Evening star., 1900-07-17
MINISTER WU'S VIEWS
Advice Regarding the Situation in
China.
HIS COUNTRY OPPOSED TO A WAR
Thinks a Civilian of Standing
Should Go With the Troops.
URGES CALM JUDGMENT

The news of the fall of Tien Tsn was
conveyed to the Chinese minister early to-
| day. He was deeply interested but evinced
little surprise at this outcome, as he had
| looked upon the result as inevitable with
the il-equipped and unorganized Chinese
populace of Tien Tsin confronting the
trained forces of the allied powes. His
chief surprise had been that any effective
resistance had been made on the first day
of the fighting.
Mr.. WI is remaining in practical seclu-
| sion during these troublous days. He is
anxious to get away and take a much
needed rest, but he feels that he cannot do
so while a crisis is on. When seen today
he showed many evidences of the terrific
| strain upon him. He holds his hand to his
forehead much of the time, complaining of
| headache and sleeplessness from constant
| worry. He discussed the latest develop
ments and. while willing to assist and ad-
wise in an intelligent solution of the pres
| ent difficulty. he asked that his person
alty be not too prominently brought to the
front as he feels this to be a time for eau
ton and reserve. He was induced, how
ever, to answer the following direct ques-
ton:
| BASED on your knOWleuBe OF tHe Sltud-
tion and familiarity with Chinese character
and affairs, how would you advise that the
present situation be metz
First Reauisite-"Keep Cool"
| The minister pondered for time and then
| said: The first essential in dealing with
| the present situation is to maintain calm in
| the midst of the present feverish excite
| ment and to avoid hasty conclusions based
| upon a multitude of conflicting reports. To
| be sure it appears that fighting has oc-
| CURED at Tien Tsin, but many of the most
vital features of this affair are lacking
| There Is nothing to show the steps taken
| by the viceroy or the taot to maintain or
| der and prevent bloodshed. 1t is clear that
| Tien Tsin is cut off from Pekin, so that at
| most this can be but local demonstration
and not one attributable to the government
| of China. And mingled with the slight in
| formation as to this engagement there is
| a mass of report as to affairs at Pekin and
| elsewhere. How much truth there is in 1t
| no one can tell. but it. at least, serves to
| inhame the mind and prevent calm judg-
: ment. After reading some of the shocking
| stories, in no way verified and often con-
| tradicted the first impulse is to rush to ex-
| tremes: so that | feel that the first re-
| quirement in meeting the present situation
|
| the midst of the storm of conflicting report.
| Would Advice Peaceful Negotiation.
Having secured this dispassionate frame
| of mind the next question is how to meet
the actual occurrences in China. The first
| suggestion is to send great bodies of troops,
| and on that my position makes it impos-
| sible for me to express an opinion. But
| this much at least seems plain to me-that
| with any armed force there should go also
a civil officer or officers, men of the very
highest ability and intelligence That
| would afford opportunity to learn
| whether there was any need of fighting
| The purposes and the policy on each side
| could be made plain. and there could be an
| intelligent understanding of each other be-
| fore recourse to bloodshed. When an
| army goes it goes to fight, but with such a
| man or men much more could be accom-
| plished than by a show of arms without
| any inquiry as to the need of it. The Chi
| nese are strange people, viewed from your
| western standpoint, and when they are ap-
| preached by man with a gun il is not
| quite as easy to secure their confidence and
| reach an intelligent basis of action with
them as 1t would be if the advance was
| made by an unarmed civilian giving and
| asking good faith Such an official would
| be of invaluable service Just now in learn
| ing the actual facts, in placing the respon-
| sibility, in ascertainng the purposes of the
| Chinese government and in letting the Chi
| nese government thoroughly understand the
| unselfish and high-minded purposes of the
| United States. 1 have constantly advised
| the government at Pekn of this unselfish
| attitude of the United States, but it is an
| other thing to make this perfectly plain in
| the present emergency, and no one could do
| this better than the civilian official sug-
| gested."
China Opposed to War.
| The minister wished it distinctly under
| stood that he was expressing these views
! only in response to specific inquiries as to
| civil commission, etc. He also emphasized
the fact that China did not want war, and
he pointed out that this attitude was made
| plain by the edict of June 29-the only Off
| cial utterance from China-in which great
stress was laid on China's unwillingness to
| be brought into contest with the powers
and her realization that such would be dis
| astrous. The minister regards this as the
| only tangible evidence of China's policy
| and proof positive that China is against
| war at this time.
A Ray of Hope.
| AS to the situation in Pekin, Mr. Wu
has not received a word. But he said today
| that he saw a slight ray of hope in the
| suggestion that Prince Ching had taken
| the foreigners under his personal protec-
| ton, possibly at his home. The minister
| believes that Prince Ching can be relied
| upon to protect the foreigners, even to the
| extent of his life. and he pointed to a re-
| cent utterance by Ii Hung Chang sus-
| tanning that view. The minister has also
| noted with satisfaction the optimistic view
| of Secretary Long, who holds that there
| is no positive evidence up to date that the
| foreign ministers and legations at Pekin
| have been wiped out.
The official mail received at the Chinese
| legation brings some of the earlier edicts,
preceding the present crisis. One of these