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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
BRITISH AND OTHER POLICY | assisted these intrigues ;
IN SOUTH CHINA.
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one
at least concerned
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[November 21, 1903.
That
(Daily Press, 18th November.) of the Continental Powers
Although, as we stated in our issue of the itself in distributing to the members 14th instant, many of our difficulties with (Daily Press, 4th November.) of the Tsungli Yamen the lying telegrams China have arisen from the defective ap The system of alternately bullying and carefully concocted by the notorious Dr. preciation by Lord SALISBURY of the cajoling China, which has recently passed LETDI. See," added the chorus of the internal weaknesses of the Chinese Govern- amongst British statesmen as a policy, is others," the rotten reed on which England meat, it is idle to deny that many of the one which could have but one result-utter would have you rest; she is too feable to be
causes of these weaknesses were beyond the failure--and this is the position which now able to control a few thousand Boers in control of the British Government. The has to be faced for good or evil, When Africa, and yet she would dictate to you." international relations of Europe are of such Lord Salisbury initiated against all advice There seems little doubt that the Russian
a nature that no on Power can for long to the contrary his How discredited policy representative at Peking went even further, continue to act in direct contravention of of setting up China as a defence against and suggested the final getting rid of Eng-the feelings of the rest, and it might have Russian advances in Northern Asia, a source land; at all events he was in close touch been assumed that in opposing the designs of weakness was introduced, which needed with the principal actors who devised the of Russia in her wantonly aggressive action but persistency to be fruitful in evil for subsequent attack on the Legations, and towards China, England would have enlisted British interests. Meanwhile occurred the Russia's evident preparedness to send a the sympathies of the other Powers. late LI HUNG-CHANG's visit to the Corona- force to relieve Peking was quite on a par was, however, not to be, for various reasons. tion of the Tsar in 1896, one effect of which with her ordinary policy when seeking a In the first instance the aggressiveness of was that for the future Li was induced in pretext for invasion. We find the same Russia sits like an ever-present incubus on every way to further Russian interests to pretexts urged now in Mongolia and Tur the Governments of the central states of the detriment of British. Had Lord SALTB-kestan that were five years ago put forward Europe, who are only too glad to welcome a
46 You BURY been able to see the true significance in Manchuria and Northern China.
temporary respite and stand by, whilst of this new factor, the evil done might pos- are unable to preserve order in these territo. Russia is devoting her energies to the far sibly have been rectified. Unfortunately, ries; we are your best friends and pity your distant Manchuria; in the second Germany instead of taking warning in time, Lord condition, pray allow us to lend you a few
at least, not to speak of France, had visions SALISBURY threw Himself completely into thousand men; the expense does not matter of her own of establishing a new German the hands of Li and his henchman Lo amongst friends, we will settle that amicably Empire on the ruins of what up to the pre- FENG-LU, with the result that the British afterwards." The British Minister at Peking sent has been China. The consequence was Minister at Peking was entirely discredited; of course cautioned the Chinese Government that the language spoken by the British and the Foreign Office became little more as to the necessary effect of the course it (tovernment, with its somewhat overstrained than a medium for endorsing the views of was taking, but, dominated as that Govern-professions of disinterestedness, did not com. the Chinese Legation, then entirely ruled ment was, by men like Li and YUNG-LU, mend itself to any of the Continental Powers, by Li. It was thus that, when for once the both irretrievably committed to Russian and Great Britain found herself completely Emperor plucked up heart of grace suffi- scheines, the Minister's words fell on deaf isolate l. Then follore 1 the treaty, offensive cient to reassert himself and dismissed Li
ears. As if this were not enough, the British and defensive, with Japan, which for a time as unworthy of his confidence, Lord SALIS- Foreign Office, in the face of its previous commended itself to the British public as a BURY, setting to one side the cautions of the experience, took its inspiration from Portland possible check ou further encroachments on British Minister at Peking in favour of the Place, where the Minister at the time, the the part of Russia. It was hoped from interested counsels of the Chinese Legation, late Lo FENG-LU, was but a creature of Li
certain statements on the part of the United at once concurred in the Palace coup d'état, at Peking, himself the head of the anti-States that this would lead up to a further which for good repressed the Emperor and English faction. All this while the only understanding on the part of that Govery- replaced him by the government of the sources of information availed of by the ment for joint action. The American people Dowager-Empress and her myrmidons, the British Government were the Chinese Lega-wer, however, loth to depart from their Eunuch Li and YUNG-LU. Such was the tion at Portland Place, or the almost equally traditional policy of non-interfereuce, and direct result of the first error in miscalcu- tainted Inspectorate-General of Customs. | Russia being apparently willing to join in lating the power and tendencies of the In-How worthy of confidence this last source with the demands for the opening of perial Court, and following this grave error was likely to prove may be judged of by certain localities to foreign tre, no further up by listening to the biassed counsels of the fact that not a bint of the plot already steps were taken. It is undeniable that looked Governinent bas Ja auese the Chinese Legation in London, and re-prepared for the destruction of all the the
for mere material ail thau has been ceiving into favour LI HUNG-CHANG, whose foreign residents in Peking came from th•. subserviency to Russia at the time had Foreign Inspectorate, and the most sur afforded. It is trus that the precise become a matter of notoriety to all in prised of all the residents was the Inspector-wording of the treaty only called for ac- China.
