Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-06
MINISTER CONG[R'S VIEWS
ON THE GENERAL SITUATION OF
AFFAIRS IN THE CELESTIAL
EMPIRE
THE DIFFICULTY OF AGREEING
CHINA WILLING TO MEET ANY
REASONABLE DEMAND.
II Any Nation Demands Territory in
Lieu of Money the Partition of
the Empire Will FolIow-No
Serious Danger of a Rupture Be-
tween Russia and Japan-Mr. Con-
ger Says He Was the Most Lenient
of All the Ministers.


NEW YORK, May minister E. H.
Conger, who has lately returned to this
country, furnishes an article on the
Chinese situation which will appear in
the coming number of Leslies Weekly.
Mr.. Conger says in part:
Unless matters have changed very
materially since i left China six weeks
ago, the powers will reach some con-
clusion in regard to China very soon.
OF course it is difficult for eleven men
to agree on anything, especially when
they have eleven governments with
different views behind them. China is
perfectly willing to do anything that
the powers agree upon-that is any,
thing within her ability to accomplish.
She is only too anxious to expedite
these matters and settle down to peace
full pursuits again. Of course, the pow
ers must not demand an indemnity
which China will be physically unable
to raise.
1T is not certain that. finally, some
nation may not demand territory of
China in lieu of d money indemnity.
1t is perfectly certain that if any ma
ton does make this demand, the par
tition of China will follow, and this
will inevitably cause much dissension
between the powers. These difficulties
and disputes would be long in the set
Ting and would lead to terrible con-
fusion in China
mands that there is not now much dan
ger of serious difficulty between her and
Japan. Personally am very much in
favor of the continued existence of
China as an empire, governed by her
own emperor. 1t will save us and all
the rest of the world lots of trouble if
the integrity of the empire is main
tanned.
AS far as the punishment of Chi
nese officials goes. China has already
done all that she could. Something out
of the ordinary had to be demanded by
The powers, for it takes good deal of
punishment to impress this people, and
this was no ordinary offense. In some
cases the officials whose punishment
was demanded, were more powerful
than the government, and then, of
course, the punishment could not be en-
forced. Except in these cases, every
thing was done as the powers demand
ed.
AT home understand that l was
blood-thirsty, but in China l was the
most lenient of all the ministers. except
one. We know the conditions better
than those who were not there could
possibly know them. Drastic measures
were demanded, but do not think that
we were cruel. What would seem a Sc
we're punishment to us at home would
not impress the Chinese at all, for the
reason that they indulge in so many
cruel and unusual punishments. The
reports of cruelty on the part of the
soldiers have been grossly exaggerated,
though | am sure that there was plenty
of brutality on the part of individual
soldiers. AS an army, the allies were
exceedingly well behaved Nor were
the stories of unrestricted looting true.
In Pekin the soldiers took what they
needed, of course. just as we would
have seized anything that we needed
while We were Gagged up in the COM
pound, had we been able to fasten upon
anything that would help us to with
stand the siege. AS for the stories of
missionary footing, they are undisguis-
edly false. The missionaries did not
loot