The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-02
The situation in China.

No good, honest American and surely
no Democrat. wishes to have Mr.. McKin
ley engage in an armed invasion OF China,
for any purpose save that of protecting
American lives and property in the En-
pire We are not, or should not be, hank
ering for the loot of China, terr1torially CT
otherwise Our interests are, and from
the start have been, to see that our Minis
ter. his family, and staff his guards, and
American merchants and missionaries, are
kept uninjured The Administration thor
oughly understands that this is the popu-
lar view, while 1t feels also Obliged TO
show some difference to the corporations
and combinations who are insisting that
their Chinese trade shall be safeguarded.
even at the risk of participation in divi
sion Of China among the powers.
In other words, the Administration, &C.
cording to custom, is between two stools.
1t would like to rush an army into China
if it dared. to please the commercial and
financial elements controlling it Such a
horrible thing as the murder OF our Min
lister and his people would remove all
difficulty on that score. In that event
everything else would be forgotten in a
universal and irresistible cry for ven
geance. But the emergency spoken OF has
not yet arisen. 1t has been the policy OF
Mr.. Mckinley and his advisers to minim-
ize the gravity OF the situation. In do
ing so. 1t has made one egregious mis-
take and acted unjustly toward a wise and
careful officer.
In the first place. Rear Admiral Kempf
was sent to Taku to protect Americans
and American interests. He was warned
against any action that might look like
alliance with foreign States, especially
England He was so hampered by stop
orders" that ii must have been plain to
him he was expected to do what he thought
best. with the certainty that if his conduct
did not happen to strike the popular fancy
at home it would be repudiated by his po-
litical superiors. Told not to assume any
attitude except that Of a policeman in
case Of assault upon an American citizen.
within his personal range of vision, Kempf
shaped his course not only in obedience to
his instructions, but, We think, very sensi-
bly,. His first duty was to proceed in the
American Legation and its inmates at Pc
kin. 1t is evident that he did not think
an attack upon the Taku forts the readiest
means of relieving the legations from their
peril. 1t is TO be presumed that any sensi-
BILE commander in his place would have
considered such movement likely to lead
to slaughter of the defenceless diplo-
mats. and he quite properly refrained from
taking an active part in it. Yet he has
been blamed and superseded for doing ex-
actly what his instructions forced him to
do. and what ordinary common sense would
have compelled him to DO, without orders.
Prudence, If there had been any. in the
allied counsels at Taku should have die
tated abstentation from extreme measures
until the representatives and other for
eigners in Pekin had been rescued
At the conference Of department heads
Saturday it is stated that the conferees
decided not TO advocate further war meas |
ures until something definite could be
learned from Pekin. They are reported as |
rather hugging themselves over the alleged |
fact that the United States is doing more |
S-1" oSe' "niSH 10 eiioneousiy diieStu l
to have greater interests in northern |
China than this country. But it is not so. |
The French Minister Of Foreign Affairs. |
NJ. Delcasse, has declared in the Chambers |
that France has but little at stake in the |
present zone OF trouble. and that her re-
sponsibilities are confined to Tonkin and |
the south. although she will support the |
hand OF the powers in Pe-Chi-Ii and espe-
cially that Of her ally. Russia. 1t is an I'M
deniable fact that the Administration has
been laggard in providing against even
Qualities which, while all our people hope
may not materialize. are nevertheless re-
Garded as imminent