Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-02-07
)WAGEREMPRESSR RECEIVES.
.H1NEsE CUSTOMS CHANGED.
r.. Empress and Emperor Received
the Ladies' and Children of For
eign Diplomats I'm the Palace
Mrs. COn9er's speech - BANQUET
Followed Reception.

Pekin, Feb. 4-The dowager EN-.
ress and the emperor Saturday after.
boon received the ladies and children
Il the fourteen diplomats in the palace
The audience was the most revolu-
ionary event since the return OF the
kourt to Pekin. The exclusiyeness of
Chinese royalty and the prejudice.s
Aganst the meeting Of the sexes was
vaived and the function was less form
II than is usual in European courts.
The dowager empress occupied the
hrone, with brilliant assemblage OF
brincesses and court ladies about her.
The emperor was seated upon a small
platform In the center of the room.
The visitors, upon entering, bowed
vice to the emperor and several of
hem assembled to the throne and
bowed to the dowager empress.
Mrs. Conger. wife of United States
minister Conger, as doyoness of the
diplomatic corps, read a speech, which
vas translated by Secretary Williams.
Mrs. Conger said:
1--WE heartily congratulate you and
the imperial court that the unfortun.
ate occurrence which led you to aband-
on your beautiful capital has so hap
billy been solved, that you are now per-
United to return in freedom and peace
The events Of the past two years must
have been as painful to you as to the
rest of the world, but the sting OF ex-
perience may be eliminated by the es-
tablishment Of franker, more trustful
and friendlier relations between the
Chinese and the other people of the
earth. The world is moving forward,
the tide Of progress can not be stayed
and it is hoped that China will join
with the great sisterhood of nations
in the march.
THE recent imperial edicts give
promise Of great good to your people
and your vast empire
The dowager empress reply was ex.
ceedingly friendly in tone. 1t was, in
part, as follows:
Last year the discussions in the
palace caused a revolution which com.
PEELED our hasty departure, but it is
great qualification to US that our
return to the capital has caused such
rejoicing in China and abroad"
Baron Czinakinn, the Austrian am
bassador and doyon of the diplomatic
corps, presented all the ladies to the
dowager empress, who took the hands
OF each of them. They were next pre-
sented to the emperor, who also shook
hands with them.
The guests then retired to an ante
room. The dowager empress. entering
the room. grasped Mrs. Conger's hand
which she held for some minutes
trembling. weeping and sohbing loudly
and exclaiming in broken sentences
that the attack upon the legation was
terrible mistake and that she re
pented it bitterly.
Bracelets and rings of great value
were then placed upon Mrs. Conger's
wrists and fingers.
The dowager empress made inquir
les regarding the other ladies whe
were in Pekin during the siege OF the
legations and Mesdames Bainbridge
and Morris, the wives of Secretaries
cambridge and Morris of the Amer
lean and French legations respectivel.
were warmly greeted.
Following the reception banque
was given which was spread upol
three tables, the dowager empress
sitting at the head of the principa
table and Mrs Conger and Nine. Uchi
ia upon either side. The emperor wa
the only man present except Chani
Tsi. prospective minister from Chin;
to Great Britain, who knelt besid
the dowager empress and interpreted
what she said. The emperor sat
the head Of the second table. He AM
the dowager empress touched glasse
with the guests.
The dowager empress talked an
| matedly. She said that China woul
abandon her policy of isolation an
| adopt the best features OF wester
life and would send many student
| abroad.