The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-07-25
News Com ments From Wash.
ingtOn.

v
Washington, July % -Is there a
secret understanding between the
administration and the government
of China ? The acceptance BY Sec.
retary Hay and other members of the
cabinet of everything said to them
by the Chinese minister as gospel
truth 10 regarded as suspicious. Al.
though scoffed at by the entire
diplomatic corps and doubted by the
public, Mr. Hay has accepted the
csblegram alleged to be from Minis.
ter Conger and saying that be and
the other foreign ministers in Pek,n
were ell right on the 18th inst, but
in need of help, as genuine, and the
other members of the cabinet have
even gone 80 far as to throw bou>
quets at Mr. hay by publicly saying
that bis getting that message was q
great diplomatic triumph. Diplomat
ic fiddlestick That message, wheth.
er fake or genuine, was secured by
tho Chinese minister for purposes of
bic own, and If there was auy tri.
umph about it. the credit is bis It
is whispered among European diplo.
mats in Washington that the admin.
istrstion has undertaken the contract
of keeping the present Chinese gov.
ernment in power, regardless of any
decision of the powers which are
assembling an army in China for
allied action 1t is difficult to be-
lieve that Mr. cKinley has made
any such agreement. His own i'm
perial schemes are quite enough to
keep bin busy. without bic tackliug
those of China
Senator Wellington. who sometime
ago declared that he would not SUD.
port Mckinley for reelection. is still
throwing nuts to the administration
which it cannot or will not crack.
The senator said, while in w Washine.
ton day or two ago: "If the situs.
tion in the Philippines is ss favorable
as the administration would have us
believe, there is no reason why
twelve or fifteen thousand meu could
not be sent from there to service in
China think that would be Amer.
ics's fair quota of the international
force for the relief of Pekin, and
beyond the protection of American
lite and property, this country has
no business TO interfere with the
affsirs Of tho Chinese empire Amer.
lean soidiers should never form q
part of On army for the conquest of
China: The European powers have
sowed tho wind and are now reapiug
the whirlwind. They have been
looking for trouble in China for q
long time. and now they have it.
The fire they have kindled is q hot
one, and this government should look
we'll to it that American troops are
not used as q catspsw for the pulling
out of European chestnuts."
Secretary Root uow says that the
administration hopes to hand Cuba
over TO the Csbsns within the next
eight or ten months. but there are still
m'n who believe that the island will
have q string to it when it is turned
over to the Cubans. and that secret
schemes for aooexasiou are being work.
ed and encouraged by the admiuistra.
ton tor the purpose of msking it appear
when the time is ripe. that tho dem apd
for annexation comes from the Cuoans.
Gen. Wood bad very little to say about
sonexatiou when be was 10 Wsshioe-
ton last week. and that little was not
important. although be Was ooruered BY
one newspaper mao aud made to
acknowledge that be believed q large
majority Of Cubsos now favored %
Independent government, rather ,hsn
annexation. The administration koows
that its attitude towards Cubs is beioR
closely watched by the people. and that
any oct which even seems to inply ,bs.
good faith would not be kep. With the
Cubsns. would make thousands Of .u.i-
Mokioley votes II there is to be any
trickery. it will be carefully concealed
uutil after election.
It seems to be little early 10 the
campaigo for Boss Hanna's heuchmcn
to be putting ont fakes, but all the same
they are going it. Several men known
to be close to Hanna have been filing
up Washington newspaper men With
stories about how worried the "old
man" was because OF the refusal of
some of the heaviest contributors to bis
compaieu fund four years ago to give a
cent this year. aud Of bis fear that the
National Committee would have to
skimp its campaign plans for lack of
money. The object of these stories is
to create the impression among tho
demo oorats that the republicans are 60.
ing to be short of campaign monev this