The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-27
NUMBER 1870.
The SBIRLBM BNP At PBKIN
Harmonious Adjustment OF the Chi
nesc Indemnity Question.

bIr. RocI,hfII Notifies The state De
partrscut Uf the Terms Agreed
Upon by the PoyycTs-trra"Ec-
mcEt> for Collecting the Amounts.
The Diplomatic crisis over the settle
ment OF the Chinese indemnity question
has been tremendously adjusted by the
REPRESENTATIVES OF the Powers at Pekin,
according to advices received at the State
Department today from ". ". RockhiII-
the Special Commissioner OF the United
States To- China. Air. Rockhil says that
all the principal points of negotiation
have been settled and it is expected that
the result viii bc summarized in final
protocol within two weeks and that all
The Powers viii become signatories-
The deadlock among the foreign repre-
lentatives was broken. MI RockhtIs ad-
vices show. by the action Of the Russian
Government in signifying its intention Of
not pressing further at this time the aues-
tion of an eventual increase OF the i'm
port customs duty beyond per cent
The other points Of agreement of which
the department has been notified by Mr,
Rockhiu in his despatch are summarized
as follows:
It Is agreed that. in case the revenues
Of China are not sufficient for the pay
ment Of interest and installments Of prin-
cipaI. the Powers are TO examine the
revenues and determine what changes are
Cy
The Imperial maritime customs are TO
be included in this examination.
The British Minister is satisfied with
this arrangement and the whole question
of financial measures is. therefore. settled
The s50.o59co0 taeIs. constituting the in
dennity, are tc be converted into gold at
the equivalent Of the taeI value on April
], of the present year.
In case the import dues are subsequent
" Increased the free list must be abol-
ished, excepting for cereals: but 1t Is TN
derstood that compensation IN that case
viii be asked FOR. particularly the fnan-
cial participation Of China in improving
the water approaches at Shanghai and
TientsiH.
1t is evident from Mr. RociIhiIIs de-
spatch that the Russian Government, be
fore proposing the eventual increase OF
the maritime customs duty, abandoned its
efforts TO secure an immediate increase
10 20 per ceI.t That was Russia's first
proposal She was combated in that by
Great Britain and Germany, which nelo
out for an immediate increase of only
per cent
The United States Government. while
favorable to she position of Great Brit
ain and Germany, proposed as q com
promise that there should be an immedi
ate increase Of per cent, with the uu
derstanding that # the revenue derived
therefrom did not prove sufficient 10 en-
able China to pay interest and install
nents OF principal the duties shoui,
be increased an additional per cent. o.
10 per cent In all This Is the eventua
increase proposition. Russia apparently
when she found that there was no pros
pect Of the adoption Of her 10 per cen
increase proposal. abandoned that an,
joined the United States in attempting &
secure the acceptance OF the suggestion
for an eventual increase 5f the duties
The question recently arose as 10 wh.Jh
er the United States Government WCul'
take its portion of the indemnity bonds 81
American gold or English pounds ster
ling The disposition Of the Government
is to take them in the form least burden
some 10 China. and il IS probable that i
the interest Of uniformity the bonds Wi
be expressed in terms Of pounds sterling