The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-08-08
FREE COMMUNICATION FIIs
Chinese Offlcials Must Place Minis oli
In Touch With Powers
PRrLIMlNARY AND ESSENTIAL /
Necessary to IcGcct Even the Cons q
alton of Proposition 70 lsrs
vent the Advance OF the
international Forces on
Peking Is Liberatiqti
of the negationer


washington, Apg 2. The state de
partment having made public the cor
respondence with Lii Hung Chang rel
atiye to the release of the ministers at
Peking and the position of this gov
ernment being oncially disclosed as
one of the unalterable opposition TO
| the institution of negotiations in adj
vance of free communication with the
ministers at Picking, 1t is believed that
a crisis has been reached, diplomatic
ally speaking, in the Chinese situation.
II the Chinese government decides to
accept Secretary Hays terms, 1t must
| do SO very promptly and Its answer
NAV be forthcoming at any moment
| Otherwise the march on Peking pro-
ceeds. Neither the military nor the
| naval commanders at Tien Tsin or
Talku have advised the government of
the reported forward movement of the
international force. The officials would
not be surprised at the lack of report,
even were the march already under
way, owing to the delays in kilograms
| between Tien Tsin and Chefoo. Doubt
is expressed here, however, as to the
| actual forward movement In force,
| owing to the lack of cavalry and ar
| tillery. 1t is feared that military prac-
| tice would not warrant the forward
movement of the entire international
| command unless thorough recon
usissance of the country in immediate
| front. Moreoyer, it is said, the col
| umn would not start forward as a
| whole, but in detached bodies, leaving
a considerable force at the base-Tien
Tsin. The last advices from any Of
fetal source that have been received
| by the state department regarding the
strength of the international force
were to the effect that 1t numbered
$4,000 men of all arms.
The state department has made pub
lie the following correspondence be-
tween Lii Hung Chang and the depart
ment regarding the abandonment OF
| campaign on Peking and the same was
sent to the United States embassies In
Berlin, London, Paris, Rome and st.
Petersburg and to the United States
| at Toxic with instructions to advise
| governments about it: Department
of state, Washington, Aug. 1, 1900. In
reply to suggestion of LII Hung
Chang that the ministers might be
sent under safe escort to Tien Tsin,
provided the powers would engage not
to march on Peking, the secretary OF
state replied on the Both of July: This
government will not enter into any ar
rangement regarding disposition or
treatment of legations without first
having free communication with Min
lister Conger. Responsibility for their
protection rests upon Chinese govern
ment Power to deliver at Tien Tsin
pre-supposes power to protect and to
open communication. This is insisted
on
This message was delivered by Mr..
Goodnow on the 31st to Viceroy LII,
who then inquired: Whether, II
FREQ communication were estab-
llshed between ministers and their
governments, 1t could be arranged
that the powers should not advance on
Picking, pending negotiations
ITO this inquiry the following re-
ply was sent on the first OF August:
"Goodnow, consul general, Shanghai:
] do not think it expedient to submit
! the proposition of Earl Ii to the
other powers. Free communities
tIon with our representatives in Pc
king is demanded as a matter of abb
solute right, and not as a favor. Since
the Chinese government admits that II
possesses the power to give commune
cation 1t puts itself in an unfriendlY
attitude by denying 1t. No negotia-
tions seem advisable until the Chinese
government shall have put the diplo-
matte representatives of the powers in
full and free communication with the
tempt to speak. At Economy, Pa, Mr..
Abner Mckinley, the presidents
brother, boarded the train and rode
with the president as far as Pttsbur8.
Tho president was met at the train by
Secretary Root, General Corbin and
Executive Clerk Pruden, who accom-
panied him to the White House. There
is no particular significance In the
presidents trip to Washington at this
time. When he returned to Canton
two weeks ago, he arranged to come
10 Washington every fortnight to dis
pose of such official business as had
accumulated in the meantime and go
personally over the Chinese situation
with his cabinet ministers. In this
way the necessity of sending many
bulky papers to Canton for his exami-
nation and signature would be avoided
and the president would have an OPP
portunity periodically of consulting
with the members of the cabinet. 1t is
, officially stated that nothing had de-
veloped in connection with the Chi
nese situation which especially de-
manded his presence In Washington
at the present time.
a Strange Accident.
Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 2.-Bascom L
Wyatt, a travelling salesman, was thu
victim of an UNUSUAL accident. He
was in compartment of passenger
train. His coat was hanging on {
hook near where he was standing. Th'
train suddenly turned curve and ii
so doing the motion threw the coat