Evening star., 1901-03-22
CHINESE ABILITY TO PAY.
The Sum of 5000, 100000 Regarded as
the Maximum,

nc Gum u F~NV.VVesVVV AsCS0 US
the Maximum.
Although the situation at Tien Tsin was
never regarded here as really dangerous,
the officials felt that a prolongation of the
hostile attitude of the British and Russian
forces might lead to trouble in the end, SO
that the news of the arrangement by
which both Of the powers are enabled
to recede from their. positions without loss
Of honor was well received here. With this
exciting issue Withdrawn the Chinese
trouble has assumed less menacing as
pect, and 1t is reported that the ministers
have been able, leaving in allegiance the
troublesome subject of indemnities to
make some headWay toward the disposition
of the points remaining to be adjusted
under the articles subscribed to by China
and the powers as the basis for the Joint
meeting at Pekn-
Further inquiry into the indemnity ques-
ton makes is appear that the sum of
S2OO, ,OOO, COO which our government has con-
sidered the maximum that should be levied
upon the Chinese as a tax, represents abb
solutely the limit of Chinese ability, ac-
best Informed as to the resources of China
The figure named does not represent the
aggregate of the indemnities claimed. On
the contrary, it is understood that these
are In the aggregate very much larger:
The United States fixed upon the sum of
25OO0,0O0 suitable indemnity to be
claimed, not because that represented the
a(I~n expense to which our government
has been put by the Boxer troubles and the
financial losses sustained by our citizens,
but simply because 1t was felt that this
was as much as we should claim proper
tionately of the total OF S20o,000tOOO.
1t is not the intention to divide this $780,
00o,000 into as many equal parts as there
are powers. but, while dividing it into eight
or ten parts, to see to it that these parts
are so proportioned as to- compensate the
powers in accordance with the outlay they
have been put to in stppressing the Boxer
troubles, and an erroneous impression was
acquired yesterday on that point. AS a
matter of fact, the State Department Off
cials, having In hand the estimates made
by the department of the cost of Cen
eral Chafee'sl campaign, from the Navy
Department the bills properly charged on
account of the cooperation of the navy,
and from United States consular officers
and from the missionary societies, charges
on account of the loss of life and property
by American missionaries, is satisfied that
the sum of $25 100000 will only provide for
payment of a certain percentage of the
items claimed. The department would,
even with this fact in view, be willing to
abate the S2a,OO0,OOO clairl if the other
powers would reduce their claims in the
same proportion, even to the extent of re-
ducing the total estimate to s1O0, coo 600, IL,
by so doing, the Chinese government could
be relieved by having the tax adjusted to
its ability But although in grave
doubt whether China can pay more than
S1OO,OOO,OO0, our government feels itself
bound to secure compensation for it's citi-
zens and itself to the same extent as is
secured by other powers and is especially
resolved to do this because of the eonyic-
ton that total abandonment of our
claims, or even heavy reduction without
corresponding action on the part of the
other powers, would rather injure than
help China by destroying whatever Of re-
straining influence the State Department
has SO far been able to exert upon less
sympathetic powers.