Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-21
AGREEMENT IS NO NEARER
Chinese Indemnity Question Appnr-
emily as Far as Ever from
solution.

WASHINGTON, March 20.-Another COM
munication was received today from Special
Commissioners Rockhll touching the com
plications that have resulted at Pekin from
the eHorts OF the various powers to decide
ON Uniform basis of their indemnity claims,
but there Is nothing to indicate that an
agi cement Us any nearer than 1t was when
this subject was first taken up by the
minister. Although the State department
is more than ever convinced that its sug-
gestlon looking to the reference OF the en-.
tire subject Of indemnities to The Hague
commission is the true solution of the difh-
Guilty, that proposition having been deh-
nitely rejected early in the negotiations, Is
not now before the ministers. No precise
instructions have been sent to MIR. Rock
hill within the last few days on this point,
owing principally to the absence of the
president from Washington. 1t is presumed
that, now that the presidents attention 10
again directed to the subject, there Will be
more complete definition of policy.
The situation at Tien Tsin still fails to
excite the officials here, who feel that the
| critical point has passed.
curious fact in connection with the
Manchurian complication is that so far
| there Is no trace of an official protest to
| Russia against the execution OF its an
nounced program in Manchuria 1t is not
| for lack of disposition to oppose this policy
that the protest has not appeared, but be-
cause there is no authenticated copy to be
had of the reputed Chino Russian agree
ment, and further, no one of the powers
| has yet been found willing to take the ini-
tiative in challenging Russia. Our State
| department has exerted what influence 1t
| could to secure a statement of the facts as
| to Manchuria the result OF which has been
| to secure a repetition of the Russian dis
| claimer Of improper motives. but not
| definition of the program for the future
| further than II was defined in the Russian
pronouncement Of August last.
| S5OO,OOO.0OO the Aggregate
| 1t is stated that the sum total of in
IDENTITIES claimed by all nations cannot
be calculated at this moment, because OF
the lack OF agreement on the part Of the
| powers on the very basis of settlement.
But assuming that the other powers are
willing to accept the scheme of adjustment
proposed by the United States, allowing q
certain amount for each missionary killed
or injured and another allowance for prop
| erty destroyed the sum total would be con-
siderably less than $3.50, 900. 1t is not
doubted that under economical administra-
tion, with order completely restored and
| Win Tree access 10 tne Interior Oh emma,
| the Chinese revenues would be able to meet
this charge against them within reason
able time.
| But it appears almost hopeless now to
expect the other powers to accept the
same basis Of compensation that would
satisfy the United States government Not
| only is there vast difference in the scale
of these demands, based on military ex
periences. but there is also a very radical
difference Of opinion as to the treatment
Of the native Christians who have suffered
in person and property by the Boxers, and
II Is believed that IL this element Is to be
treated with the liberality claimed by some
European powers the indemnity will be
nearly $5OOOOOOOO in the aggregate, an
amount quite beyond the ability Of China
| to meet.