7
September 22, 1900.]
is no longer fit to be entrusted with the important duties of his post. Were this a solitary instance of a deliberate attempt at misrepresentation there would be an oppor- tunity of taking extenuating circumstances into account; but the practice is as old as Lord SALISBURY's administration. Lord SALISBURY has, it is too well-known, pecu- liar ideas on the subject of China, formed years ago when England was in the ascen- dant or rather when as yet no other country had stepped into the lists. Then was the time of "buffer" states, and China was to be tickled up as a barrier against Russian encroachment. Hence arose a false system of what was called "strengthening" China to enable her to bear the strain. Had the strengthening been done judiciously much good might have come of it, but unfortunately England has always been represented in China by the feeblest of her sons, and the process evolved consisted in urging China to buy munitions of war, and getting foreign officers to drill her troops; and at the same time flattering the Chinese Government as to its power. At first it was intended that British officers should be placed in charge of these prepara- tions, till at least the Chinese Government was able to walk unassisted, and an admiral, Capt. LANG, was actually placed for a spell in charge of the Chinese navy. But the British Government had taken no precau- tions to provide against the real weakness of China, her unblushing corruption. Admiral LANG naturally expected the fleet presumed to be under his command to be free of these abuses, and that all ranks
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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spring of Lord SALISBURY's policy was to, Britain and Germany, the two Powers who be found at the same polluted source. England has been indifferent as to the ances to a certain firmness of attitude to- If have committed themselves by official utter- character and abilities of the representatives ward the Chinese Government, to alter the she sent to China, China on her side balance of military strength in Chihli, has carefully selected her agents; it was by which up t no mere chance of promotion that Lo FENG- against them. In saying this we must not to now has been, so much LU, the able secretary of LI HUNG-CHANG, be taken to assume any precise identity of was sent to England, nor that Wu TING- aim for the Germans and British; but it is FANG, formerly better known as the very clever advocate in Hongkong, No ACHOY, Powers could, if not with grace, at least with an undoubted fact that, while the other was despatched to Washington. Both were carefully coached in the parts they had to ing up of affairs on the mere basis of less disgrace, acquiesce in a general patch- play, and of these the principal one was to pecuniary indemnification and guarantees insidiously mislead the Prime Minister, for future good conduct, fortunately in our rather by false suggestion than actual false-case and in that of Germany the Govern- hood, Such at all times have been the ments are bound by their own words to see arts of a people in decay; and it required that a stable settlement is brought about, little knowledge of history to guard against and in both countries public opinion is them. To yield nothing except under behind the Government on the point. It actual pressure, to deceive those who were disposed to act a friendly part, and to res- ment, at least, has often before spoken may certainly be argued that our Govern- pect those only who could not be befooled firmly and then been put off with worthless by falsehood and misrepresentation-these Chinese assurances, but never before was the have ever been the weapons of a declining whole of our Empire subjected to so salutary state, which has lost its virility. Cunning a shock (we speak from a purely utilitarian and treachery come to be regarded as virtues point of view) as when it waited with anxiety in a moribund state as naturally as ability for the scantiest news of the besieged Le- and magnanimity in a progressive one. These gations at Peking. If only the Powers are things that ought to have been known really interested in the re-establishment of to Lord SALISBURY and his Parliamentary China as an Empire on a secure foundation Secretary, and the House of Commons might can dismiss from their minds the unworthy have been spared the repetition of the paltry suspicions which they may have of one subterfuges of a discredited minister like Li another, there will at last be hopes that the and his nominees Wu and Lo, and the Min- only statesmanlike policy in this terribly istry saved the disgrace of Mr. BRODRICK's difficult question may carry the day against inspired utterances.
the selfish intrigues of the partitionists. We reproduced in full on Monday the ex- THE QUESTION OF SETTLEMENT. ceedingly able letter which appeared in the
"1
(Daily Press, 19th September.) Already it would seem that steps are being taken by the various countries in- terested in China which are preparatory to the settlement of the present crisis. Russia, carrying out her own policy, and content with the " annexation of the right bank of the Amur, about which the St. Petersburg papers are jubilant, has withdrawn five thousand men from Peking. Germany is placing four million treasury bonds in America at four per cent. to pay for the ex- penses of her expedition to China, and Japan is also attempting an American loan. The Vatican, apparently, has figured out the bill which China will have to pay her for the losses, in life and property, of Roman Catholic missionaries in China. The United States threaten to open independent negotia- tions-with the Empress Dowager or with
whom else it is not stated.
