Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-01-09
NOW READY TO SIGN
China Suddenly Agrees to the Pre-
nminary Joint Note.
PTENIPOTEETIARIES INSTRUCTED.
Instructions Came ~ . Surbrise. PoweA
Will Be Urged Not to Destroy the,
Forts. The News In WASH
ington.

I
edly ordered ito sign the preliminary
Joint note and have notified the for-
agn ENJOYS Ito that effect.
The Chinese themselves were great
ly asuonished at receiving the imperial
instructions. Neither Lii Hung Cmang
NOR Prince Ching had expected sue.
cess i'm persuading the court under ten
days.
The emperor's instructions are to
agree fully to the mote, but to en-
deaNor to get the best terms possible,
particularly in the matter of limiting
the number of legation guards, and
also as to the places where these are
to De located.
| The plenfpohen,tfaGies are instructed
10 endeavor to hmlit the number OF
armv posts along the line of railway
to az few as possible and finally to
request the powers not to destroy the
forts, but merely to disarm them.
Id Hung Chang's health is bad and
It Is doubtful whether he will be able
bo do more than affix his signature to
an instrument deEegating his powers
TO Prince Ching until another pleni-
potentiary has been appointed. He
was dressed this morning and carried
In q chair Ito the residence of Prince
Ching, with whom he held long con.
suEiaifon. Prince Ching then called
upon the doyen IF the diplomatic
&C pa, the Spanish minister, Senior de
Cologan, alnd requested him to notify
tho other emNoYs that instructions
had been received from the emperor
10 sign the note.
Parts, Dec. 3o.-TIhe Havas agency
has received the following dispatch
from Peking:
"Prince Ching and Lii Hung Chang
have communicated the foreign en-
voys an imperial edict in which the
emperor declares THAT China accepts
the joint note and authorizes Prince
Ching and Ii Hung Chang to nego-
USate and to ask for suspension Of
no ttEties.''
St Petersburg, Dec. 3o.-There have
been no negotiations regarding the
| aE'bitraltion of the China fndemniti ties
between the United States and Russia,
which first proposed arbitration, and
the raising of nhIis question, the cor
nespondent of the Associated press I'M
derstands, will not be regarded aa
Mmely until negotiations in Picking
have proceeded further It is be-
1eved, however that Russia Is still in.
chned ito support the arbitration pro-
| position.
Pek1ng, Saturday, Dec. 29.-The fer.
egn communities in Pelding are great.
| " satisfied at the decided tone of the
collective note and the assertion that
| vne powers are determined ITO enter
badn MO proposals for the modification
| OF their demands. 1t is understood Ii
hung Chaing sent memorial to the
Hhrone, couched in very strong terms
urging complete compliance.
The Germans killed forty Chinese
troops near Mancheng, northwest OF
Pa'o1ltingfu. They had no casua lties
Among the natives a feeling OF
great mistrust is being caused, an.
Parently by the high handed action OF
the Germans, as the Chinese suspect
them an intention to force a serious
engagement with the Chinese troops,
| Washington, D. c., Dec. 30.-The re
port rhat the Chinese plenipotentiar-
des had been directed to sign the Joint
note Is a source of satisfaction to
officials here as indicating a disposi-
tom on the paHtt of the Chinese gov.
| ernmIenit to heed the desire of the
powers hiatt negotiations shall be en-
tered on ait once and the present un-
satisfactory condition of affairs ter.
minated. The emperor, it was ex-
pected, would instruct his agents to
ohtta6n the best terms possible.
One of the puincipal objections said
to have been made by the Chinese to
the location Of amy great number Of
aega'tion guards I'm Peking is that
these guards would be a menace to
the existing Chinese government. As
had been already stated in these dis
patches, the United Sbaes government
does not desire the absolute demoli.
Men of the Taku fonts, but simply
NAeir dfsmantlement, so that ready
Aocess TO the Chinese capital of "a for
eign torce would mot be prevented.
The demand of the powers I'm the joint
n0te, however, wan for the destruction
of the forts.
The inquiries said to have been
made by the Chinese government OF
Che envoys, of which Inquiries. how.
ever, no official dnutimation has been
received from Mr.. Conger, have been
regarded by the officials of this gov.
eeument as reasonable, and because
% this more delay than has occurred
was expected dn the counts direction
1or the signature of the note. Moth.
fng hais come from Mr.. Conger N.
Gnrdhng the status Of the note since {
oablegr2m from him some days arc
a@n0gHnciRg that 1T had been presemfe ~,