Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-01-04

of Tnku Forts md Punishment of
z States Considers Her Questions
Reasonnble-DelayE Expected.
New York, Dec. 3l.-A dispatch to
the Herald from peking says: A
note was received Friday evening
from the imperial court at Si-Ngan-
Flu, acknowledging the receipt of the
demands of the powers.
1t further contained five questions,
or requests, nancy:
First-Might not the Taku forts remain
standing, though dismantled?
Seconds ii prop, ;ed to behead princes
the same as other o endcrs?
: Third-lf the demands are acceded TO.
would the allies cease sending out eXpe-
ditions?
Fourth-What places do the allies pro-
pose to occupy?
Fifth-How long do they propose TO &C.
cupy them?
Was Expected.
Washington, Dec. 3l.--lt is recog-
nized by the officials here as per-
fectly natural course on the part of
the Chinese government TO ask for
explanations of the important points
In the agreement reached by the min
listers at Peking. SO they are not
surprised to hear now that, before
blindly accepting the agreement as
binding upon it, the Chinese court
wishes for some definite statement as
to what Chinese cities are to be occu-
pied. how long the occupation is to
continue, whether it is an absolute
condition that the princes are to be
beheaded, and whether the Taku forts
are to be RACED or whether dismantle-
ment will not suffice.
United States with China.
1t is fact that our government has
from the beginning of the negotia-
tions taken an attitude on these five
points of inquiry closely correspond
ing to that which it is supposed the
Chinese government has assumed as
basis of putting them. Our govern
ment does not desire the absolute
demolition of the Taku forts; it will
suffice for our purposes, having in
mind temporary stay in China, that
they should be rendered harmless by
dismantlement to prevent the ready
access to the Chinese capital of any
force which it might be necessary to
send from Europe and America in the
improbable event that the Chinese
government fails to live up to the
obligations it will assume under the
agreement.
Should BE Given n Chance.
Believing that the Chinese govern
ment should be given suitable OPP
portunity to demonstrate it's good
faith, our government has seen no
necessity for continued occupation
OF the so-called strategic points along
the line of communication between
Picking and the sea. There is no ques-
ton in the mind of our government
as to the extreme unwisdom of con-
tinuing the sending out from Peking
of punitive expeditions which the
Chinese government desires discon-
tinued. So decided has been the OBJ.
lection of our government to the con-
tinuance of these military movements,
which in its opinion have done much
to prevent the Chinese authorities
from carrying out their engagements
to maintain order and insure safety
of foreigners, that the United States
has been nearly at the point of
withdrawing from the concert.
The BeheadinS of Princes.
On the last point. namely, as to
whether the Chinese princes were to
be beheaded, our governments posi-
ton remained unaltered. 1t simply
demands that the Chinese government
shall infiict upon the offending lead
ers, whether princes or mandarins or
peasants, the seyerest possible pun
ishment. The answers to the Chi
pese questions turn upon the under
standing given TO the word "possi-
BILE" 1t is conceivable that the Chi
nese government may find 1t absolute
~ impossible to behead prince. The
result of the effort might be to over
throw the dynasty, destroy the gov
eminent itself, and plunge the coun-
try into renewed chaos. 1t is ques-
ton of fact to be decided.
Signs OF Delay.
Meanwhile it begins to appear from
the character of the Chinese responses
that there may be more time con-
sumed in securing final acceptance
OF the agreement than was at first
expected. 1t was not to be supposed
that the allies, in view of their union
upon the use of the word "irrevoc-
able" as applied to the agreement,
would tolerate unnecessary delay on
the part of the Chinese government
IN acting upon the agreement, but
the inquiries made appear to be SO
reasonable. at least in the eyes of
our government, that there can
scarcely be valid objection to their
consideration.