Show CLAIMS OF CATHOLICS French Government Looking After Interests of Church Washington April 1G1n the question ques-tion of Chinese indemnities which Is going on at Peking and also at tho various foreign capitals it has been developed that the French Govern meat Is desirous of looking after not only 1 those claims of a aCcrnot cahn3 S dIstncty na tonal character relating to Franco and French subjects but also tho extensive class of claims of Catholic Institutions and misionares oCatholc InS known this desire the French authorities have made It clar that they look upon the nonmilitary claims as quite as worthy of consideration as those connected with the equipment of military expeditions euipment I The extent of these depredations to Calholc persons and property in China Is said to be very large owing to the number at Catholic missions main tained throughout the Chinese empire Ilis said that some 6000 persons di rectly and Indlrecty conrccted with the missions many of them native converts have been killed 1 or wounded wounded during time course of the disturbances Besides these much property has been destroyed and damaged As the Catholic Catholc authorities have no official status In the negotiations at Peking they have nnturaly looked to the French Government moat likely to render them such aid as might be proper In the circumstances This assistance ha been rcadly granted and as a result the various Governments Govern-ments have been advised of the dcslro of the French authorities to see that those nonmilitary losseS receive suit able attention as far as possible It Is dejslred to separate this class cC clafma from those of a purely na tional and military character and to leave them for subsequent adjustment The claims refer not only to French Catholic missions and missionaries but include also practically the entire range of claims which Catholic mis sions have suffered |