Evening star., 1921-10-28
WANTS Remission
Of BOXER BALANCE
China Expects Release From
Indemnity as Result of
Conference Here.

| PEKING. September (by Mail).-
A plea for remission of the unpaid
balance of the Boxer indemnity as
one of the advantages that China
might reasonably expect as result
| of the Washington conference Is put
| forth by the Peking Daily News, a
| student-controlled daily. The paper
declares. editorially, that its appeal
| is not international altruism, but IS
based on justice.
! Granted that the Chinese were en-
tirely to blame for the events of 1901
and the Chinese of the present day
are willing to admit ii. despite the
incendiary record Of the powers in
the decade that preceded the re-
bellion-the indemnity was all out oil
proportion to the losses incurred by
the allies" il is argued.
AEhast st the Claims.
when the day of reckoning came
the other powers-to her lasting
credit Japan Was one of them-were
aghast at the outrageous claims ad-
vanced by Germany and Russia. Ger
many, especially, was rapaclous IN
her demand for her pound of flesh.
After much deliberation all the proto-
col powers, except Germany, ac-
knowledged the unreasonabieneSS OF
tn. charge on China. and only ac-
cepted the position when the German
representative imperiled the unanlm-
ity of the negoiia lions"
The writer cites Dr. II. Il. Morse. in
his international Relations of the
Chinese Empire" quoting him as fol-
lows:
The American envoy urged that a
demand for a lump sum within China'<
capacity TO pay should be made, and
the claims of each power scaled down
to fit that sum. The German envoy
saw no reason why the powers should
show excessive generosity in the mat
ter of cutting down claims. Tine
American plea for moderation there
fore failed"
AT the behest OF Germany" the
writer continues. the other allies
agreed to saddle China with the debt
which they acknowledged in the Off
cial documents exceeded the justi-
fable amount. International morality
would point to the reparation of that
crime of injustice by remission Of
that portion in excess of the net
claims. The opportunity is ripe, with
the only recalcitrant power of 1906
cut of the way. TIL" allies can now
give expression to the feeling that
was thwarted by Germany twenty
years ago. The United States recti-
fled the wrong in 1908 and so easec
her national conscience in the mat
ter Now she proposes to 20 furthc;
than a mere act of atonement by All
act OF grace.
Paid 40.eOO,OOO Pounds.
AT the time when the allies al
lowed her to suspend the annual pay
lnents fer five years China had pain
about fi0.U00.00 or two-thirds of th'
whole. In suggesting that fi0,000.00'
should liquldate the initial charge
we are not pleading for inter
national altruiSm; the plan of justir-
is sufficient ground on which to ad
vance the plea, and is warranted b.
h. American estimate in 1900. China
rcdressed the wrong OF 1900 by de-
rhroning the principal conspirator anL
in addition she. has paid the greater
part Of the indemnity. In meetin;
what must seem to her the eternal
payments she il constantly reminder
Of something that she would rathc
forget and have the allies forget"
The paper concludes with por
trayal Of China's illiteraoy and points
out benefits that would accrue by di-
version of the Boxer payments TO the
promotion of education.