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CHINA AND HER CAPITAL.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE FIRST STAGE OF PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS.
[January 19, 1901.
THE GAGE STREET MURDER.
(Daily Press, 17th January).
herself, the position of the capital is a matter of secondary consideration, and the attempt to use as a threat the retention of the present headquarters of. an effete or-
It was not to be expected that the authori- ganisation is only a further proof-should ties of Hongkong would take the public any more be needed-of the utter ignorance into their confidence with regard to the and ineptitude for rule of those who over-investigations into the murder last week of shadow the present Emperor. Far rather YEUNG KU WAN, which our correspondent would we see some evidence of approaching “X” rightly denounces as a gross aud dar- reason, which might be made use of to ing violation of British territory. If there strengthen the Imperial rule, and afford was any hope of cutting off the retreat of some hope that China had still within her the murderers it lay in reticence as to any the capacity of correcting the fatal error knowledge of their whereabouts. But more into which her false advisers have betrayed than six days have now elapsed since her.
the brutal assassination was carried out, and it must be concluded that the criminals have got clear away into Chinese territory. Our correspondent states that only quite recently H. E. Tax Sow, Acting Viceroy at Canton, isssued a proclamation offering a (Daily Press, 16th January.)
handsome reward for EEUNG KU WAN, The news which is now to hand from North alive or dead. If the Chinese authorities China appears to be of a satisfactory nature, are unable to disprove this charge, a very Our London correspondent informs us that serious aspect indeed is put upon the affairs the announcement has been telegraphed It is alleged that the Acting Viceroy, being from Peking that the agreement between fully aware through his agents here that the Powers and China has been signed at YEUNG, a British subject, was dwelling in a last. If this news comes, as is probable, British Colony and there earning his living from the Times correspondent at the Chinese under the protection of our laws, offered capital, we may take it that the last obstacles a sum which he knew must incite some to the acceptance of the Powers' demands ruffians to carry out the desired crime. have been overcome, and that the Imperial The guilt of the outrage rests on the in- signature has been appended to the docu-stigators, not on the tools; H.E. TAK Sow ment. We were prepared for this by the and his officials, our correspondent says, intelligence that the loyal Viceroys had must be held responsible for the murder. withdrawn their objections-for this is prac- The Chinese Government has never been tically what we learnt from Shanghai at the scrupulous in the means taken to get hold beginning of the week. In Chinese affairs of the persons of those whom it considers we are so accustomed to disappointment dangerous politically. Instances of kidnap- that it may seem venturesome to say that ping will readily be recalled, including the. an important step toward the final settle-celebrated seizure of SUN YAT-SEN in Lon- ment has been taken; but nevertheless, don, an act of extraordinary audacity which if it is a fact that a full and definite accep- was fortunately frustrated by the vigilance tance of the Allies' terins has been given by of the home authorities. Only last month China, guaranteed by the imposition of the Shanghai was agitated by the spiriting Imperial Seal, we may be justified in looking away from the Settlement of KUNG CHAO, & for the entrance of negotiations on the young Reformer, whose return is still only second stage, which, though it must neces- promised," although his capture took sarily prove long and tedious, is only a mat-place on the 22nd ult. The event of the ter of arranging details. The offer of Prince 10th inst., however, is a far graver matter. Su, the Emperor's brother, to go to Berlin Had the murdered man been a dangerous to convey China's apologies and regrets for Chinese criminal flying from justice the step the gross loutrage against the sanctity of taken would have still been an unpardon- ambassadors which was committed in thejable violation of international law. But murder of the unfortunate Baron voN YEUNG was a British subject, thought still KETTELER, may prove the readiest solu-a patriotic Chinaman, and he trusted in the tion of the first demand of the Allies. Other demands will be as easy to meet, but those relating to the future protection of the envoys to Chinese capi- tal, and still more those which deal with the amelioration of the conditions of trade with China, promise to be matters of extreme difficulty, involving the greatest patience, combined with absolute firmness, on the part of the representatives of the Powers. It seems probable that LI HUNG-CHANG will have to be superseded by some other com- missioner to be designated by the Emperor, for he is seriously ill, even if not on the point of death, as some accounts report. As for the representatives of the Powers, in more than one country has anxiety been ex- pressed lest they should not adequately support the policy which is the wish of those whom they represent. Of Sir ERNEST SATow, among others, considerable fear is felt that he will continue in the old way of British Ministers at Peking by not paying the attention to British commercial interests which their magnitude demands. But the main reponsibility rests with the. Foreign Office, from which the British Minister is directed, and the pressure on this body must therefore be increased now, if anything is to be done. For this reason the home public must not be allowed to forget.
