Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-05-11
CONGER SPEAKS ON CHINA
SAYS HE FAvoRs AN EMPIRE
He Thinks Powers Can uo
thing decentralization
TO Make MISUNDERSTANDING =,
Not Loot, According to Conger

New York, May 6.-Minister Congo,
VINO lately returned to this counes.
furnishes an article on "The Cbira''
SITUATION, which will appear in ~
coming number of Leslie's Woo,.,'
Mr.. Conger says:
Unless matters have chanqod -.
materially since left China, the now
ers will reach some conclusion IN
gard to China very soon. Of course :.
Is difficult for IL men to agree IN on-' -
thing, especially when thew bovo =,
governments with differing We've ~
mind them. China is perfectly will.
to DO anything that the powers agras
upon, that is, anything within her ebiI
lty to accomplish. She is ONLY +oa
anxious to expedite these matters and
settle down to peaceful pursuits again
VI course the powers must not demona
an indemnity which China will h.
physically unable to raise.
1T is not certain that finally. some
nation may not demand territorv 80
emma IN lieu of a money indemnitv
1t is perfectly certain that if anv NJ
ton does make this demand the narti
tlon of China will follow and tbia MIL,
inevitably cause much dissension no
tween the powers. These difficulties
and disputes would be long in the sat.
ting and would lead to terrible con.
fusion in China.
Russia has so far mitigated her do.
mands that there is now not much dan.
ger OF serious difficulty between her
and Japan.
personally, am very much in "a.
Vor or the continued existence of China
as an empire, governed by her own
emperor. 1t will save us and all +bo.
rest OF the world lots of trouble If the
integrity OF the empire is maintained
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 demand.
ed by the powers, for it takes a good
deal OF punishment to impress this peo-
pie, and this was no ordinary offense.
In some cases the official whose punish.
ment was demanded was more power.
ful than the government, and, then. of
course, the punishment could not he
enforced. Except in these cases. every.
thing was done as the powers do.
manded.
AT home / understand that I was
thought bloodthirsty, but in China {
was the most lenient of the ministers
except one. We knew the conditions
better than those who were not there
could possibly know them. Drastic
measures were demanded, but do not
think we were cruel. What would
seem severe punishment to US at
home would not impress the Chinese
at all, for the reason that they indulge
IN so many cruel and unusual punish
mentS.
The reports of cruelty on the part
of the soldiers have been grossly exag-
gerated, though I am sure that there
was plenty of brutality on the part of
the individual soldiers. AS an army
the allies were exceedingly we'll be-
haved. Nor were the stories of unre-
strlcted footing true. In Pekin the SOL
diers took what they needed, of course.
Just as we would have seized anything
That we needed while we were caked up
IN the compound had we been able to
tasten upon anything that would help
us to Withstand the siege. AS for the
stories of missionary looting, they are
undlsguisedly false. The missionaries
did not loot"