St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-31
RECENT AMERICAN DIPLOMACY
IN CHINA.
Statement of Hon. George Id. FaeikIe-
john, Assistant Secretart of The War
Department.


"The Boxer Instruction in China, ami
mated by fanatical hatred of foreign
ideas, methods and purposes, and result
ing in unexampled outrages upon the life
and property of foreigners, has created
one of the most difficult problems in dip
lomatic history. The Emperor of China
personally DESTROYS of reforming and
undermining the ancient institutions OF
his country and of adapting them to the
conditions of modern life, has been sur
rounded by a conservative, reactionary
and anti-toreign element which has rem
dered his position not only difficult, but
precariOus. The Boxer movement, rising
ostensibly from the great masses of the
Chinese population, has undoubtedly
been aided and abetted by powerful per-
sons in high places, some OF them infuen-
tial in the Utmost circles of the Chinese
Imperial court.
To have held the Chinese government
to strict and immediate account for it's
non-suppression of the Boxer movement
would undoubtedly have precipitated a
general war between the foreign powers
whose interests were imperiled in China
and the feeble government which has
been unable to suppress the instruction.
Such a war would have led inevitably to
the conquest of China by a number of
foreign powers, result fatal to the
policy of the Open Door oil trade and
commerce, for it would have subdivided
the Chinese Empire not only into spheres
of foreign influence, but of actual occupa-
ton and possession, each encompassed
by barrier of discrimination or exclu-
sion erected against the importation
Of American products. The spirit and
traditions Of the American Republic
would not permit it's participation in
such an act of ACKNOWLEDGMENT, but with
out a partnership in Determining the
destiny of the Empire it is difficult to
perceive how our treaty rights with
China could have been protected.
In dealing with this delicate and COM
plicated situation the United States took
the lead in trying to preserve the existing
central government of China, and thus
open the way for the maintenance of the
integrity of the Empire.
Scrupuously avoiding all unnecessary
aggression upon Chinese territory, the
Government OF the United States has re-
trained from needless attacks upon the
forts and possessions of the Empire,
while at the same time it has been active
and energetic in stimulating the rescue of
the besieged legations and in effecting the
escape and procuring the safety of Amer
lean citizens upon Chinese territory,
sending contingent of troops no larger
than was needed to perform these duties.
Consistently following out his theory
OF the situation when all the world
united in believing the legations destroy.
ed and their occupants massacred. Sec
rotary Hay accepted the solemn assur-
ances, conveyed through official chan
nes, that the diplomats were still alive,
and thus rendered possible their final re-
lief and rescue. In the midst of adverse
and conflicting purposes our govern
ment has steadily held to the necessity Of
rehabilitating the Imperial authority,
thus restoring to China a central con-
troll ofthe provinces and bringing into
relations with the foreign powers a re.
sponsible government with which nego.
tlatlons might be conducted and by
which reparation might be made. When
it was proposed to humiliate China by
an unprecedented demand for the sur
render OF persons for punishment with
out trial and upon mere designation by
the foreign powers,-a demand which
would have awakened hostility and pre-
vented the return of the Imperial Govern
ment to Pekin,-President Mckinley saw
and indicated a better way. Inviting
the return of the Emperor and his court
to the seat OF government, be pointed
out that the punishment of those re-
sponsible for the outrages committed
was a proper function Of the Chinese
Government itself, whose authority and
very existence were threatened by a de-
mand impossible Of execution without
actual war. AS fruit of this policy of
continuous effort to point out to the
Chinese Government the necessity of its
own Standardization, decisive steps
have been taken by that government
toward the punishment of the principal
offenders.
The critics of the Presidents line of &C.
ton should have been able to see that
the situation presented but two alterna-
t1ves: ~ The reconstruction of the I'M
perlal authority from within, or (2) the
declaration and prosecution of war from
without. Had the course of the United
States been other than that which the
President has chosen, one of two conse-
quences must have happened. 1t was
possible to abandon the situation, with.
draw all the troops, and recall our Min
lister, thus sacrificing the entire future of
American rights and interests in China,
leaving the other powers to determine
the fate OF the Empire without the re-
straining and moderating influence of
the United States, and thereby encourage
ing the prosecution Of war of conquest
whose inevitable end would be the des
truction of the Chinese Empire and the
division OF its territory among the con-
querors. On the other hand it was DOS
sble to accept the proposition to impose
demands which would have forced the
Imperial Government into a state of I'M
alterable opposition, thus necessitatinga
war OF aggression to which the United
States would have been made a party.
With far-seeing wisdom the President
has perceived that neither of these two
courses would have met the approval of
the American people who, on the one
hand, have no disposition to sacrifice
their treaty rights and the present and
future interests of their lellow-citizens in
emma; and who, on the other hand,
nave no purpose of entering upon
career OF conquest upon Chinese SOIL
1t is thus apparent that in the entan-
gled labyrinth of possibilities the Presi-