The evening times., 1900-07-12
circulation Statement.
The Chinese situation.

The Chinese Situation.
The "edict' which the Chinese Minister
at Washington presented to the State De-
partment yesterday is not the comforting
document that he intended 1t to be, or shat
it has been too hastily accepted as
by uDcritical people. Mr. WI asserts that
1t emanated from the Council of State
the Tsung-li-Yamen. in other words II
now develops that but for important and
significant omissions. it is identical in text
with a note OF Identical date addressed BY
Prince Tuan to the Chinese diplomatic rep
resentatives at the various foreign capt
tails. Il is also Identical, barring the same
omissions. with the edict Of like date. re-
ceived by the Viceroy OF Nanking. ana
which that functionsry declared bore the
signature of the Emperor Kwarg-Su-
Prince Tuan's note. in referring to the
innaming effect Of the bombardment OF the
Taku forts by the international feet upon
the passions OF the Pekinese, says: The
anger OF our people knew no bounds. They
could not be restrained. The task of
guarf;"s the legations, which before was
difficult. was Ida impossible" II Ian
guage means anything. that which We have
quoted means that the foreigners had been
abandoned to their fate. and probably when
the edict was prepared had already been
massacred. The catastrophe occurred. ac-
cording to persistent native reports. on
June 80 or July l. II is more than likely
that the edict was not promulgated On
June %. but after all was over. and was
antedated in order to cover the tracks OF
Tuan and his accomplices. In another par
agraph he makes plain his intention to
excuse the massacre on the ground that
it was perpetrated by az uncomfortable
mob and that the authorities weres power
less to prevent it, although they had wish
ed and tried to do so:
III it is impossib.e for us TO continue TIM, pro-
tecticn, let IL be represented 10 the powers that
must be held blamclees. for the anger II our
people grows with the rising Cf each sun that sees
more and Vet more foreigners and soldieTs corr
irg 90 overrun and ,sy waste cur country auG slJy
our people"
1t Will be seen that. whea the statements
which appear in the TGan version Of the
edict. and not in that handed to our Gov
ernment by Mr.. WI. are added TO the lat
ter. it offers fresh ground for the belief
that the worst that could happen has hap
peDed. We are compelled to fall back upon
the probability that Tuan. the chief of the
Boxers. who has congratulated them on
CHER triumphs over the foreign devils"
ond ordered them to exterminate every
enc in the Empire. has been in supreme
control in Pekin since June 20. at least
Whether he is so now or not may be an
open question. though. as he is the embodi-
ment OF the anti-foreign sentiment in Chi
ma which is completely dominant, il is
hard 10 find any sufficient reason for as
suming that he has been deposed Stories
which assert that Prince Ching has restor-
ed the Empress Dowager to power. and is
protecting the legations. may possibly have
some basis In truth. but they do not har-
monte with obvious facts. For example.
it is reported that Ching is using the reg
ulRr army, most Of which = LOYAL" in an
effort to suppress the Boxer Tuan. and TO
protect the foreigners. But the regular
Chinese Army Is bonbardinS the foreign
quarter Of Tientsin in corporation with
the Boxers, and fresh men and guns are
arriving continually from Pekin to re-en-
complete enough to dispose of any story or
theory that whoever may be in control in
Pekin is not utilizing both regulars and
Boxers in the war which China is waging
agsipSt the civilized world.
The plain effort of Prince Tuan to bu ID
up a case which he thinks Nigh: excuse
himself and his associates. including or not
the Empress Dowager, as the case may he.
for the butchery of the ministers and other
foreigners, is conclusive evidence that he
realizes the necessity for defence of some
kind, which ne would not need II the le-
cations and their inmates were still under
protection. Civilized officers in China and
European cabinets are convinced today that
Tuan recognizes the impracticability OF
keeping the truth from the world much
longer. and is preparing warily to let it
out In the way most favorable to himself
The imperative order TO Ii Hung Chang
TO proceed Immediately to Pekin is inter
preted to mean that Ii is to break the
news OF the massacre to the powers and
to attempt to convince them that it was
entirely the work OF a mob which the Gov
ernment tried to disperse, but could not,
owing to the fury Of the Chinese pope
over the affair at Taku.
II this idea is correct. we may be abe
to learn of what has happened in she Chi
nese capital since July "a within two wee,
perhaps. Or it may be. that Tuan or the
Empress Dowsger may think it advisable
to release some definite information
through Shanghai or Chefoo earlier. As
far as We can judge. there Is not In the
whole situation the smallest foundation sor
hope that any of the foreigners who were
in Pekin are alive today.