Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-12-12
TERMS AGREED UPON.
UNDERSTANDING REACHED ON
CHINESE QUESTION.
Compromise Is Made-Conferences Are
TO Begin Soon-Inability of Court TO
Infiict Death Penalty Recognized

TIE acute phase Of the crisis in the
Chinese negotiations was passed We'd
nesday, when ali the interested nations
reached a harmonious agreement in re-
gard to the demands To be made on the
Chinese government, 70 which assent
must be given before formal peace nego-
dations may begin. instructions were
sent to Minister CoGger By Secretary
Hay to sign the preliminary agreement,
and it is now assured that the formal
conferences between Li-IIung-Chang and
Prince Ching, the Chinese plenipoten
tiaries, and the ministers Of the powers
will be initiated shortly.
Advices were received at the State De
partment from Me. Conger that the min
listers had modified the agreement in ac
cordanee with the instructions sent TO
their representatives by the respective
governments. The agreement was neces-
sarily a compromise, but on the whole it
is satisfactory to the United States. the
two main points of punishment and in
demnity being arranged in conformity
with the views of the President and Sec
rotary of State. The State Department
learned that an agreement such as that
reached would be acceptable, if not who'll
ly satisfactory, to the other powers.
Compromise on Punishments.
The main question Mt issue was that
Of punishments. The ministers had
adopted an article of the agreement
which provided that twelve Chinese dig
nitaries should be executed for their COM
plicity in the anti-foreign troubles. To
this the United States objected on the
ground that the Chinese imperial author
tiles or the powers were unable to inhict
such severe sentences on the powerful
officials named, chief of whom was Prince
Tuan, the father of the heir apparent
to the throne. Russia promptly came
to the support of the United States in
| this contention, and all the other nations
followed suit with the exception of Ger
many, which desired the most exemplary
punishment inflicted on those who We're
directly responsible for the murder of
Baron Won Ketteler.
As a result of exchanges within the
| last week Germany, it is understood. has
come around TO this view that the Chi
nese government, which Is charged by
| the powers with the infiction of the pun
| ishments, was unable to carry out capital
/ sentences on the principal offenders.
GUARANTEES, however, must be given that
these me5 win be punished severely, and
| the powers must have evidence that the
| punishments have been carried ont in
| good fairh.
AS to indemnity, the agreement con
tains provision that the Chinese gov
| ernncAt shall acknowledge liability for
| injuries to governments, corporations and
| persons, and agree to pay damages, ac-
| tual and exemplary, to be fixed hereafter
in such manner as the peace plenipoten-
tiaries shall decide. The amounts to be
| paid are not fixed nor is any limit Of in
| demnity named This government and
| Russia favor the transfer of the indem-
nifty question to the permanent court Of
| arbitration at The Hague, of which ex-
| President Harrison. Chief Justice Fuller
Attorney General Griggs and Judge Gary
| of Delaware, formerly United States
Senator are the American members
| All the other demands heretofore adopt
ed by the ministers are included in the
| agreement, with no material modi6ca.
| tions. These embrace the proposals Of
| France and Germany, the more radical
| being suggested from Berlin. While OBJ
jecting to some of them. this government
devoted its efforts mainly to securing
| notifications of the punishment and in.
demnity clauses and was finally Obliged
to appeal to the powers over the heads
of the ministers in Pekin to bring about
| the adoption of less severe demands in
these matters.