The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-13
NUMBER 1884.
CONCERT IN CHINA BROKEN
Russia Protests Against the Fur
Their Punishment Gf Officials.

ken rs Compensation for an
agreement Giving the Gar Domin-
alton in the Whole Northern Part
of the EmpIre-Opposition of the
ST. Petersburg Representative ut n
Meeting of the Ministers in PeI>fn
the Cause of General Surprise.
PEKIN, March PFC p. m-).-The for
eign ministers held a meeting today and
discussed the question Of the punishment
of the provincial officials who are re
garded as responsible primarily for the
Boxer troubles, and who are directly i'm
pIicated III the massacre of missionaries
and converts.
To the surprise of everybody, the Rus
sian representative appeared as an opDo-
nent 10 any further punishment of Chi
nese officials. no matter how guilty they
may have been.
This was the first decided break in the
Concert OF the Powers The Russian rep
resentative got his orders from St Pc
tersburg. 1t is understood that ne was
told to aid China in every way in return
for China's signature TO an agreement
recognizing Russian predominance in the
whole northern part of the Empire.
The Chinese Peace Commissioners have
attempted to minimize the Importance Of
this agreement in the hope, it is thought.
of provoking discord among the minis
tiers
The move made by Russia today will
please the Chinese for two reasons. IN
the first place, it means that the punish
ment of the provincial officials will be
STAYED or temporarily 10 say the least,
and, secondly, it viii have tendency to
break the unanimity Of the Powers
As the matter stands now. Great
Britain, Germany. France, Italy, Austria,
Belgium. and Holland are agreed that
these officials should be punished. The
position Of Japan and America is IN
certain. The action of these two coun-
tries is deemed most important in set
Ting the policy of the allies
In the opinion Of the majority of the
ministers it is simply a question whether
strict justice shall be administered and
policy adopted that will bring security to
the country or one of laxity that Will lead
to more danger and trouble.
The Russian officer commanding at Tien-
tsin has appealed to N. De G!ers, the
Russian Minister, against the British con-
structing a railway siding on land which
is claimed as part Of the new Russian con-
cession.
Investigations made up TO date go to
show that at the lowest calculation 240
foreigners and $4,000 native converts were
murdered as a direct outcome of the Boxer
troubles. which had official connivance.
These massacres were distributed about as
follows:
Protestant missionaries. men women,
and children in shanse Chih-H, Mongolia,
and Chekiang (British) 1l3; Americans
and Scandinavians affiliated with Aneri-
can societies IS; Catholics, French.
Italian. Netherlands, German. and Bel
gians in Manchurfa Mongolia, Chih-Ii,
Human. Szechuan, Kiaochiao, Thibet, and
Honan, 49
Most of the foreign ministers believe
that the perpetrators of these outrages
deserve severe punishment and that it
should be imposed in order to maintain
justice, which is the basis Of all law.
The list contains the names Of 140 Of
Gcials on whom strict punishment is de-
manded, even so far as the imposition Of
the death penalty, but the ministers in
sist on the beheading only OF eleven,
namely: The 'sGb-Drefect at Tungping-
chow, Province of Chih-li; the official Of
West Mongolia, where the Bishop of the
Netherlands and three priests were muir
dered; the sub-prefect of the East Mon
COLA; the project of Fencho-fu; the
magistrate of Paicheng; the taotai Of Ku-
eihuaJeng; the sub-prefect of Hsinchow;
the taotai of Shause: the military gov
ernor Of Mukden, and two officials at
Chuchan and Chekiang
The ministers VIII also demand posth-
Umous punishment for Yu LII, late Vice
roy Of Tientsin. They viii demand in ad-
dition that all the other guilty parties
shall be sentenced to such punishment
as Imprisonment, Punishment, and degre-
dalton. Such treatment, it is claimed, is
better than the Russian policy Of killing
thousands Of helpless people in North
Manchuria
One Of the Ministers said today that if
the representatives Of the Powers should
yield in the matter Of the killing of one
Of these guilty officials, there never
would be security hereafter for a mis-
sionary or a foreign merchant under the
Chinese Government
The same diplomat said that if the
American Government was now indiner-
ent to this question all its foreign pres
tige and interest in the welfare of it's
citizens will suffer.
It IS learned that the Russians are ex-
pecting the speedy arrival Of transports
with additional troops and that when
they reach here that country win make a
demonstration in the Gulf OF PechIi. This
action VIII be intended partially as a
warning 10 China, but mainly as a warn
ing 10 Japan 10 keep her hands off il she
has any idea Of attempting to hinder
Russian aggression.
It IS estimated that at the present mo-
ment there are 109.0o0 Russian soldiers in
Chinese territory and yet the Foreign Of
fee at St. Petersburg is trying 10 con