(Daily Press, 14th January.) Even the most sanguine cannot but feel disappointed at the latest turn events have taken in China. When it was definitely announced that the terms proposed by the Powers had been unconditionally accepted, it was generally felt, except by a few who had old experience of the Chinese Court, that at last the way to negotiations on a footing approaching to reciprocity was open; and that something would ultimately come of the long drawn out impediments. It now would appear that those who saw an ap: proach to such an ending have been reckon- ing without their host, and that another indefinite period of uncertainty is in store. This time it cannot be laid at the doors of the foreign Powers or their representatives. Having unreservedly accepted the terms of the Joint Note, it was naturally presumed that in its own interest the nominal Govern- ment of China, would have taken the oportu. nity of exchanging its present precarious position for one of comparative security. The Powers were loth to dictate to China, which they would fain acknowledge as a sovereign state, the position which it should select as its capital; and would gladly have left it to the good sense of its rulers. It is evident, even to Chinese eyes, that the attempt to rule the Empire from Hsian- fu has proved a failure. The provinces have submitted to it thus far, in the hope that the course adopted was only temporary, and that affairs would in a short time revert to their original channels. Peking is not an ideal capital; its traditions are almost without exception bad. It was associated with the foreign rule of the Mongols, which proved one of the most disastrous periods in Chinese history; it was reassumed by the illegitimate successor of HUNGwu, who set himself to contravene all the good that his illustrious predecessor had done for the good government of the Empire; and it was continued by the Manchu conquerors of China, because it afforded a ready means of making themselves independent of Chinese public opinion. Manchuria, as far as re- gards China at large, has ceased to be a political factor; and one of the peculiarities of the present position is that China is actually ruled by a nominally foreign dynasty, which has no country, and has actually ceased to be a power. Still, bad as Peking is, it has advantages such as Hsian cannot pretend to. This was evinced so long ago as A.D. 25, when China, being desirous of extending her imperial rule over the two Yuehs, found it necessary to move the capital to a more central position, selected Lohyang in the present Honan. Since that the centre of influence has more distinctly than ever moved eastwards, and it has become a matter of necessity that the centre of rule to be effective must follow. It is therefore in the interests of China herself, far more than of foreign Powers, that the Emperor's ad- visers should make this distinctly clear. Those of the Powers, indeed, who secretly view with complacence the ruin of the Empire, can well, afford to look with in- difference on the suicidal policy of trying to rule from Hsian; and will certainly coincide in any scheme which may conduce to this end. And it is doubtless from some such insidious purpose that the present suggestion has been born. To the foreign Powers at large the choice of a capital is one with which they would rather not be concerned; and certainly it is not a point on which they are likely to be forced into making terms. To the foreigner generally, except in so far as he is concerned in the well-being of China
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protection afforded him by a British Colony. He was not a criminal, but an honourable man, much esteemed locally, as was shown by the concourse at his funeral. He had every right to look for his protection from such a fate as befell him in his class-room in Gage Street last Thursday. The matter is one which cannot be passed over, and we may feel sure that the Government will not-it cannot, indeed, for its own sake--be put off by any excuses from exacting a full reparation from the Chinese authorities. We are not in favour of the violent measurés advocated by certain fiery spirits who have let their generous feelings get the better of their discretion over this affair. But we certainly hold that if H. E. TAK Sow is responsible for the proclamation with the issuing of which he is charged he has shown himself totally unfit for holding any longer the post which he now occupies. The rulers of China have, during the past year, been taught a terrible lesson on the dangers of neglecting international rights and conven- tions. Another is needed, it appears, and it is necessary to see that it is taught to the right persons, that is, to the actual insti- gators of the outrage. The Canton authori- ties have the opportunity of clearing them- selves, if they can; they cannot do so merely by delivering up the persons of the alleged