The Washington weekly post., 1900-10-02
TUAH MUST FACE TRIAL
An Imperial Edict Degrading
Him and Four Princes.
LOSS OF SALARY AND SERVANTS
Clan ceart Of the Empire viii Pass Upen
This Action Takes Ia Compliance with
Suggestion Recently Made BY This Gev-
and Prince f,Ais. Dts Vice President.

Important news came from China al
/ The end Of yesterday, which In itself tend,
/ 10 advance materially the efforts for q
! final settlement. China has accepted tn,
suggestions OF the United States contained
4 In the answer 10 the German propositicr
| and mas begun Voluntarily the punish
/ ment OF the reactionary Chinese leaders
who are held 10 be responsible for III;
| Pekin outrsges.
| The Department of State was informed
| yesterday afternoon by Consul Genera
| GOOdnow. at Shanghai, that Sheng, Chi
nese director CT railways and telegraphs
/ had handed him a decree Of the Emperor
| and Empress, dated at Taignan September
| ., blaming their ministers for eneourag
ing the Boxers. The edict orders the deg
radiation OF four princes and deprive:
Prince Tuan OF his salary and ofiicia
/ servants. He is TO be brought for trial be
/ fore the imperial clan court
| 1t VIII be recalled that in our answer
/ the State Department was careful Il
! state that while il did not believe in de-
/ manding the surrender OF the Chinese
ringleaders as a condition precedent K
negotiations, IL was resolved firmly, al
| Secretary Hay had said in his note OF
| July 3, that in the end the guilty parties
should be held 10 the uttermonst account
ability. The Chinese government has TAX
en- this intimatiOn 10 heart and perhaps
hastened in its acton by the recent mari.
festations Of dissatisfaction by the United
states government at the reported promo.
tlOn or Prince Tuan, already has begun
the punishment of him and the other Chi
nese leaders who are held guilty.
The decree recited by Sheng is felt to be
OF the utmost importance as indicating
complete change of heart on the part OF
the reigning dynasty. Ii means that the
reacuOnary influences which have been
dominant In Pekin throughout the upris.
ing ana nave even continued of late DAYS
nave suffered a complete overthrow, and
mat their most conspicuous figures are
degraded and on trial. II is believed here
that II this action is genuine, il will be
hdrd Ior any OF the powers to find rea-
sohaDie preteXt for longer refusing Ia
need the appeals of the Chinese govern
iheht Tor the opening Of negotiations look
ing 10 settlement
Supreme judicial Tribunal.
The importance of the action Is shown
before the Imperial Clan Court. This is
the supreme judicial tribunal of China.
and Is the only one having Jurisdiction
over the members of the imperial family,
1t Is presided over by Prince Ii. with tee
well-known Prince Ching as first vice
president. Prince Ii is The first of the
eight princely families of China. and is
regarded as friendly TO the progressive ell
af nx;,,
been notable throughout the trouble as
friendly to foreign interests.
There are five other members of the
court, all OF them high personages They
occupy building at Pekin. and are in
regular session for the trial of cases af-
fecting members of the nobility and The
highest personages. Chinese officials here
say that the reference of the case to this
high court is of itself the fullest assur-
ance OF the gravity with which the throne
regards the matter. IT is noted also that
even before the trial Prince Tuan Is
stripped of his salary and official serv-
ants Being man of large and independ-
ent means the loss of salary would not
amount to much If il were not that this
and the loss of the servants is a special
means OF humiliation. The names of the
Iour princes who have been degraded are
not known here. either by the State De-
partment or by the Chinese Legation.
Gratifying 10 Southern Viceroys.
The action of the Chinese government in
oVerthrowing the reactionaries is likely m
give the most intense qualification 10 the
friendly viceroys of the south of China
and to the ministers here, In London and
In Europe. who have so strenuously re-
sisted the Boxer movement. II NAV he
specially noted that only yesterday Min
lister WI received information that these
viceroys, including Ii Hung Chang. had
memorialized the throne to punish the
very element which has now been over
come
minister Wu expressed his strong an
proVai or the suggestion by Ii HING
Cnang that the United States act as me-.
dlator for the settlement of the entire
chinese question. The Minister was mncb
gratified at the favorable character OF the
advices from China, particularly the ref-
erence of Earl Ii TO his constant com
munication with Mr.. WI, and the snecific
reference of the Chinese envoy in favor
of the United States as mediator Mr.
wa, from the first, urged that the IJnitad
States should take leading part in the
peace settlement, and 1t is probably dine
to this position that Earl Ii now takes
the advanced position in favor OF the
United States as mediator Since the suc-
gestion has come from such a high source
the minister expresses his Confidence Of
being able 10 secure any authority or re-
quests for an American initiative which
may be needful.
Alignment of the Powers.
The. alignment of the powers on the
German proposition to make the punish
ment of the Chinese ring-leaders a condi-
ton precedent 10 negotiations may now
be stated as follows:
Great Britain, Russia, and France
stand with the United States regarding
this proposition as inexpedient.
Japan occupies a middle course; she is
willing TO follow the German lead If all
the other powers are agreeable, but only
for the sake of preserving harmony
among the powers, and not from a belief
In the wisdom Of the German proposition
Austria and Italy stand shoulder TO
shoulder with Germany. making the Drel-
buqd a solid front. The first-named TWO
powers do not attempt 10 argue the Ger
man proposition, and their answers make
II apparent that they have accepted IL
without much consideration.
Nothing Is known here officially of the
alternative proposition which is reported
10 be preparing in Europe II il contains
the same feature as 10 arior punishment
as the original propositiCa, il is not like
ly 10 receive approval here.
"
Count ven Wnidersee 10 Have a Palace In
Forbidden City.