Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-12
ION to Pekin" Will Be the Cry of the
Administration.
TO RESCUE AMERICANS, IF POSSIBLE
Determination to Garry Out the
Presidents Views.
MORE HOPEFUL OUTLOOK

| grams bearing the Chinese situation re-
| ceived at the State or Navy Departments
| today. few of the diplomatic representa-
| tives of the powers remain in Washington,
| and some of these called at the department
| today, among them being Baron Hermann
| of the German embassy. the Danish minis
| ter, Mr.. Brun, and the Corean charge. Mr..
| Ye; Mr.. Pioda, the Swiss minister, and Mr..
| Nabeshima, the Japanese minister. None
| of them, however had any news from
| China, and they came either in quest OF
| Information themselves in connection
| with the usual business of a diplomatic
| reception day.
Secretary Hay and Secretary Long had
| their daily conference for a short time IN
| the morning, but without developments
To Execute President's Policy.
"On to Pekin' is the policy adopted by
| our government. 1t is said that regardless
| of the issues raised as to the authenticity
| of the latest Chinese note, or the accuracy
| of its statement of fact or the question
| raised as to the responsibility for the pres
| ent situation, our government at least is
| determined rot to relax its efforts to reach
| Pekin, to get in touch with Mr.. Conger if
he is alive, to take the necessary steps for
| the protection of American interests, and, in
| fact, to do all those things set out in Sec
retary Hays memorable note to the pow
ers, including reckoning with the person
| or persons responsible for the outrageous
events of the past six weeks.
Regarded as a Hopeful Sign.
| Twenty-four hours consideration of the
| Chinese note leaves the officials here con-
| vinced that 1t marks the beginning of a
general effort the part of Chinese Off
| cials to relieve themselves from responsible
| ity for the treatment of the foreign minis
| ters and the fighting at Tien Tsin. That in
itself is regarded hopeful sign of the
| approaching collapse of the Boxer move
ment and the termination of the state of
insurrection that exists in Pekin and Shan
Tung. Victors do not apologize; hence the
exculpatory statement yesterday is believed
| to be pregnant with meaning.
The news from TieH Tsin of the unsatis-
factory relations between the allied forces
goes to confirm the officials here in their
| original conviction that two or three bri-
gades Of American troops-veterans of the
Indian wars. of the Cuban. campaign and of
the Philippine jungle hunts-could have
| achieved some valuable results by this time
had they been at Tien TSin.
Our Troops in China.
A question has arisen, in view of the lack
of a directing head at Tien Tsin, as to
what Colonel Liscum, with his 9th Regi-
ment will do. His orders are broadly
framed and it is said the War Depart
ment that while he retains command of his
| own men under all circumstances, he may
cooperate TO any extent with the allied
forces so that he Is, of course, likely to
willingly execute any part of the campaign
confided to him, even though II involves his
voluntary subordination to a foreign senior
officer Competent army officers here say,
after reading the news from Tien Tsin,
that 1t is manifestly impossible for such a
heterogeneous force that now assembled
on the Pei Ho to conduct successfully an
extensive campaign.
Therefore, they declare that sound pol
icy would be to confine the functions of the
entire force, with the exception of the
Japanese, to the establishment and main
tenance of proper bases for an army corps,
leaving that army corps, which would be
entirely Japanese in composition Gbecause
Japan is the only nation in place to sup
ply the necessary number of troops in sea-
som to make the campaign against Pekin.
London Statements Considered.
The good impression made by the edct
of the Chinese government, given out by
Mr.. WI yesterday. threatened to be offset
to some extent today by the reports from
London, stating that Prince Tuan was the
real author of the edict. and that some of
its most forcible anti-foreign language was
omitted from the version given out here.
But at the Chinese legation these intima-
tions from London are dismissed as ground
less, and all of the circumstantial details
connected with the receipt of the edict are
given, showing that 1t is undoubtedly of
imperial origin. The dispatch as received
here was in Chinese, that Is, in the nu-
merals by which the Chinese government
transmits Its official code messages. This
in itself indicates that it came with the
sanction of those in imperial authority, as
the official code is not known outside of
that limited circle. Two tfanslations We're
required, first from the numerals to the
Chinese, and second from the Chinese to
the English. These translations were made
by the members of the legation staff here,
so that the ultimate text as made public
contained the phraseology adopted by the
officials here. But in making their trans |
lation they adhered literally to the tele-
graphic edict, that the published text
contains everything embraced in the origi-
nal.
This disposes of the London statement |
that certain anti-foreign expressions were
omitted from the edict given out by the |
Chinese officials here.
In the Imperial Style.
As to the alleged connection of Prince |
Tuan with the edict, there is nothing what
ever on the face of it to show that he had
the slightest hand in it. On the contrary it
is in the form invariably adopted when |
the emperorS Kwang Hsu, issues an edict |
The emperor does not sign his name, but |
his acts are authenticated by seal, which, |
of course, could not be cabled, so that the |
document was authenticated as coming |
from the privy council, the highest body of |
dignitaries in China and the one most close |
ly associated with the imperial household
Following an invariable custom in time |
Of disorder, the war office at Pekin was |
intrusted with furnishing the runners to |
carry the message TO the imperial treasurer |
of Chilli. who, in turn. got it to Shanghai. |
From that point 1t was sent direct to the |
various ministers the world over, coming |
to Washington direct instead of by the |
usual route of London. Under the forego- |
ing circumstances, the Chinese officials re- |
gard it as established beyond the slightest |
question that the edict is a bona fide eX- |
preston from the imperial government of |
China, and, moreover, that 1t is complete |
given out here without the anti-foreign |
addenda sought to be put into it in other I
quarters.
Reports of Boxers in New York.
Minister Wu scouts the suggestion that |
has been made in some of the newspapers |
of the country that Cinnamon of New York |
are in sympathy with the Boxers in China |
and that they are sending money to their |
homes in order to help sustain the riotous |
Boxers in their fight against the foreigners |
To Star reporter Mr. Wu said:
THE Boxers are opposed to foreigners |