General himself, Sir ROBERT HART, who tive aid in the event of Japan being attacked was one of the first to fly for refuge to the by more than one Power, and that event British Legation.
his not yet occurrel; but though no active assistance has been offered, it is very well understood that all the moral aid possible has been afforded by Germany to Russia's designs, and that she has been preaching to Japan, nominally in the interests of the peice of the world, the moral duty of neced- ing to the demands of her encroaching neighbour. The British people, after the sterifice of tho South Africa war, show little desire to enter on a new campaign, the importance of which bardly as yet commends. itself to the tax-payers of the United Kingdom, and the Government, which bas been undeniably losing groun 1, has had its attention draw off, not only to its own position, but to important fiscul considera- tions affecting the trade of the Empire wich in the unthinking adherence to the worn-out doctrines of the Cobdenists has ben seriously menaced. Meanwhile the Chinese Government, finding her near neigh
our Russia menacing her northern frontier, and being conscious that she has for ever lost the confidence of England, has yielded to that strange fascination which not infre- quently attacks the inferior animals in the presence of an enemy, and renders them incapable of taking the simplest of precau tions for their own safety. Both English and Japanese Ministers at Peking have done
Honestly, in all this, Lord SALISBURY was working for the integrity of China, but the party with whom he was dealing cared little for the preservation of their country when private interests stool in the way. It was sufficient for men like Li and YUNG- Eu that it would fast out their time; they owed nothing to the future, it might very well be left to take care of itself. The Con- tinental nations had no such scruples re- garding the autonomy of China; if Chinese statesmen were willing to treat for the dis-
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We know what followed; the plot, originally projected against the English only, developed into no attempt to get rid of every foreign resident in China, and gave rise to a curious combination. The Continental Powers were euphonistically said to be working in
concert with
England, the concert being that at least three were notoriously working for their own hauds directly contrary to British interests aud British professed policy, while of the remainder some were luke-warm, mainly caring for the indemnity to be obtained, fixed for the most part in the inverse proportion of the interests jeopardised and the losses undergone, and the rest were simply tiding over the immediate crisis, in the hope of something turning up in the confusion of which they might in their own interest take by and bye advantig.. Such was the position of affairs in China at the close of 1901, to which the errors and want of discrimination of the British Foreign Office had materially contributed. It would not be going too far to say that the sanie policy of drift has, with similar want of success, characterised our relations since.
ruption of the country, it was not for them to spoil the game rather let it go on! China was big enough, and there were good pick ings to be had. To men in the position of LI HUNG-CHANG othing is so unpalatable as advice.
Lord SALISBURY gave plenty of advice, but he gave nothing else. The Con- tinental Powers, led by Russia, gave no advice, and one at least gave more substan- tinl proofs of its interest in the play. The issue could not be long doubtful. While the British Foreign Office was listening to the specious suggestions of Portland Place, the ContinentalPowers were taking advantage of the position at Beking to fan the distrust with which England was regarded by the clique that bad come into power round the Dowager-Empress, now de facto ruler of China. The outbreak of the South African War, which momentarily taxed the the efforts of the Empire, materially Archipelago.
Cholera is reported to be raging in some of southern islands of the Philipine
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