explanatory phrase,
which lu DO degree affects the action pro-
fo-ed !u the section Of the agreement 10
which the amendment applies; thus the
action is left 20 stand by itself without =
statement of reason which would not
even qualify or limit the action, which In
this ease relates TO the punishment or
the Boxer leaders Consequently, II Is
believed there that this disagreement will
be- merely temporary. and the most seri-
Gus consequence that can ensue Is an
annoying delay at a moment when the
worst phase OF the negotiations seems 10
have safely passed.
Two Points Raised by Satow.
London. Dec. 18-"Great Britain has in
guuctcd Sir Ernest Satow, understand" +"
saws The Pekin correspondent of the Daily
Mau. wiring Sunday. ito urge the reten-
ton In the joint note OF the word ire
vocabe, and the inclusion In preamble %
the declaration Of that until the Chinese
government mas fulfilled the demands of
the powers, Pckin and the province of
Chilli will not he evacuated by the allied
troops
1t is rumored that Germany is warmly
supporting the British proposal. and l be-
iieve a majority of the powers. and posi-
b.y all Of them. will eventually accept the
proposal, which is hailed here with de-
light"
a press dispatch from Pekin says:
with the exception of one. all the for
eign ENJOYS believe that the governments
viii agree upon the text of the prelimi-
nary joint note. England is disputing e
point with Japan. and it is now doubtful
whether the meeting that had been fixed
for tomorrow will take place"
A dispatch received at Berlin from
Pekin, dated December lG, says Ii Hung
Chang is suffering from influenza. The
dispatch also denies that the Dowager
Impress is going TO Cheng-Tu, province
OF SZe-chuen.
Cha Looking for Boxers.
Pekin. Dec. 17.-Gen. Chatfee, desiring a
thorough investigation OF the reports from
Ho-si-wu as to Boxer activity In that dis
trict, has sent a troop OF the Sixth United
States Cavalry and fifty members of Com
pany F. of the Ninth Infantry. there. with
instructions 10 explore the neighboThood
thoroughly, and 10 render all assistance
necessary to quell any disturbance caused
ty Boxers or bandits.
Neither Gen. Chaffee nor Sir Alfred
Gaselee. the British commander. believes
that there is a large body of Boxers any
where near under arms. although some
reports represent the Germans as seeing
Boxers every day.
a meeting was held to-day OF the pro-
yisiOndl government including five promi-
lent Chinese, whose assistance is desired.
The Russians have purchased 500 900
worth OF rice. which is being given to
destitute Chinese. Gen. Chaffee, the
American commander, is also having a
large amount of rice issued, and the other
gaIg.S are displaying liberality.
NJ. De Giers, the Russian envoy, says
t1-t Russia is making no exception IN
favor of Christians. because the latter
have the least needs.
While a number of German officers were
dining, they narrowly escaped death by
asphyNlation in the fumes from a Chinese
stove. -Four out OF seven were partly in
sensible for more than half an hour. For
tguaJely all recovered. The stoves in this
country are a constant source Of danger.
The railway from Pekin TO Taku is now
completed. To make the trip OF eighty
miles generally takes twenty hours.
The French are issuing an invitation 10
au excursion by train 10 Paoting Flu jan
uary Is.
s.0OI from China TO be seized.
Paris, Dec. 1I.-By order OF the govern
ment. a number Of cases filled with Chi
nese loot, sent 10 President Loubct and
others by Gen. Frey, commander Of the
French marine force in China, will be en-
hargoed al Marseilles when they are un-
shipped.
This action OF the government OF France
IS evidently a. outcome OF the protest OF
Gen. Chance against looting. which called
attention 10 the fact tnat the military
forces were despoiling China OF works OF
arJ The government here has come to
the conclusion that the articles in the
eases cannot be considered prizes OF war
ana that. therefore they DO not belong tC
lie soldiers who seized them.
PRINCE TUAN's PRISONER.