Evening star., 1900-07-17
AN EXTRA SESSION
Military Authorities Believe Congress
Will Have to Be Summoned.
NOT ENOUGH TROOPS TO SEND
Long Conference Between Presi-
dent and Cabinet Expected.
THE SITUATION IN CHINA

II Is beheNed in military circles that
sooner or later there viii have to be an ex-
ira session of Congress. The President
has authority. but lacks the resources 10
deal with the Chinese situation. There are
not the available troops The Information
TINS morning that the forts and the native
city OF Tien Tsin have been captured bv the
allied forces discloses but a terr,porar,- I'M
rroVement of the situation unless addI-
tonal forces can be put into China speadilv
Ii Is regarded as but trihing with the situ-
atlon 10 talk about 10000 traons heinp
enough to take care Of our interests in Chit
ma. This number Of troaps is merely sup-
gested by the limitations Of our present re-
sources not by the needs of the case Tho
fact is that just at present We have no in
'erests IN China TO be protected" the need
OF troops is To compel reparation and main
tam the dignity of the nation This ulaces
US IN an aggressive. not a defensive. ant
tude' and such an attitude cannot be sus-
tdheu without considerable force Ii is
tully realized if not acknowledged rhat The
IuiLheSS OF the reDaration we may expect
VIII depend upon the extent Of the force
displayed by this government From u ,,u
ttarE point OF view the choice is simply be-
tween Withdrawal and very substantial
increase of our army in China and of
course, withdrawal is not to be thought Of
Long Cabinet Session Expected.
Inc President arriving from Canton to-
day, 1t Is expected that the cabinet will ha
In session during the entire afternoon and
perhaps in the evening. The Pres,deuf and
his advisers are reluctant to call Congress
together, and 1t is probable that a decision
10 40 so Will not be reached To-day The
policy will be to postpone as long as nossi
Die IN hope that the necessity will nass
away. III the allied forces can get in a
position TO maintain themselves The oues-
uon of final reckoning with China nv
De considered more deliberately: but mill
tary authorities do not feel that reliance
can be placed upon the small force baine-
aDle TO maintain itself. and reports indi.
cate that the uprising is spreading So that
SIe sItudton may be greatly aggravated by
Ie.dS' Inc suggestion that we already
nave our quota Of troops in China COM
pared with the representation of Other na
tlohs, which have greater interests in China
ignores, u Is said, the fact that the 0lles.
uoh involved is not commercial but is on~
or national dignity and demand for rs,a,ae
ion' IN which our interest IS as .Teat az
,,aaaI- .Iiat OF any other nation on earth. To
maintain this paramount interes, m. T-,;.a1
states must rely upon its own power rnara-
~ cooperating with the other n1fjan,
"nich are confronted with a similar d1I,v
AS the situation exists today we have
NOT the troops necessary for the service
ana there are no means of securing an ado
Iudtc ioTce without action by Congress
On high military authority II is said ,ba+
there are but two ways of providing an
adequate force to meet our needs I'm China
one Is TO Withdraw practically all the army
i%ron % the philippines and transfer it 10
Emma, leaving the work in the Philinui,es
an 10 be done over again at another time
The other is to call Congress together ana
through legislation procure authority TO
raise the troops needed.
Not Necessary to Declare War.
II will not be necessary for Congress 10
declare war in order to make the necessary
provisions, and unless there is a change in
the situation it will not be the policy Of
ipO m
Such a declaration would become necessary
only in the event Of the Chinese govern
ment failing in the reparation which will
be demanded. But in the absence of a suf-
hcient force in China 1t is believed that
this government will not only lose prestige.
but that the situation will grow worse and
the forces We have there may be sacrificed
Therefore, whatever the determination at
the cabinet meeting today may be. ii T. be-
neved that an extra session of Congress
will eventually become necessary Mr..
Cannon's statement that the department
mas adequate authority and resources now
is said to be based on a Instrumentation Of the
situation as far as the department is'con-
cerned.
Plenty Of Money Available.
Department officials say that there is
plenty of money in the Golfers of the gov
ernment to carry on such military opera
tions in China as may be necessary. To be-
gin with. each department of the military
and naval establishments WAS provided lih-
orally with funds by the last Congress The
quartermaSter'S department of the army
was given a generous sum for the trans
port service; the cCmmssary and ordnance
departments were also taken care of in the
same spirit, that there is no lack of the
sinews of war anywhere along the line.
1t is pointed out that very little additional
cost would be entailed by using the troops
in China. over the amounts estimated for
duty In the Philippines. The transport
charges would be comparatively the same,
and the army will have 10 he fed. clothed
and armed whether it is in China or else
where.
Moreover there is a balance of about
S2,25o,Vn of an emergency fund in the
treasury, which is directly under the con-
troll of the President and can be used by
him for such purposes as he may specify.
This is balance of the Spanish fund au-
thorlZed as a result Of conditions growing
out of the Spanish war, and was designed
TO meet Unforeseen conditions arising in the
Philippines or Cuba. 1t is said that the un-
usual expenses which might attach to a
Chinese campaign could be met out of this
fund.
Retirement of Col. WilIisfon