The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-12
REPORT OF ROCKHILL
WAS SPECIAL COMMISSIONER
 TO CHINA.
He Details Conditions in the Celes- tial Empire and Tells of His Visits to Different
 Viceroys-

Washington. Dec. n.-The long ex- pected report of Special Commissioner Rockhill to the Secretary of State or the work in connection with the Chinese ne gotiations in Pekin, has been su1mit'e1f tnnt of the protocol which has been alreauy put. pup lished and a mass of detailed statements. It was upon this report that the fres- to MT. Rockhilps work in his recently published message to Congress.
 Beginning by detailing the conaiions Julv. 1900. United States Commissioner to China. Mir. Rockhill tells or yis,ts me ns made to the viceroys of Shan-Hai ana Wu Chang, which he said did nes neacs MT. Rockhill says that he fully con cured in all the measures that Minister Conger had been and was advocauns. riod of four months. and MT. Rockhili thus summarizes the results in address l ing Secretary Hay: .,. ''The circular note whicn you s}es | in Europe and to our missions Tn vienna; Brussels, Madrid, Tokio, the Hague anu | Lisbon defined the policy already then me-, adopted by the United States in the set. | tlement of affairs in China and from | which they never departed Bearing l these instructions always Tn minu, an tasks of the agents or ratiyely G~g an easy one. Throughout the negotiations our | obiect WIS to use the influence or our government in the interest rit Gi 'usa,ce of equal 1 friendship to the powers negouta.hs negt jointly with us and the Chinese nationi
 The twelve demands made py tns powers on China, the accomplishment oI which was deemed necessary Tor the res toration of normal relations with tna. @ country and which were embodied in the Classified under four principal heads: "F'irst-Adsuuate punishment TOT trS authors of and those guilty or actuai participation in the anti-foreign massa- cfes ssecondEThe cont adoption of measures necessary te prevent their recurrence.
 ':Third-The indemnification for losses 6nsrs sustained by States and foreigners throush these riots: and | "Fos,rth-The improvement or our reia. | t;ons both official and commercial WlIh the Chinese government and with Chiha AS regards the punishment of the re- l sponsibIe authorities and actual perpe- l trators of the anti-f9feign outrases; hi,a tns Insisting that all such should be held 10 inc utmost accountability-decline 10 oe- termine in every case the nature oI tne punishment to be Innicted ',arnnsent anu ~ ,9 If. l self should in all cases carry them ou..
 "As soon as the chief culprits had been punished. considering the terrible JOSS m aniy through the Boxers and their adher- ents, hui by the destruction of Tien Tsin. | Pekin and the military occupation or a large portion of the province St oi Sim nf t, its the prevention of further bloodshed.
 ITO this 1t was mainly due that the the ions ra pared by the representatives of the pow, | CTS, of Chinese in the provinces charged | with participation in the massacre or riots. were repeatedly revised rnnent oenoPe .ne | The demands for capital punishment were finally reduced from ten to four ana many names, erroneously or insutnclent evl1 | dence placed on the lists. were removed or lighter forms of punishment asked for | number of those left on them.
 While seeking with the other powers of such troubles and riots in the future
 the American residents in Pekin from
 such dangers as they have passed through, She United states did not lena
 Its support to any plan which contem- plated either the prolonged occupation by foreign troops or any portions or points
 in China or the erection of an interna-
 tional fort in the city. of Pekin from which to carry on friendly relations with ,I the Chinese government. Our policy has always been in favor of a strong. inde- pendent and responsible Chinese govern
 ment which can and will be held account
 able for the maintenance of order and the protection of our citizens and their
 rights under the treaties. Through the
 
 just principle. which results have proved
 beneficial to all
 "As regards the third point of the nego-
 tiations the equitable indemnlneaeiodn inc. ne d 2 or
 penses incurred by them in China and In
 sending eXpeditionary forces to relieve
 the legations and foreign residents at Pe- kin and restore order and also the secur-
 ing of indemnites to societies. companies
 and individuals for their private losses
 through the anti-foreign riots the gov
 that the sum total of their indemnities should not exceed a reasonable amount
 we'll within the power of China to pay.
 After certain inquiry, you reached the conclusion that with her present resources and, liabilities, China could not pay as
 tndemnities to the powers more than twc
 hundred millions of dollars and that the exaction of any larger amount would not . only entail permanent, final real embar' r rassment on the country. but might pos
 sibly result in either internal financial 2 representative of the United States was instructed accordingly and he was further , told that in the opinion of our gnWrn- ment the amount should be asked of Chi na by the powers jointly. without detail
 or explanation. and afterwards divided n among them according to their losses and
 disbursements. You also stated that ev- , cry facility of payment should be accord = ed China and that the debts should he t. paid by bonds issued at par and bearing
 per cent interest and running for. thirty
 or forty years
 Though 1t became necessary to accept the proposition of the other powers to de mand of China the sum total of their losses and disbursements the enormous
 sum of $36, 900 over insistence in press
 ing for a much lower sum. and the weight of arguments adduced in favor of such a policy. resulted in closing the indemni-
 ties at the above lump sum, when they
 promised to go on swelling indefinitely
 This, and the acceptance of your sugges- tion that the indemnities be paid in bonds
 issued at par and bearing a low rate of interest H per cent. was finally agreed upon and running for forty years. result
 ed in saving a vast sum to China. hasten ed the evacuation of the country by the
 expeditionarv forces and the restoration
 of order and of normal relations with the Chinese government
 "In connection with the question of the fl demnity 1t is worthy particular mem
 ton that 1t had proved necessary for the