The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-31
HOPES OF POWERS BLASTED.
EXPECTED A SHARE IN OUR PART
or CHINESE INDEMNITY.

They Thought the 81. 900. 900 Appropria'
ton Urged by the President Was All
We Would AXE From China, and
said They Would Expect q Share In
the Remainder OF the SzS. OOO OOO
WASHINGTON, Dec. so.-The State De-
psrtment has blasted the hopes OF certain
European Powers to add eighteen million
gold dollars to their Golfers, The hopes
were based on a special message OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt to Congress recommending
the appropriation Immediately Of 81 ,oo0,0 900
10 DO paid as indemnity TO Americans,
chiefly missionaries, who suffered In the
Boxer troubles In China last year. Mr..
Roosevelt said that these people were In
distress and would suffer II they did not
secure relief soon. He promised that the
81 900 900 would DO refunded to the Treasury
out Of the indemnity TO be- paid by China.
In some way the impression got abroad
that the 81 900 900 represented all the in
demnity that the United States would
take from China on account OF outrages
against individuals. and that. adding the
expenses of the United States military
expedition In tho Pekin campaign OF 1900,
the total American indemnity would not
exceed $1,000, 900. The indemnity prom
ised by China in the peace protocol signed
at Pekin was about s25 900 900. In arrang-
ing the total amount which China would he
obliged to pay to the Powers, the foreign
diplomatic representatives at Pekin agreed
that China could not raise the money neces-
sary TO cover all claims. a~ggregating more
than $500 900 600. and they decided to scale
down their individual demands until the
total came within the scope Of China's
SANnA of tho Dnp~Ara commanded
reluctantly TO this arrangement, holding
that they were entitled TO larger indemnity.
When certain foreign nations heard that
his Government would a only 81 Ice, 900
OF the amount 10 which II as entitled, they
instructed their ENJOYS in Washington 10
say to the State Department that az China
was able to and had promised TO pay an
additional sum Of SIS, 900 900 TO the United
States. they would expect TO obtain a pro-
portionate share OF the indemnity TO which
the United States had surrendered its
claim. In other words, China was to he
caught coming and going, n while the
American Government would lose SIS
900 900. the other Powers would nave their
indemnities swelled by that amount.
Representations Of this character have
been made TO tho State Department within
the last day or two. The diplomats who
made them have gone away from the De-
partment disappointed. They nave been
informed that tho $4,000 900 was intended
only for the immediate relief of the COM
paratively few Americans whose condi-
ton was such that great distress would be
caused If they were kept waiting for recon-
pense for their losses until China had paid
the indemnify.
This Government, IL was explained.
had no intention Of s%urrendering the rest
of the s25, 100000. As for the amount re-
quired TO cover the expenses Of the American
military expedition. the State Department
made II plain that 35,0O0,0O0 was a ridicu-
lousy low estimate for that purpose. n
the State Department ever had any inten-
ton Of reducing It's claims IL will not carry
IL into effect now, Should SIS, 200, 900 be
more n Ia sufficient TO cover all the
damages for which redress was demanded
by the American Government, the re-
mainder will probably he returned TO China
but not until after theclaims Of the Powers,
been satisfied. From the beginning
of the peace negotiations at Pekin, the
United States have sought 10 prevent
any mulcting Of China and would be willing
tn reduce the amount of the American
Indemnity II other Powers would consent to
down their demands proportionately.