The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-27
WE'RE MARCHING OUT OF CHINA.
By Deserving Our Allies We Lose Only Our
Expenses and Our Honor.
New York Journal.l

NANCW lOih JOul HdlsJ
1t seems certain at this time that the
administration has definitely decided to
get out of China" forthwith. Probably
that is the best that can now be done.
We shall not get out with any great
glory, but it is not clear that We are
entitled to any When a feeble nation
like the United States forced by wrong
and insult into the attitude of a world
power, dumps its ludicrous little contin-
gent OF soldiery into such a country as
China and make common cause with the
great military nations of Europe, it can
hardly expect to cut very heroic fig
ure in the proceedings. The most that
1T can hope to do is to snatch some
slight advantage, which it may dignity
as the purpose of the expedition" and
run away as hard as ever it can hook
it. That will seem, and in fact will be,
selfish abandonment of it's allies; but
that sin can be easily covered up by
affirming a divergence of interests
In getting out of China" we need not
count on any trouble with our allies.
Our support was of no great value to
them and our detection is no great loss.
One would think from our newspapers
that we were the central figure in the
tableau-that our attitude, our inclina-
tions, were matters of lively solicitude
in every European capital-that we were
the controlling factor in the entire ORR
entail problem. That is a fallacious
view-natural, charming and patriotic,
but erroneous. The people of every ma
tion concerned doubtless think them
selves the hub of the situation. That
is one of the amiable weaknesses of hui
man nature. The truth probably is that
our allies will be glad to be rid of us,
as they would be glad to be rid Of one
another.
The divergence of interests" we have
managed very well by merely surrender
ing every interest that we have not al
ready served-just simply dropping all
the others that we set out to serve. We
have rescued our legation, but we have
not stopped the murder and torture OF
our citizens; we have not protected our
commercial interests We have not ex-
acted any indemnity; we have not pun
ished anybody for all these hideous
crimes against humanity and civilization
Apparently we have now no intention OF
doing any of these things, for our only
hope of doing them is by concert of &C
ton with the stronger powers whom we
are now planning to desert. 1t is off,
cially given out that, so far as we are
concerned, China will have to punish her
own malefactors-which, doubtless, will
entail upon her deal of trouble and in
vove her in great expense for switches.
Considering that we are not a military
nation; that we have no army but our
pensioners; that we shake in our shoes
at the sight of rifle in the hands OF
one of our own soldiers; that we are
neither feared by our enemy nor respect
ed by our allies, we have done fairly
we'll. We have saved Minister Conger
and we keep the good will of Minister
WI Ting Fang. We shall now show the
former with what fortitude we can bear
the injuries and indignities that he suf-
fered, and the latter how highly we prize
the good advice by which he has guided
us through the clewless maze of Oriental
diplomacy. .i
After ALL we shall probably secure some
of the objects of the expedtion"-it is
not a war-by turning tall, The other
powers will remain in China, and they
are in no mood to tolerate any fooling.
Finding that nobody but the United
States would follow her out, Russia will
spare herself the trouble Of returning
by remaining with the rest. AS hostili-
ties are continuing right along, she and
Japan may be confidently relied on to
wreak as pretty vengeance as one
could wish Both are essentially Asiatic
with Asiatic methods, and once they get
warmed up to their work, they will per-
form it in a way to command the secret
admiration of their victims. If ever
Count Won Waldersee leads an army in
China the campaign will be sufficiently
punitive" to meet the views of his au
gust master and satisfy the feelings of
the most ingeniously vivisected mission
airy in seven provinces. AS to indemnity,
we shall probably never get cent our
selves (by separate negotiation" we
cannot even collect a hundred thousand
dollar indemnity from Turkey, but it
will be pleasing to see China paying
through the nose to our late allies.
So in deserving our allies and running
away we shall really lose very little be-
sides our expenses and our honor. And
to Offset these inconsiderable losses we
may possibly gain a Presidential re-elec-
ton.
AMBROSE PIERCE.
Washington, D. c.. Sept. 81.