The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
The Pekin Massacre.

| 1t is to be expected that within the next
| few days We shall be put in possession Of
| the whole truth regarding the massacre of
| the Ministers. their wives and children,
and all the foreigners In Pekin. by drib-
| lets the horrible story is leaking out and
it will all be known before long. The de-
| spatch send by Admiral Alexieff to the
Car is so circumstantial as to the torture
| and murder of NJ. de Giers and his wife, it
| is to be supposed that the admirals in
| formant had more or less complete knowl-
edge of the fate of the other leading for
eigners. We must expect to hear that MI.
| and Mrs Conger, Mr.. and Mrs. Squiers.
| their families, visitors, and guards Jared
no better at the hands of the Chinese sol
dery than did the Russian Minister. 1t is
significant that Sheng, at Shanghai, at last
has informed the Consuls that all the for
eigners in Pekin have been killed. Any
reasonable doubt on that score has been
dispelled.
What should now first engage the atten
ton and solicitude of the powers is the
matter of relieving the garrison at Tien-
tsin. Unless the late news this morning
should give a much better aspect to the
conditions at that place, it is greatly to be
feared that there will be another massacre
to remind Indifferent Governments of their
unpreparedness for trouble in China. On
the basis of yesterdays reports things
could not look much blacker for the teS
thousand internationals shut in by large
Chinese army at Tientsin, with its siege
guns pounding them from every direction.
Unless Japan is able TO relieve them at
once their condition appears nearly hope
less.
What does the United States Government
intend TO do in view of the situation? Mr.
Mckinley is represented as being strongly
opposed to the idea of calling Congress TO-
gether But if he does not he will be
liable to the charge that he is subordi-
mating national 10 personal inteTests- He
has started in to wage an executive war
against China, but he viii not be able to
carry it on much further without constitu-
tional authority and Congressional grants
Of men and money The conditions are not
likely to be such that he can tide over the
GlUlcully Win a lew thUusstlu itSNIdis anu
marines and with what money he has now
at command. He may. call the present sit
uation war or not. as he chooses. II has
all the elements of war and OF war which
will require armies rather than squads OF
soldiers. If. The United States ultimately .
is TO secure its commercial rights and pro- (
lection for its citizens in the future il will
be compelled TO employ military force in !
the joint punitive operations common
surate with its interests and standing a
frst-class power. Otherwise when the
settlement comes. this country will have no
standing of consequence in the congress
Of nations which one of these days will
audit the international claims and fix the .
indemnity of each.
The crisis is too great a one TO be han /
died by the executive alone over a long
distance telephone wire. Ii demands not
only the presence of the President in
Washington. aut tfat re should call an
extra session of Congress without any de-
lay whatever. We indulge the hope that
he viii recognize his duty and lose no time
in performing it.