Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1901-05-09
NBW LIGHT ON China
Minister 0onger Says Emperor is Willing
to Expedite a Settlement.
ANXIOUS TO DO ALL THAT HE CAN
listers to Agree Upon a Modus yivendi-
Nevertheless Feels Certain Powers
VIII Reach Conclusion IN Short Time.

NEW YORK, May 6.-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
Leslie's Weekly. Mr.. Conger says in
part:
Unless matters have changed very
materially since l left China six
weeks ago, the powers will reach
some conclusion in regard to the
Chinese very soon. Of course it is
difficult for eleven men to agree on
anything, especially when they have
eleven governments with differing
views behind them. China is perfectly
willing to do anything that the pow
ers agree upon-that is, within her
ability to accomplish. She is only too
anxious to expedite these matters and
settle down to peaceful pursuits again.
Of course the powers must not de-
mand 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 u money indemnity. 1t is
perfectly certain that if any nation
does make this demand, the partition
of China will follow, and this will in
evitably cause much dissention be-
tween the powers. These difficulties
and disputes would be long in the
settling, and would lead to terrible
confusion in China
Russia has so far mitigated her
demands that there is not now much
danger of serious difficulty between
much in favor of the continued ex-
istence of China as an empire, gov
erned 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 maintained.
Gas 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 de-
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 govern
ment, and then, of course, the pun
ishment could not be enforced. Ex-
cept in these cases, everything was
done as the powers demanded.
cat home I understand that I was
thought bloodthirsty, but in China
was the most 1enient of all the min
listers, except one. We knew the con-
ditions better than those who were
not there could possibly know them.
Drastic measures we're demanded, but
I do not think that we were cruel.
What would seem a very severe pun
ishment to US at home would not i'm
press the Chinese at all, for the rea-
son that they indulge in so many
cruel and unusual punishments. The
reports Of cruelty on the part of SOL
diers have been grossly exaggerated,
though / am sure that there was
plenty Of brutality on the part of in
dividual soldiers. AS an army, the
allies were exceedingly we'll 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 we
needed while we were Gagged up in the
compound had we been able to fasten
upon anything that would help us to
Withstand the siege. AS for the
stories of missionary looting, they !
are undisguisedly false. The mission
tries did not loot"