New-York tribune., 1900-08-25
FUTURE ACTION IN CHINA.
UNITED STATES PROPOSAL FOR INTER
NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
rpr TELEGRAPH TO THE rnIpusrl

ing OF the Cabinet which was long one. The
President and his advisers were supposed to be
engrossed with the consideration OF two mat
ters:
Ffrst-The next step to be taken by the
Powers In China, and whether II will be such
as to enlist the cooperation OF the United
States.
second-The report that the Russian COM
mander In PelSing had declined to be controlled
by the desire of the other commanders to halt
at the gates of the Imperial Palace until they
could communicate with their respective gov
ernments and receive further instructions and
had given as reason that his Government
had declared war against China
The policy defined by the United States in
the note to the Powers on July was assented to
by all the other Powers interested and has
down to this time been carried out in good faith
by all Of them so far as known; but with the
capture and military occupation OF Peking. and
the prospect that order will be speedily restored
and protection to American citizens and their
treaty rights in China will be insured a new
stage of the proceedings is reached. The fourth
proposition laid down In Secretary Hays note
now becomes the important one. That indicated
the purpose of this Government to act concur
rently with the other Powers "in aiding to pre-
vent a spread OF the disorders to the other
provinces OF the empire and a recurrence OF
such disasters"
1T is, or course, too early, wrote Mr.. Hay
"to forecast the means OF attaining this last
result" He then goes to define the policy
of the United States. which is Ito seek solu-
tion which may bring about permanent safety
and peace to China. preserve Chinese territorial
and administrative entity protect ali rights
guaranteed to friendly Powers by treaty and In
ter1ational law and safeguard for the world the
principle Of equal and impartial trade with all
parts OF the Chinese Empire"
PLAN FOR CONFERENCE OF POWERS.
In pursuance of this declared policy President
MeKinley's reply of July 23 to the appeal of
the Chinese Emperor was written, and in con-
formity with 1t have been all the subsequent
official communications to Ii Hung Chang.
Now n further step is to be taken the nature
OF which, as Secretary Hay indicated in his note
of July 8, 1t was then too early to forecast"
There is reason to believe that this Government
has decided to propose an international confer
cree, or to try by means of an interchange Of
diplomatic notes to provide what the step shall
be. If 1t is to be a concurrent one. There is also
reason to believe that a result OF the Cabinet
conference and of a later one which lasted until
an early hour this evening. at which the secre-
tary of War and the Acting Secretary OF State
were present, notes have been sent tonight to
the other Powers concerned. through the dtplo-
matte representatives OF the United States at
London Paris Berlin. Rome. st. Petersburg and
Toxic, offering and inviting suggestion as basis
for action
The other question supposed to have been
discussed by the Cabinet was the report, pub
lished in press dispatches to-day, respecting
the attitude and assertion Of the Russian COM
mander in Peking. 1t can be said at the outset
that the United States has not down 10 this
time been officially advised of the existence of
a declared state 6f war between Russia and
China, bat whether the statements contained in
the press dispatches have been officially COM
municated by Minister Conger or Major General
Chaffee it has been impossible to learn. The
press dispato hes eferred to were dated at Pc
king August IL. Of the same date was General
Chaffees dispatch portion OF which was sup
pressed by the War Department. That portion
might or might not have conveyed the same in
formation as that which published to-day.
If it did, it was in the possession of the Ad-
ministration as long ago last Wednesday,
A dispatch received from Minister Conger on
the same day did not mention the matter, al
though 1t gave some details of the means en-
ployed to preserve order in Peking, which in
dicated that the Russians were then co-operat-
ing with the other international forces for that
purpose.
ATTITUDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
a state of war to exist with China a new ques-
zion will at once arise, which is, the extent to
which she can profit by that declaration by
taking advantage of existing conditions at
Peking which were produced by the joint ac-
ton of the United States. Great Britain, Ger
many. France, Italy and Japan we'll OF
herself None of these Powers sent their troops
to Peking against armed forces OF Chinese as
an ally OF Russia, but to attain common OBJ
Ieo all
blood of Liscum and Reilly and their brave
comrades was spilled in order that the Ameri-
can Minister and his family and other Ameri-
can citizens in Peking might be saved from
impending death by violence, and that Ameri-
can citizens might be protected in their treaty
rights, and not for any other purpose
In this relation ii is proper to say on the best
authority that If Russia has declared war and
now proposes to begin campaign from the
vantage ground won by international efforts, she
viii be met on the Threshold of it with visor-
GUS protest from the United States but 1t is GER
tainly not known, nor does 1t appear to be be-
lieved, in official circles. either that Russia has
declared war that her purposes are inimical
to the policy set forth in the note of July g. to
which she gave her formal assent
OF course, the Administration has not been
unmindful of or blind to the immense scale of
the military preparations of Russia France and
Germany, which has seemed to all military OBJ
servers as absurdly out OF proportion to the os-
tensible objects of the preparations AS the lit
tie military excursion to Pekng has convincingly
demonstrated, China is no better prepared
for war than she was in 1894. and would be
unable to put an army in The field to-day that
could stand against force of twenty five thou
sand of the disciplined, well armed troops of
Japan the United States or any Of the nations
of Europe. China is on her knees to-day sup