The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-17

arriving at Iung Chow with their forces
| to stop their further advance to the capr
itol, so as not to ca use alarm and fear
TO Their Majesties and calamities to the
people. For such advance would shake
| the foundations of the Ia Ching Empire
and wound the feelings of all her people,
| high and low For a compliance of this
| appeal, the millions of the Empire will
| be profoundly grateful to the powers.
Please communicate this cablegram at
once to the Secretary of State"
The following memorandum in reply
was handed to Mr.. WI this afternoon.
| "Foreseeing that there would be in
| sufficient time after receiving a reply to
our memorandum CT August 18th to get
| instructions to the relief column before
| it had reached PelIin, we sent on the
| same day to the general commanding the
American forces in China the following
| dispatch:
'Adjutant Generals Office, Washing
ton, August 18th:
| Fowler, Che Foo; for Chaffee, August
| 18th: Secretary of War directs me to in
| forme you that Ii Hung Chang, appointed
! by Chinese Government to negotiate with
powers, requests cessation of hostilities.
| We have replied that we are ready to en-
| ter into an agreement between powers
| and Chinese Government for cessation of
| hoStilities on condition that sufficient
| body of the forces composing the relief
| expedition shall be permitted to enter
| Pekin unmolested and to escort foreign
| Ministers and residents back to Tien Tsin,
| the movement being provided for and Sc
cured by such arrangements and dspo-
stionS of troops as shall be considered
| satisfactory by generals commanding the
| forces composing relief expedition. We
| have communicated this to all the pow
| ers. Japanese Government takes same
| position. We have not heard from other
powers.
(Signed) "'CORBIN.' 4
"And two day ago. in view of the rapid
progress of the relief expedition, we sent
the following:
'Adjutant Generals office, Washington,
August 14th;
Fowler, Che Foo. For Chaffee, Au-
| gust IA: In anticipation of acceptance
| by Chinese Government CT condition in
I our reply to them cabled you August
| 18th. If Chinese authorities commun-
cate willingness to deliver Ministers and
persons under their protection to relief
which you consider safe, you are author
lied to make and carry out arrangement
in concert with other commanders, with
cut referring it here. From informal
communications with representatives Of
other Governments here we believe all
to take substantially same position.
Question whether you shall insist upon
entering Pekin and going to Legations
mil dol 10 nf
Tartar City, or at outer wall, taking
risk of Ministers passing through city
with only Chinese escort, you and the
others generals must determine.
by order Secretary of War.
(signed) "'CORBIN.
Eve are advised by Mr.. Conger that
the attacks by Imperial troops upon the
Legations in Pekin have not ceased.
While these attacks continue we cannot
stop the tdvance of our forces toward
Pekin. If such attacks cease, the above
quoted instructions will be allowed to
stand, and they would seem to provide
for all the action required under the cir
cumst tances stated by Earl Ii in his dis
patch.
(Signed) "ALVEY A. ADEE.
"Acting Secretary Of State.
} Department of State, Washington, d.
c., August 16."
At the same time the authorities gave
out the latest dispatch from Minister
Conger, received today through the Chi
nese Minister. Mr.. Wu.
| The appeal of China and the prompt
| response of the American Government
| were the subject of supreme interest
| brought out today. The coming at
| moment when the allied armies were in
the shadow of the great walls of Pekin,
| the circumstances in which the correspon
| dence occurred were of peculiarly mo-
| mentous character. The President had
| just returned from brief respite at
! Canton, and going to the White House,
| found his advisers ready to present to
him the issue now advanced in China.
| The appeal from Ii Hung Chang came
| first to the Chinese Minister, who early
in the day conveyed it to the Department
of State. Although it was not the reg
| ular day for a meeting Of the Cabinet,
word was conveyed to those Cabinet Off
GERS in the city that special Cabinet
session would be held at II o'clock. Sec
retary Root who has been a guiding
| factor in the Chinese negotiations, was
1
| opened, presenting the Chinese commu-
| nications and the dispatches of instruc-
tions already sent to General Chaffee
| With the President at the Cabinet table
were Secretaries Root, Gage, Wilson and
| Postmaster General Smith. The conclu-
| sion reached can be stated best by ref
| erence to the succinct response of the
| United States Government set forh in
| the official announcement.
After the Cabinet meeting the American
| reply was sent to the Chinese Minister
who, later IN the day, cabled it to Ii
Hung Chang.
Thus the issue was framed, finally
| and unalterably. The United States de-
clined to even consider the proposition
of Lii Hung Chang for halt and an ar
mistice at Tung Chow. Even the su-
preme appeal of the venerable Chinese
! statesman that the Chinese Empire would
be shaken by an advance of the allies
| beyond Tung Chow was not needed. The
answer of the United States is that our
position is the same now as it has been
from the outset, namely, that the Minis
ters must be delivered at the walls of
Pekin and in such circums tances as will
| meet the Judgment nf the military COM