Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-08-10

Terms laid Down by Secretary Hay Par
take of the Nature of an Ultimatum. and
If Not Promptly Accepted Diplomatic
Intercourse Will Cease-Reported Adj
vance ON Tientsin, Not Credited Here
Washington (SpeciaD The State
Department has made public some i'm
portant correspondence between Ii
Hung Chang and the department re-
garding the suggested abandonment
of the campaign against Pekin. 1t is
in the form of cablegram from Sec
rotary Hay sent to the United States
Embassies in BerliI London, Paris,
Rome and st, Petersburg and to the
United States Minister at Toxic, as fol-
lows:
I'm replying to suggestion of Ii
Hung Chang that the Ministers might
be sent under safe escort to Tientsin,
provided the powers would engage not
to march on Pekin, the Secretary of
State replied on the 3Oth of July as
follows:
"This Government will not enter
into any arrangement regarding dis
position or treatment of legations,
without first having free cOmmunica-
ton with Minister Conger. Response
bility for their protection rests upon
Chinese Government. Power to de-
liver at Tientsin presupposes power to
protect and to open communication.
This is insisted on.
This message was delivered by Con-
sui Goodnow July 81 to Viceroy Ii, who
then inquired whether. If free COM
munication were established between
the Ministers and their Governments,
it could be arranged that the powers
should not advance on Pekin pending
negotiations. To this inquiry the fol-
lowing reply was sent August 1, ad-
dressed 10 Consul Goodnow, at Shang-
hal:
Il do not think it expedient to sub
NIT the proposition of Earl Iii to other
powers. Free communication with our
representatives in Pekin is demanded
as matter of absolute right and not
as favor. Since the Chinese Govern
ment admits that it possesses the pow
err to give communication, it puts itself
in an unfriendly attitude by denyingit.
No negotiations seem advisable until
the Chinese Government shall have
put the diplomatic representatives OF
the powers in full and free commune
cation with their respective Govern
ments and remove all danger to their
lives and liberty. We would urge Earl
LII earnestly to advise the imperial
authorities of China to place them
selves in friendly communication and
cooperation with the relief eXpedl-
ton. They are assuming heavy re-
sponaibility in acting otherwise.
HAY.
You VIII Communicate this infor-
NATION to the Minister of Foreign At
fairs.
Secretary Hays last reply to Ii has
closed the negotiations with China un-
less the old Viceroy is able to secure
the full acceptance of the terms rela-
tive to the foreign Ministers, and that
at once No orders. therefore, look
ing to a relaxation of the preparations
for the advance on Pekin have gone
out from Washington. for, as the situa-
ton is described by one Of the leading
officials here, there will be no bar
gaining on cur part in advance of the
concession by the Chinese authorities
of full and free communication with
the foreign Minister'S
There is a note ominously close to
actual war in Secretary Hays declara-
ton that the conduct Of the Chinese
Government is "unfriendly." That
kind of language is extreme in diplo-
macy, and it is only narrow step
between it and formal war.
The impression prevails here that
the Chinese Government if it is not
absolutely bereft OF power to act in de-
fiance of the Boxers, will accept Sec
rotary Hays terms, and some such &C
ton is looked for soon. Possibly
battle-not more, it is believed. than
one at mOst-will be required to bring
the Pekin Government to the point Of
acceptance, though in that case it Is
questionable whether the original con-
ditions would be regarded as still open
to acceptance.
If the Chinese Government now ac-
cepts, however, the United States will
be face to face with one Of the most
delicate and mOmentous diplomatic
tasks ever undertaken. 1t must at
tempt to redeem its promise to use it's
good offices in favor Of China, and in
the present temper of some of the Eu-
ropean powers great difficulties may be
expected to arise in the prosecution of
the attempt.
YELLOW FEVER AT TAMPA.
Agent Weldon, of florida Hoard of