CHINA. 



115 



The reexports from the various ports, amounting 

 to 9,008,000 taels, are not included in the imports 

 as given in the above table. The values in taels 

 of the imports from and exports to the various 

 foreign countries and ports in 1899 were as follow: 



COUNTRIES. 



Imports. 



Exports. 



The quantity of tea exported in 1899 was 1,630,- 

 795 piculs, of which 869,873 piculs went to Russia, 

 236,021 piculs to Great Britain, 218,535 piculs to 

 the United States, 117,737 piculs to Hong-Kong, 

 and 45,C07 piculs to Australia. The development 

 of Chinese commerce in the last few years shows 

 a great increase of American trade, particularly 

 in flannels, sheetings, and jeans. Russian cottons 

 have also come into competition with Manchester 

 goods. Russian kerosene has driven the American 

 oil out of the market, but the loss of this trade is 

 offset by the imports of American canned foods, 

 cigarettes, and a variety of minor products. 



Navigation. The number of vessels entered 

 and cleared at the treaty ports during 1899 was 

 65,418, of 39,268.330 tons, of which 12,698, of 1,473,- 

 890 tons, were sailing vessels, and 52,720, of 37,- 

 794,440 tons, were steamers. Of the total number, 

 25,350, of 23,338,230 tons, were British; 31,009, of 

 9,349,247 tons, were Chinese; 3,712, of 2,839,741 

 tons, were Japanese; 2,078, of 1,854,246 tons, were 

 German; 822, of 613,191 tons, were French; and 

 716, of 310,107 tons, were American. 



Railroads and Telegraphs. The railroads 

 already built in 1900 had a total length of 292 

 miles. The railroads planned and authorized 

 would make 4,036 miles more. 



There were 14.285 miles of telegraph lines com- 

 pleted in 1900. Along the coast the Great North- 

 ern and Eastern Extension Telegraph Companies 

 have submarine cables. The central administra- 

 tion of the Chinese Government telegraphs is at 

 Shanghai. 



Peace Negotiations. At the beginning of 

 1901 the allied troops, under the command of the 

 German Field-Marshal Count von Waldersee, were 

 in occupation of Pekin and other places in the 

 province of Pechili, and were guarding the rail- 

 roads. The conditions on which the powers were 

 willing to evacuate the capital city and province 



had been given to the Chinese plenipotentiaries in 

 a joint note. All the powers hud repeatedly 

 pledged themselves that they would maintain un- 

 diminished the territorial integrity oi China an I 

 the principle of equal treatment to foreigners on - 

 bodied in existing treaties. Germany and Great, 

 Britain had entered into a separate agreement, t > 

 keep the coasts and rivers free to the commerce < f 

 all nations, so far as they exercised influence, an I 

 not to make use of the present complications 1 > 

 seek territorial advantages, provided no other 

 power sought to turn the situation to its ad- 

 vantage; contrariwise they would agree between 

 themselves as to what steps they would take to 

 protect their own interests. The other powers 

 had joined in the first part of this agreement, 

 while rejecting the proviso, except Japan, which 

 adopted it integrally as one of the signers. Russia 

 had made an independent declaration that she 

 would not infringe on the independence or integ- 

 rity of China. The United States and Russia en- 

 deavored to induce other powers to abate their 

 demands for money indemnities from China and 

 for the execution of high Chinese officials impli- 

 cated in the antiforeign movement. The Chinese 

 court w r as willing to accept the conditions imposed 

 by the powers so as to deliver Pechili from the 

 military operations that were carried on under the 

 orders of Count von Waldersee, who had arrived 

 with a large German force after the allied troops 

 had broken down the resistance of the Chinese 

 army, which had evacuated Pechili, the main force 

 accompanying the court in its flight to the province 

 of Shensi. The commander-in-chief, whose field 

 staff was composed of German officers only, sent 

 out punitive columns which scoured the province 

 of Pechili. The German troops, who had the spirit 

 of retaliation impressed upon them when they set 

 out arid the example of looting after their arrival, 

 and who were ignorant of the people and of what 

 had been done by those who were on the spot be- 

 fore them, began by harassing the neighborhood 

 of Pekin, looting wherever they went and shooting 

 innocent villager's on the supposition that they 

 were Boxers. Soon they were sent out on expedi- 

 tions and allowed to live on the country. They 

 continued to punish the innocent with the guilty, 

 and were said to engage in systematic pillage, to 

 levy fines in quiet villages in order to reduce the 

 cost of feeding themselves, and even to kill wan- 

 tonly and to maltreat women. They outraged 

 without compunction the cherished beliefs of the 

 people, destroyed the authority of native officials, 

 collected indemnities from towns that were either 

 innocent or had already made atonement for their 

 crimes, drove out the regularly constituted offi- 

 cials who were acting in harmony with the Euro- 

 peans, set free Boxers who were held by the Chi- 

 nese for punishment, sacked friendly towns, and- 

 killed the native police and harmless villagers. 

 Chinese officials, appointed by Li-Hung-Chang as 

 Viceroy of Pechili, were already administering the 

 province under foreign supervision. The allied 

 commanders in Pekin drew up a code of laws to 

 be administered by Chinese judges. Persons who 

 had any part in the Boxer rebellion or had com- 

 mitted injury to the life or property of any China- 

 man or foreigner during the uprising, or who at- 

 tacked the foreign police or resisted arrest, were 

 punishable with death, as well as persons guilty 

 of murder, robbery, burglary, counterfeiting, and 

 other ordinary crimes. 



The United States proposed that the negotia- 

 tions concerning the indemnities to be paid by 

 the Chinese Government and the revision of the 

 commercial ti-eaties should be withdrawn from 

 the deliberations of the foreign ministers in Pekin 