would be duly paid, but China nourished no such intentions We know in China what was the result: from the admiral, down to the signal-boy, everyone combined to render command impossible, and the re- sult was that Admiral LANG, unsupported by his own Government, and embarrassed in every way by that of China, resigned a post he could not retain with honour. By land the results were even worse; a few foreign instructors were engaged, but were placed in such inferior positions that the service soon degenerated, and the pretended officers found themselves mere teachers of drill without position or authority. The import of foreign munitions offered however a profitable field for corruption of the most glaring kind. All of the high officials were more or less besmirched, but the Empress Regent and LI HUNG-CHANG took the lead- ing honours in this contest. As a rule British houses and British manufacturers refused to lend their names to these un- scrupulous transactions, but others were In the meantime the position is not very not above going shares in the plunder, and different from what it was a month ago, by degrees the arms trade passed out of when Peking fell into the hands of the Allies. British hands. The explosion came at the The first act in the punishment of the Chi- outbreak of the war with Japan, when the nese Government for the outrages committed armies for which pay had been carefully drawn against the Powers was then finished. There proved to have no existence except on paper; has been a long wait, and troops have been and the guns turned out to be wood and the hastening north, but no further active steps powder coal-dust. These facts were per- have been taken. Over the proposed puni- fectly well known to every one except the tive expedition to Paotingfu certain myster- British Foreign Office, and they might have ious intrigues appear to have been in pro- been as well known within it as outside,
gress. We have been told that it has been but that it was the policy of the day to shut stopped by rain, that the Americans have one's eyes. While the other states of Europe protested against it as a dangerous extension were sending their best men out to China of the sphere of operations, that it has act the British Office made service in China a ually started, that it has been postponed. disgrace. Peking led nowhere, and to be While the expedition has been talked about sent there meant a withdrawal from the the opposition to it at Paotingfu has been round of promotion. We know in China how consolidating, and now it seems that the task the Empire was served. If by any chance of advancing on the place will be fraught a minister did essay, to enlighten Lord with danger and possibly with heavy loss. SALISBURY, he was snubbed for his pains; Once more a lesson has been afforded of the or in the one case where this was imprac folly of meeting the Chinese with their own ticable he was promoted out of the way.policy of procrastination. The best, or All this, while the source of information was rather the only good, outcome of recent Portland Place, and too frequently the chief inaction in the north is that it is enabling
Times of the 13th ult. over the signature "X." The writer advanced at some length the main outlines of the policy by which the Powers might hope to build up a new and as follows:- better China. Briefly summarised they are
(1) A pecuniary indemnity must of course be exacted for property destroyed, and this will be heavy. But pecuniary in- demnity for murder only creates the belief that foreigners may be killed at the cost of a few thousand taels, while it also embitters the feeling towards missionaries, etc., be- cause the money is raised by local taxation: Territorial indemnity is still worse, for it creates the belief that missionaries are but pawns in the game of politics. Moreover, to beggary and lead to a general insurrection. a huge indemnity will simply reduce China
who would escape, as they always have done, (2). The real culprits being the officials,
if an indemnity alone were exacted, they should be punished without delay-by the death penalty in the case of the most promi- nent, whose guilt is already known. This is not mere retribution, but will make the official class realise in fact its responsibility for government.
sent government clique must be done away (3). It follows from this that the pre-
with. Prince TUAN's guilt is proved beyond a doubt, and the Empress Dowager is either responsible for the Boxer movement or is the tool of those who are; in either case she is unfit to rule.
(4). The restoration of Kwang Hsu is called for by the genuine loyalty of the mass of the people to him. There is no lack of tried officials of liberal sentiments to help him in the task of establishing a reformed Government in a less precipitate manner than he attempted the task before.
(5). The Reform Party calls for the sympathetic assistance of the Powers. It must not be taken for granted that the Re- formers are necessarily pro-foreign. They are in the first place nationalists and favour the introduction of Western sciences as a