to China was
producing a reaction. A wave of protest against the "foreign devils"
swept through the population and acquired intensity from the acts of
fanatic religious leaders. That strange character, the Dowager Empress,
yielded to the "Boxers," who obtained possession of Pekin, cut off the
foreigners from the outside world, and besieged them in the legations.
That some such movement was inevitable must have been apparent to
many European statesmen, and that it would give them occasion, by
interference and punishment, to solidify their "spheres of influence"
must have occurred to them. The "open door" was in as immediate peril as
were the diplomats in Pekin.

Secretary Hay did not, however, yield to these altered circumstances.
Instead, he built upon the leadership which he had assumed. He promptly
accepted the international responsibility which the emergency called
for. The United States at once agreed to take its share, in cooperation
with the Great Powers, in whatever measures should be judged necessary.
The first obvious measure was to relieve the foreign ministers who were
besieged in Pekin. American assistance was active and immediate. By the
efforts of the American Government, communication with the legations
was opened; the American naval forces were soon at Tientsin, the port
of Pekin; and five or six thousand troops were hastily sent from the
Philippines. The United States therefore bore its full proportion of
the task. The largest contingent of the land forces was, indeed, from
Germany, and the command of the whole undertaking was by agreement given
to the German commander, Graf von Waldersee. Owing, however, to his
remoteness from the scene of action, he did not arrive until after Pekin
had been reached and the relief of the legations, which was the first
if not the main object of the expedition, had been accomplished. After
this, the resistance of the Chinese greatly decreased and the country
was practically at the mercy of the concert of powers.

By thus bearing its share in the responsibilities of the situation, the
United States had won a vote in determining the result. Secretary Hay,
however, had not waited for the military outcome, and he aimed not at
a vote in the concert of powers but at its leadership. While the
international expedition was gathering its forces, he announced in a
circular note that "the policy of the Government of the United States is
to seek a solution which may bring about perm