The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-04-12
ROCKHILL'S HARD TASK.
Trying to Persuade Other Powers to
BE Reasonable in Demands
on China.

Washington, April 10.-The state de-
| partment has heard further from Mr..
Rockhill, our special commissioner at
Picking, touching the effort making
there to reach an agreement respect
ing the indemnity to be demanded
from the Chinese government. Mr..
Rockhilrs principal effort, acting un-
der direct instructions from Secretary
Hay, is to induce the ministers of
| other powers to keep down the total
of their claims to the amount which
the financial experts, headed by Sir
Robert Hart, have decided to be with
in the ability of China to pay. The
United States government has felt
that on no account should the
total indemnity claim exceed G40,-
100000 sterling, and has steadfastly
sought to make that figure the out
side limit of the claim. For itself the
state department claims $4,000, 900
indemnity and it has supplied Mr..
Rockhill with data for the presenta-
ton of an itemized account showing
the expenditures made by the gov
eminent 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.
In its anxiety to avoid depressing
China and to secure a speedy settle
ment of the Chinese question, the
United States government stands
willing to make heavy cut in its
claim, provided the other nations rep
resented at Picking will abate their
claims in proportion. 1t is entirely
possible that if Mr.. Rockhill can in
duce the other ministers to make a
cut of so per cent. in their indemnity
claims, he will do so: though the ap-
parent result be the loss to the
United States of $12,5OO,OOO.
The administration is satisfied that
the great danger of the situation at
Picking lies in delay. Had the repre-
sensations 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-Fu-Sian, in Shen-Si province,
would never have occurred. Mr..
Rocl<hill had satisfied himself that
the Chinese government was abso-
lutely sincere when it pleaded inabil-
ity to punish this great general and
Prince Tuan in the full measure de-
manded by the powers. 1t is thought
here that more modest demands
could have been met by the Chinese
government and the rebellion averted
The indemnity question also has
consumed an unconscionable length
of time, and if it had been settled sew
eral weeks or even months ago, the
present difficulty, it is believed, would
have been impossible. 1t is the hope
therefore of the officials here that
late the tagging ministers at Picking
to final action. If it does not, if the
court is obliged to flee from Sinan-
flu, and the great Yangtse viceroys
are overslaughed by Gen. Tung-Fu-
Sian, as seems entirely probable, then
all China will be plunged into anarchy,
in the estimate of the officials here.
Peking, April 10.-The Russian
minister to China, NJ. De Giers, re-
spending to the letter from Prince
Ching and Ii Hung Chang regard
ing Manchuria, merely refuses to hold
further communication with them
upon the subject.