administrative entity, protect all rights guaranteed to friendly powers by treaty and international law, and safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese empire."

Our government officially requested that the sum total of the indemnity to be extorted from China be kept within the limit of $200,000,000, beyond which it was believed China was unable to go. It was furthermore asked that this demand be made in gross, the respective proportions to be agreed upon by the foreign plenipotentiaries in Peking, or, if that was impossible, to be referred to the International Commission of Arbitration at The Hague. The United States offered to cut in half its claim for indemnity, provided the other nations would make similar reductions.

The withdrawal of the American troops makes it appropriate to quote from the report of Lieutenant Thomas Franklin, 23d Infantry, who was one of General Chaffee's aides in the march to Peking:

"The American soldier has incomparably the most generous supply and the best quality of food. For the mere convenience in handling and for the protective quality of the packages in transport, the Japanese and British excelled. In camp cleanliness and sanitary arrangements the Americans excel all others-the Germans next, followed by the British, while the Russian and French camps were disgusting. In transportation, the American wagon system surpassed all others, though the British and Russians also. were very good: one American defect was that not on all the wagons were the spare parts interchangeable in case of wreckage. In clothing and equipment, the Americans were better clothed, that is, more sensibly for cold weather, though not with such admirable leather equipments as the British and Germans. In one point the Americans were decidedly inferior-in military appearance. The men and the officers showed a lack of proper pride in their appearance; they were careless and slouchy in their dress; this to the foreigners indicated a lax discipline, which, however, it is not. In the spirit of humaneness and regard for the rights of others, the Americans showed themselves unequaled.

"The British and Americans always flocked together, sometimes joined by the Japanese. The Russian 'kept to himself,' as did the German and the Frenchman, except that the Frenchman was occasionally seen in the Russian camp."

The United States continued to urge the Powers to agree to a reduction in the total amount of the indemnity demanded to $200,000,000. Great Britain was willing to consent to a reduction, but not to the amount named. By a formal vote of May 24 the proposal of our government was unanimously rejected. The Chinese government was informed by a collective note of the envoys that the Powers would require for losses. and expenditures until July a sum equal to about $337,000,000, and China was requested to admit her liability for this amount. On May 12 China accepted the demand.

The discussion which followed brought matters to a deadlock before the middle of July, owing to the radical differences between Great Britain and Russia over the plans for the payment of the indemnity by China, whose proposal to extinguish the debt in 1940 instead of 1950 was formally accepted. Japan sought to increase her amount from $23,000,000 to about $27,000,000, and our government, admitting the justice of

such demand, promptly agreed to it, but others objected, whereupon Japan magnanimously withdrew the request. On July 26 the ministers of the Powers formally notified China of the acceptance of her offer, whose total amount of principal and interest by the year 1940, when the full debt is to be extinguished, will be about $700,000,000.

Delay and uncertainty continued for months, and it was not until September 7, 1901, that the Chinese plenipotentiaries were authorized to affix the final signature to the peace protocol. Numerous changes had been made and summarized. It provided:

Punishment of the guilty leaders of the Boxers who had not yet suffered the penalty; stipulating that the indemnity fixed should be paid to the foreign Powers during the thirty-nine years following, with interest at four per cent.; prohibiting import during the two ensuing years of arms and munitions of war; suspending for the ensuing five years the government examinations for office in all centers of the Boxer revolt and out

rage; razing the Chinese forts at Taku; permitting the establishment of foreign military posts on the road from the sea to the capital; granting to foreign governments the right to maintain military guards at the legations; prohibiting anti-foreign societies; providing for the necessary amendments to the commercial treaties, and supplanting the cumbersome Tsung-li-Yamen by a regularly organized foreign office on the European model.

The agreement required the troops to evacuate public places, including the Forbid den City, before September 17, and within the following five days all the expeditionary

troops in the provinces except the garrisons were to be withdrawn. Grounds for hope would have been found in the promises of the Chinese government to institute vigorous reforms dared anyone place reliance upon the sincerity of such promises.

One of the most remarkable episodes connected with the Boxer outbreak was the mission of expiation to Germany for the assassination of the German minister. Emperor William formally received this mission at Potsdam, September 4. Prince Chun, the Chinese imperial envoy, with his suite of a dozen officials, presented a letter of apology from his brother, the emperor. The prince entered without receiving any salute from the outside guards and gravely bowed three times. Emperor William, grim and solemn, looked sternly at him and kept his seat until the apology, written in yellow ink, had been read. Then he read his reply and throwing off his frigid manner gave the envoy a friendly welcome. Rising to his feet he extended his hand, a salute roared from the guards, and the strange scene was over.

The Chinese troops re-entered Peking, September 17, the charge of the city being transferred to them by the American and Japanese forces, who were formally thanked by the Chinese officials for their protection of the palace. By the close of the month. the city was entirely quiet.

In the midst of the negotiations Earl Li Hung Chang, the foremost man of China, one of the greatest oriental statesmen that ever lived, and the warm admirer and friend of General Grant, died on the 7th of November, 1901. He was succeeded by Yuan ShiKai, who had gained renown as the governor of one of the most turbulent districts in China.

The work done by Special Commissioner Rockhill was submitted in a report to Congress in the month of December, 1901. More than a year had been spent in pressing the policy of preventing a partition of China, and giving the hoary empire a chance to place herself alongside the other nations that were sweeping forward on the path of reform and progress. You have already been told that the influence of this government was consistently exerted for reducing the vast indemnity demanded of China and though full success was not reached yet the end was partially attained.

The return of the Dowager Empress and the court to Peking, from which they had fled in headlong panic, was one of the most picturesque pictures of the Boxer uprising. It took place on January 7, 1902, and the like was never before seen in the history of that stupendous empire. The most striking feature of the occasion and one of profound significance was the extinction and absence of all the deification of the royalty. that had existed for countless centuries. Neither the Chinese nor the outside world. had been permitted to look upon the emperor's face, but on this day every seat that afforded a view was filled, the most favorable being given to foreign diplomats, while here, there, and everywhere were army officers, correspondents, missionaries, and scores of kodak fiends with instruments ready to snap at the most interesting moment.

Interesting as are the accounts of the frightful outbreak in China, it is appropriate for us to study only so much as is necessary to understand the part taken by our own. country therein. On the 22d of January the ministers of the foreign Powers were received for the first time as representatives of sovereigns equal in rank to the Emperor