The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-20
Circulation Statement.
The Chinese situation.

The Chinese situation.
According to today's news from China, !
it is understood that Ii Hung Chang and
Prince Ching have received a teIegraphic
message from the Empress Dowager viz
tually promising full compliance with he
demands Of the Powers. as = result of the
demonstration organized by Count Won
Waldersee- The Chinese peace ENJOYS are
reported 10 have notified the ministers
that the Court agrees to infict the pun
tshments decreed by them Should there
be sufficient evidence of an intention TO
fulfill this promise in good faith. it IS be-
neved that the expedition to Signan-fu,
which viii be ready to march on Saturday,
and includes eontingents from the British,
German, French, Italian, and japanese
forces amounting to from fifteen TO TWEEN
ty-two thousand men as variOusly esti-
mated. viii be abandoned. or suspended
awaiting further developments
The Administration does not seem to
regard even a show of force on the part
of the allies with equanimity- The Cabi-
net yesterday spent painful two hours
or more in discussing the situation, and
the policy of this Government in relation
u
some general idea that d vigorous note
addressed to Germany would be the prop
er thing. but that was abandoned for pru-
Dental reasons. and the less irritating
course of having Mr.. Conger protest to the
Council of Ministers was adopted After
the Cabinet adjourned il was stated that
our Minister at Pekin would be at once
instructed to offer a remOnstrance against
any resort to arms and to make the atti-
rude of the United States clearly known
TO the legations. and through them TO the
Powers
Under his instructions. as we under
stand. Mr.. Conger will represent that this
country has no troops in China except as
q legation guard: that the United States
is not at war with China; that having re-
lieved the legations and taken possession
Of Pekin pending reparation. this Govern7
Inent sees no reason for agg- essive action;
and that China has been carrying out the
terms prescribed in the protocol agreed
upon by the ministers in December as
well as she could
II our information be correct. and the
foregoing represents what is to be laid
before The Council Of ENJOYS at Pekin, it
Is very well that the proclamation is TO
be delivered before q sort of in -eGnation-
al moot court rather than that it should
be addressed to any foreign office direct
IL. Because IL is not what one could
Justly call a strong brief Of our case We
are not at war with China and have
not been. simply because the Administra-
lion always has refused TO recognize the
attempt of the Chinese Government to
butcher cur representative and all Amer
leans in Pekin. and our invasion. fight
ing. and participation in the capture OF
Pekin. as constituting a state Of war
With quite equal consistency. Mr. Hay
might hold that the torture and murder
of American missionaries at Paoting-fu
was not homicide, but only the sin Of
procrastination.
The text writer's and the precedents and
practice Of civilized nations are against
This contention All authorities on inter
national law agree that the conditions We
have named do constitute war, and calling
It something else. IN order TO evade the
duty Of calling upon Congress for authori-
~ 10 wage war. cannot change the fact.
The armed occupation OF Pekin until
PREPARATION shall be made By the Chinese
for leyyirg war upon the United States. is
in itself an act of war, and, irrefutably,
recognition that a state of war exists. in
spite Of the continuance Of nominal diplo-
matte relations between this country and
China.
# as We are informed, the Administra-
ton has instructed, or is about TO in
struct Mr.. C0nger TO face his colleagues
with the statement that the Chinese have
endeavored to carry out the terms i'm
posed by the Pc Fers as energeticaIly as
they could. We are sorry; since that viii
compel our minister TO say something
which ne knows is not true and which all
who viii listen 10 him know that he does
LOI believe. The truth is in diametricaI
opposition 20 the alleged instructions. n
stead Of accepting the terms. the Chinese
Court has exhausted Oriental cunning, OBJ
structIou. and lying to avoid compliance
The Empress Dowager. while pretending
70 negotiate. has all the while been gather
ing an army with which she has hoped to
renew Eosliiiues successfully in the spring;
and finally. the other day Ii Huag Chang
and Prince CHING we're zhOrn Of their plen-
ipoteutiary powers. From first to last
there has been no evidence OF anything
but treachery on the part CT China, aud.
II the Wal5ersee demonstration has
brought the Celestials at last to a reaII-
,za.ion OF their actual position. and what
IS IN store for them unless they submit
II must be considered good thing from
any and every unprejudiced point of view
L IS 70 b feared that our latest diplo-
matte manifestation Of desire 20 kick
against the pricks'' VIII not serve 10 IL
crease either cur prestige or influence in
the family Of nations.