The Forrest City times., 1900-07-27
MR ROCKHNL'S MISSION
The Presidents Special Commis. sioner to Study Existing Con-
 ditions in China.
HE WILL SAIL ON THE AMERICA-MARU.
i"e 'as" is One that May Involve Personal Peril, Rut the Under taking is Regarded as Necessnry- Germany and Great Britain Doing Likewise.

Washington. July 25.-W. ". Rock hlii' who has been selected as special commissioner ty the president to go to China, returned to Washington from Block Island, and began immediately preparing for his long journey. He las decided to take Mrs. Reckbill with him, and sail from San Francisco on the America-Maru of tEe Japanese line. He will leave Mrs. Rockhill at okohama or Nagasaki. while he goes to Shanghai. At that point he will de- ter'nine in which direction to proceed. Difficult Task.
 Mr. Rockhill does l:ot underestimate l the task before him. He is te act as | the eye and ears of the administration Ill u ina, to make careful inquiry into the existing conditions, 10 learn the exact causes of the present uprising, and report the facts directly to the president for his guidance in the ul- innate settlement, and in framing his l policy for the future. This task will involve a large arIount of travel in China. Mr. Rockhill is of opinion that It will not be sufficient to merely look into conditions in Shan Tung province and perhaps in Pekin-if he can ob- | tain access to that capital.
 Must Visit Other Provinces.
 He also must visit other provinces and cities where there is disquiet and danger to foreign interest, and this will be fraught with perhaps some per sonal risk. But it is regarded as a nece ssary undertaking if the president IS to be put into possession of a coIn- plehensive understanding of Chinese 1 conditions.
 Mir. RockhiIrs Status
 It is expressly stated that Mir Rock hill is going to China simply as an observer for the presid4 4nt. This is technically true, but it also may be stated that he will be intrusted with | full diplomatic powers, later on, if it seems expedient and in the interest of an early settlement of the Chinese problem to have. directly on the field, an authorized agent of the United States government. It is even psoba- ble that he will be the next United States minister to Pekin, if Mir. Con- 1 ger has perished.
 Germany Doing Likewise.
 It is gathered here that the German l government has done something of the same kind, and although the assur- ances of the death of the German min ister to Pekin, Baron Non Ketteler, are as strong as to leave no doubt of the fact of his death, yet it is under stood that the credentials of Baron | Mumm Won Schwartzenhurg, now on his way to Tien Tsin, are as vet only those of diplomatic agent of the German government, making his posi- l tion thus correspond closely to that of | Mr. Rockhill.
 Britain Takes Similar Action. l It is also noted that the British gov ernment has taken similar action in dispatching to China Sir Walter Hill- yer. He is we'll known to Mr. Rock hill, having been a British consul at a Chinese port during the presence of | the American commissioner at Pekin as secretary of the legation.
 There is reason to believe that the other European powers having direct interests in China will follow these ex- amplcs and thus it may happen that | the international commission idea,
 riginally contemplated by the United
 tates as a means of settlement of the 'hinese trouble, may take form ac- .epta ble to all concerned.