The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-11
The Chief Command in China.

AS far as we are able to discern there
can be no objection on the part Of this
| country to the appointment of Field Mar
shall Won Waldersee to the chief command
of the allied forces operating against Pc
kin, that would not apply equally TO any
other foreign officer. Our Government is en-
tireiy right in reserving its consent to the
plan until the relations of the proposed
international general-in-chief to the Amer
lean officers and troops have been dis
tinctly defined. If the powers to be con-
ferred upon Marshal Won Waldersee are as
plenarE as the "Frankfurter General An
zeiger" claims, then it is eminenJly neces-
sary for the United States to act with eau
ton, lest adherence to the arrangement
proposed might commit or appear to COM
init US to a policy and programme which,
beyond the rescue of the foreigners in Pc
kin. and The temporary occupation of that
ca ital pending negotiations for indemnity.
might be obnoxious to the principles and
purposes of this country. Considered per-
scnally. Count Won Waldersee is persona
grata. If political and professional envy
officer of the highest rank to take service
in China. there is no chance that the baton
of command could come our way. At the
outset it is probable that the powers would
have agreed upon an American more easily
than upon general Of another nationality.
Such solution was rendered impossible
by the action OF the Administration. AS
matters stand. there is reason for satisfac-
ton that our soldiers are to serve under
so distinguished captain as the successor
of the great Won Moltke.
But it will take him sixty days to reach
the scene of his labors. In the meantime
while the six general officers of various
nationalities who are on the ground ap-
pear to be getting on well together, there
is serious danger that the lack of COM
mon head may lead to delay, cross-p'ar
poses, and possibly disaster after the re-
endorsements arrive, and an international
army of fifty thousand men is ready to
force its way to Pekin. IN conserving to
the appointment of Won Waldersee 1t
seems to US that this Government would
do well to represent to the powers the de-
STABILITY of comforting the chief command
temporarily upon some one of the generals
now at Tientsin or Yangtsun. The difficulty
probably is that should the senior officer
present be selected the choice would fall
either on the commander of the Russian
or the japanese contingent.
In either case the result would be en-
Larrassing for political reasons. But ali
parties concerned ought to be willing to
make concessions for the purpose of pre-
noting the success of the initial effort TO
succor the legations. They are stlll in
deadly peril. and today we have fresh evil
dence of treachery on the part Of the I'm
perial Government toward them. The eff
forts of the Tsung H. Yamen to make the
ministers believe that the powers wished
the Chinese authorities to escort them to
Tientsin is proof that the Empress Dow
ager and the Prince of Tuan are still, or
a few days ago were, bent upon a massacre
of the diplomatists and other foreigners.
Time is vastly important. and so is homo
geneity of action. and that can hardly be
predicated of a,'six-headed military expe-
dition.