The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-10-18
AND CHINA.
Why Uncle Sam Will Find Il Hard
to Collect Indemnity.
Secretary Evsrts' Letter Of Decer,ber
40, 1850. 10 the PekisG Govers-
ment May Prove Itself Dip-
lomstic Bo0meranG.
Especial washington Letter.l

NHEhE ~ cOnsiueraDle tnIk IN tne
newspapers about Indemnity"
for the outrages which have
been committed in China against for
cigners temporarily resident in that
empire.
At the department OF state the Of
ficials express the belief that there
will be neither indemnity, reparation
nor retribution for anything which.
has been done. or course these Of
ficials do not talk for publication, be-
cause that would bc contrary to the
rules and precedents OF the depart
mcnt, but in private conversation with
personal friends they say that "in-
demniiy" Is practically out OF the
question.
Ii Hung Chang spoke for the i'm
pcrial government when he said that
the treasury of China is so depleted
that no cash indemnity can be paid,
and that the people of China will not
permit any further concessions of ter
ritory To the countries interested. The
word "indemnity" covers n great deal
of ground in international law. II
means u complaisant, friendly, fratcr-
nal effort on the part of the country
in which the outrages have been com
mitted to bring the criminals to JUS
ticc and retribution; an effort to in
dcmnify the sufferers for their wrongs,
| or to indemnify their heirs If human
| lives have been sacrificed; or repara-
tion in the form OF abject apology. IL
| the national honor has been specific
ally involved.
The utterances OF Ii Hung Chang
| indicate that the Chinese government
does not intend to do any Of these
| things. and the eminent oriental
statesman speciously pleads the utter
inability Of the government OF Pcking
10 do anything more than publicly ex-
| press regret for the consequences of
the alleged insurrcction. Present in
dications are that there viii be no
recognition of the fact that the ma
tional honor of any country has been
| involved.
What other nations may do under
these circumstances can only be con-
| jecturcd. IL is well known that all OF
the powers of the world cannot de.
mand an eye for an eye and tooth
for n tooth, because the invasion and
destruction of the Chinese empire
would be impossible. The reasons for
this conclusion have heretofore been
given with some degree Of e,nbora tion,
This republic is very unfortunately
circumstanccd in the matter. II has
always fought OFT the payment of In.
IDENTITIES. and the admission OF ma
tional responsibility for outragcs com.
mittcd in violation Of treaty stipula.
tions. There is one specific case In
point which the Chinese government
may well cite. and which IL will I'm,
loubtcdly cite. On December 30, 1850
William NJ. Evarts. our secretary oI
state. wrote officially To the Chimes,
minister in Washington as follows:
81 know Of no principle Of national obli
CATION. and there is certainly none aiisint
from treaty stipulation, which renders Il
| incumbent upon the government Of the
United States to make indemnity to IN,
Chinese residents Of Denver who. In com
| mon with the citizens OF the United States
suffered losses by the operations OF The
mob. Whatever remedies may be offered
TO the citizens Of Colorado, or to the cit
teens OF the United States from other states
| ~ the union resident In Colorado. for losses
resulting from that occurrence are cqually
open to the Chinese residents OF Denver
| who may have suffered from the lawless
ness OF the mob
| Twenty years ago China was n smal
factor in international affairs, aud
every nation snubbed her in diplomat /
ic correspondence. The Chinese minis