The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-12
OUR PART IN CHINA
COMMISSIONER ROCKHILL'S RE-
PORT SUBMITTED.
MODERATION THE KEYNOTE.
A STATEMENT OF THE NEGOTIA-
TIONs AND RESULTS.

United Stutes-The Heavy lndem-
nifty Was Opposed and Further
increases shut Out-The Matter OF
Trade. Not Overlooked.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE long ex~
pected report of Special Commissioner
Rockhill to the Secretary of State on
the results of his work in connection
with the Chinese negotiations in Pc
kin, has been submitted to Congress,
along with the full text of the proto-
-eel which has been already published,
and a mass of detailed statements. 1t
was upon this report that the Prest-
dent based his commendatory refer
ence to Mr.. Rockhill's work in his re-
Gently published message to Congress.
The report says:
"The twelve demands made by the
Powers on China, the accomplishment
of which was deemed necessary for
the restoration of normal relations with
that country, and which were embod-
led in the joint note of Dec. %, 1900,
may be classed under four principal
heads: First, adequate punishment
for the authors of and those guilty of
actual participation in the anti-foreign
massacres and riots: second, the
adoption of measures to prevent their
recurrence; third. the indemnification
for losses sustained by states and for
eigners through these riots and fourth,
the Improvement of our relations. both
official and commercial, with the Chi
nese government and with China gem
orally.
LAS regards the punishment of -he
responsible authors and actual perpe-
traitors of the anti-foreign outrages.
the government of the United States.
while insisting that all such should be
held to the utmost accountability, de-
clined to determine In every case the
nature of the punishment to be inhict-
cd, and maintained that the Chinese
government itself should i'm an cases
carry them out.
las soon as the chief culprlts had
been punished, considering the terri
bic losses in life and property sustain
ed by China, the United States threw
the weight Of it's influence on the side
of moderation and the prevention of
further bloodshed. To this II was
mainly due that the long lists of pro-
scription, which had been prepared by
the representatives of the Powers, of
Chinese in the provinces charged with
participation in the massacres or riots,
were repeatedly revised before presen-
tation to the Chinese. government.
while seeking with the other Pow
ers the best means to prevent the re-
currence of such troubles and to guard
in the future American residents in
Pekin from such dangers as they had
passed through, the United States did
not lend its support to any plan which
contenpla ted either the prolonged oc-
cupation by foreign troops of any por-
tions or points in China or the erec-
tion of an international fort in the
city of Pekin from which to carry on
friendly relations with the Chinese
government. Our policy has always
been in favor of q strong, Independent
and responsible Chinese government
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
out the negotiations we strictly adj
hered TO this Just principle. with re-
suits which have proved beneficial to
all.
"As regards the third point of the
negotiations, the equitable indemnif-
cation of the various states for the
losses and expenses incurred by them
in China and in sending expeditionary
forces, the government of the United
States advocated that the sum total
of these indernnities should not ex-
ceed a reasonable amount well within
the power of China to pay.
The Heavy Indemnity.
Though 1t became necessary, after
protracted discussion in the confer
ence, to accept the proposition of the
other Powers to demand of China the
sum total OF their losses and disburse-
ments. reaching the enormus sum Of
$685.. .000, 900, our insistence in pressing
for much lower sum. and the weight
of the arguments adduced in favor
of such a policy, resulted in closing
the indemnities at the above lump
sum, when they bid fair to 20 on
swelling indefinitely.
I'm connection with the question Of
the indemnity, l should particularly
mention that IL having proved neces-
sary to the Powers in their search
for revenues applicable to the SER
vice Of the indemnity debt that the
existing nominal of 5 per cent ad va
loren customs tariff on foreign inn
ports should be made an effective
per cent. ad valorem, the United
States, mindful of furtherance of law
full commerce in China In the interests
VI lHe WOfiu, anu DeIeNlnR Indt no
opportunity should be lost to secure
to foreign trade all the facilities it's
vast Importance entities II to, and that
any additional tax on trade should
be met by commercial compensations
on the part of China of equal value,
declined to consent to the above In
crease of the customs tariff on inn
ports unless: "a all the treaty Pow
ers and China agreed to cooperate in
the long desired Improvement of the
water approaches to Shanghai and
Tien Tsin, and 90 that specific duties
should be substituted for the pres
ent ad valorem ones I'm the tariff on
foreign imports. Both of these condi-
tions were ultimately agreed upon.
A New Foreign Industry.
mo divergence of views existed, fort
unately, between the representatives
OF the Powers on the question of Inn
proving the channels OF direct COM
munication between them and the Chi
nese government. The Tsung Ii va
men, or Bureau OF Foreign Affairs,
which the experience OF forty years
had shown Chinese and foreigners alike
was unwieldy and incapable of dis
charging the duties devolving upon Il,
was altered in the way suggested by
the conference, changed into a respon-
sible ministry of foreign affairs, and
organized on lines similar to those
adopted in every other country OF the
world.
nquob IN brlcf has hcan tho roto