The Forrest City times., 1901-04-12
THE CHINESE INDEMNITY.
Efforts of the United States to Bring the Powers Demands Within
 Chinese Resources.
WILL CUT IN HALF IF OTHERS DO SO.
The Great Danger Lies in Delay The Present Rebellion in Shen si Province Traceable to the Exces- sive Demands ns Regards Punish- mcnts and Penalties.

Washington. April 10.--The state department has heard further from MT. Rockhill, our special commission CT at Pekin, touching the effort mak- ing there to reach an agreement re- specting the indemnity to be de- manded from the Chinese govern ment. Mr. Rockhill's principal effort, acting under direct instructions of the state department, is to induce the other powers to keep down the total of their claims to the amount which the financial experts. headed by Sir Robert Hart, has decided to be within the ability of China to pay
 The Outside Limit.
 The United States government has felt that on no account should the total indemnity claim exceed ( 0,0Oo,- 900 sterling, and has steadfastly sought to make that figure the out side limit of the claims. For itself, the state department claims $25 5,000,- 900 indemnity, and it has supplied Mir. Rockhill with data for the presen- tation of an itemized account show ing the expenditures made by the gov ernment of the United States in the transportation of our military con- tingent in China, it's maintenance there, and the just claims of the mis- sionaries who were American citizens and suffered in property and person from the Boxer outbreak.
 Anxious for Speedy Settlement.
 In it's anxiety to avoid expressing China and to secure a speedy settle ment of the Chinese question, the United States government stands will ing to make a heavy cut in its claims, provided the other nations represent ed at Pekin will abate their claims Tn proportion. It is entirely possible that if Mir. Rockhill can induce the other ministers to make cut of 50 per cent. in their indemnity claims he will do so to; though the apparent result be the loss to the United States of SIP, 100000.
 Danger in Delay.
 The administration is satisfied that the great danger of the situation at Pekin lies in delay. Had the repre- sentations of Mr. Rockhill been heed- ed the officials are confident that the formidable rebellion which has now broken out under the lead of Gen. Tung Flu Sian, in Shen Si province, would never have occurred
 MT. Rockhill had satisfied himself that the Chinese government was ab- solutely sincere when it pleaded in- ability to punish this great general and Prince Yuan in the full measure demanded by the powers. It Is thought here that more modest de- mands could have been met by the Chinese government and the rebellion averted.
 Too Much Time Wasted.
 The indemnity question also has consumed an unconscionable length of time, and if it had been settled sev- eral weeks or even months ago, the present difficulty, it is believed, would have been impossible. It is the hope, therefore, of the officials here, that Tung Flung Sian's movement will stimulate the tagging ministers at Pekin to final action. If it does not if the court is obliged to flee from Si-nan-Fu, and the great Yang-Tsc viceroys are overslaughed by Gen. Tung Flu Sian, as seems entirely prob able-then all China will be plunged into anarchy, in the estimate of the officials here.