The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-06
TO UNITE ON A DEMAND.
Foreign Ministers May Use French
Propoxnl. ms q Basis.

PEKIN, Nov, 4-(via Taku, Nov. 4, and
Shanghai. Nov. 59.-The Ministers will hold
another meeting on November II. During
the interval since their last meeting they
have had many informal talks cont ,rning
| the French propositions. Unless something
unforeseen happens an agreement on the
main demands will be reached very soon,
possibly within week. and the Ministers
will then be ready to present their united
demands, which will probably include most
of the French propositions.
These demands, coming from the united
powers, will have the effect of an ulti-
| ma;um but whether lime will be set in
which the Chinese must comply, or whether
| it will contain a threat in the event Of nom
compliance remains to be seen. Those
| who know the Chinese say il the demands
without time limit for a compliance are
sent to the throne. which is still surround
ed by powerful anti-foreigners, there will
be dilly-dallying and attempts to evade
| meeting the issue squarely until threat
| is made.
On the other hand, the pro-foreign Chi
| nese say the condition of the Empire Is
such that the throne is anxious to secure
! peace quickly as possible. The court
knows the unrest prevailing and after the
recent coup d'etat Of the Dowager Empress,
| which was due to the fact that she feared
| the progressives would secure control of
the Government through the Emperor, she
\ summarily beheaded six reformers to pre-
vent them from making confessions impli-
eating others and thus exposing the wide
extent Of the reform L, .ement.
She is, it is said, as anxious now as
then to check the progressives and to
| strengthen her own power. which cannot
be done until peace is rc-established with
| the powers. The revolt in the neighbor-
hood of Canton and the disturbances N
other parts of the Empire are connected
with the reform movement
A correspondent has received from Chi
nese sources an interesting statement
which. however. as yet. lacks confirmation.
to the effect that Mohammedan rising
is threatened near Singan-fu, which men,
aces the throne. II this statement IS
true the movement promises to further
co:uplicate the situation. Gen. Tung-:u
| Hsiang, who is in command of the troops
surrounding the throne. is in absolute
control. He was originally Mohammc-
dan, and he headed rebellion against the
! Government. He was winning. when ne
was bought off with the command If a
Chinese army. He probably knows that
the powers are demanding his head FOR
| the part he took in the Pekin troubles,
and it may be that he is stirring up revolt,
| though after he was bribed he fought
the Mohammedans fiercely. 1t is known
that he was the chief official to advise the
flight of the court TO Singan-fu, which is
in his native province, and where, Under
his control. the court replied 10 the
united demand of the powers for in
| demnity for the massacre of native Chris
tians by declaring that it was impossible.
France is said to be the only country
that il pressing for the payment Of such
an indemnity. England is opposed TO it.
Russia and Japan display no interest in
the question, ard the United States is
| almost non comm.ttal.
The demands that will be presented TO
| the Chinese shortly will not include the
amount of the indemnities nor guarantees
for the opening of the country, commercial
treaties, etc. These will come after the
| Chinese agree TO the principles of the pres
| ent demands. Possibly later there will be
2 unifcation of the other demands. Il is
also possible that the individual demands
will be pressed later. as will also be the
demands for treaties.
Ii Hung Chang has received protests
from the officials of towns between Pao-
| tng-fu and Pekin against the conduct OF
! the troops who took part in the expedition
to the former city These officials declare
that the villages were looted and burned,
| the people killed. and the country terror
! lied They add that if such actions are not
| stopped the country will be depopulated for
a distance of seventy Ii on each side Of the
routes of the columns.
Ii Hung Chang forwarded the protests
| to the Ministers today, together with a
statement that such conduct not war
| ranted ty the rules of war or by martial
law where no opposition was offered to the
troops. He prayed the Ministers to check
the troops.