In the meantime the sufferers by the ast act of wanton folly are wondering how long before they will "obtain their indemnities. The English seem to be preparing for prompt payment, as the Legation is investigating Individual claims and cutting them down as freely as possible after the American Gent, Tt seems utterly unfair that where a man's family were obliged to return to England or America while he was besieged in the Legations, he should be obliged to bear the expenses of the double journey in order to lighten the burden of his recent torturers.
The attitude of the Legations seems to be that if'aman is paid Somewhere near the value of his effects, he should be satisfied, and not expect either full value, or expenses necessarily incurred by the events over which Everyone besieged la Peking chauid be fully he had no control. This is a crying shame.
indemnified for every item of los. The claims should be closely scrutinized, as there are sure to be cases of attempted imposition practised, but the scrutiny should be done in a spirit of justice and not with a desire to cut every ¢laim, just or unjust, in order to reduce the amount the Governments will have to pay their suffering subjects or citizens.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.