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CHINA'S INTEGRITY ASSURED,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to territorial responsibility in China, and the policy thus established by them has been (Daily Press, 17th April.)
maintained, and has of late been adhered to There can be little question that the com- with more reason than there was for it plaints which were made from time to time originally, inasmuch as matters in the Far by the Russian Government of breach of
East have become far more complicated, neutrality on the part of the Chinese were and the responsibilities of assuming any nothing more nor less than a portion of the jurisdiction have become proportionately programme which it had laid out for itself greater. During all this time a factor which in connection with the war. It would suit had been but little considered came into Russia admirably to have a grievance existence in the form of Japan, and in face against China which might be made a of this rising Power in the Far East the pretext for
some further annexation of undesirability of European interference by Chinese territory when the war came to an way of territorial acquisitions is more mani- It has become apparent that the end. Even if things went against her, she | fest. might still hope to get hold of something objects which it is desired to obtain :-first to which Japan, in coming to terms, might facilities for trade, and next, something like not object, and which would prove some political stability, might be arrived at in a sort of solatium for her losses in other more desirable way than by territorial respects. The position, however, has been acquisition; while, on the other hand it is not to be denied that the presence in the very well seized by the other foreign nations who are certain either directly or indirectly East of a nation like Japan, opposed to the to have something to say in the final settle- partition of a neighbouring country as likely ment. It is highly significant that Germany to be a menace to herself, had been re- and France have declared themselves incognised as an element adding in no small favour of sustaining the integrity of China. degree to the responsibilities attaching to That this has been the policy of Great anything in the form of territorial annexa- Britain and America for many years past is tion in China. If Japan continued, (as she well known, and so far as Japan is concerned, at one time seemed to be) desirous of herself it has been the chief thing she has striven acquiring possessions in China, the situation for from the beginning. The fact, however, would be more complicated; but she has that France and Germany are now avowedly fully recognised the desirability of main- in favour of this policy may be taken to taining China's integrity, and there is no indicate very clearly that the ideas of acquir. reason to apprehend that she will depart ing territory in China have been abandoned from that policy. At the same time she is by both those nations; and that they are using her position, and apparently with success, in bringing China to a more liberal prepared to co-operate with England and the United States in the policy which of late policy as regards foreign nations-and the years has been identified with the latter, influence which she will now be able to exert in this direction, will, it is reasonable and will support Japan in such measures as may le necessary for carrying it out. to hope, be productive of better results than could be hoped for by any other means. At the present time we find not only England and America (whose policy has always been identical in this respect) but also France and Germany in favour of preserving China from aggression; and there is also this very important feature in the present.
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{April 22, 1905.
altruistic in intention or not; and that no real reform of the conditions of life is possible except by men striving for their own individual, “inner, religiously moral ·
The "higher law of one's perfectioning." conscience" is the only law he would have men obey, with the golden rule, of doing to others what we wish them to do to us, as a basis.
He says all Governments are bad; that the Russian is not the only one. Indeed, he "the European nations, and compares especially the Americans,” with the Pharisee in the gospel narrative; and the Russian Government occupies the position of the Publican, who confessed that he was miserable sinner; while the Europeans, "and the Americans," presumably especially thank God that they are not as the Rus- Resistance of oppression, all sians are. forms of resistance, he regards as “comical from the point of view of the possibility of success, and piteous from the point of view of the unfortunate, misled individuals who perish in this unequal strife.” There seems here to be some explanation of his extra- ordinary immunity from official interference. Were he to preach that men could not die more nobly than fighting fearful odds, the Russian Censor might not be so indul- gent. He says it is not true that if liberty were granted, the people would themselves Revolutionary express their demands. activity is " inexpedient, unreasonable, and unright." All political effort distracts them from the paramount duty of withstanding their own temptations to "fear, stultifica. tion, greed, ambition, and vanity.' expressly disapproves of "prayer for one's own perfection"; he demands works. The theory of "faith in the redemption", or "in grace transmitted by the sacraments,' cannot replace "personal effort." These
64 as much a psychological are to him
as that which makes men think illusion" they can secure a Magna Charta by force. This personal effort, he thinks, "is always. in our power-ourselves"; so that he is at the opposite. extreme to that other extre- mist, SCHOPENHAUER, who denied hum- anity's power to mend its own character. Men recognise that something is wrong, but "Thus (Daily Press, 18th April.)
they go the wrong way to right it. The Times of March 11th publishes three there follows, first, the idle, and, secondly, the pernicious, vain (we correct other columns of personal opinions that, suppos- ing them to have been written by some people) and evil (one may kill those who plain JOHN SMITH, would not have escaped hinder the general welfare), depraviug This is activity." After that pretty definition of the editor's waste-paper-basket. absolutely certain, and cannot be gainsaid. vanity, it is interesting to read on, This great flood of logorrhoea is allowed to and to see wherein the man-made laws cover half a page of the Times' valuable are wrong, according to TOLSTOY. He space because it was written by Count LEO points out that even Republican govern- With-ments are wicked enough to wage war, TOLSTOY, and for no other reason. out that
instancing, inter alia, the subjugation of the Philippines, and the opening of China.
A RESPECTABLE ANARCHIST,
It is not difficult to see how this change of view has been brought about. So long as it seemed likely that any one foreign nation would establish itself over a sub. stantial part of China, the others were naturally disposed, if possible, to follow suit both upon strategic and commercial con- siderations. What seemed to be accepted among diplomatists was that in due time there would be a general attempt at packing up what could be got from the remains of China. This game of Snap Dragou appeared good enough for a time, but events have shown that it may prove one that is a little too hot to be agreeable. Enterprising nations have had an object lesson in the war which may well make them pause in anything that may lead to accepting the responsibilities of territorial possessions in China; and at present there is a concurrence of opinion that it is a wiser policy for foreign nations to leave China alone. Thus, in an un- expected manner there has been a recurrence in reality to what was the accepted policy in theory, at all events among Diplomatists, ever since the Treaty of Tientsin. The weakness of China was so apparent that any improvement from within seemed bope- less, and it was at one time thought that the best thing that could happen would be that she should come in some way under European rule, either by being partitioned or by falling under the sway of some nation who could govern her properly. The only nation who might have accepted such a responsibility was Great Britain, but, apart from the opposition which other nations might be disposed to offer, Great Britain has never been anxious for territorial to self-knowledge, when they are not ob- dominion in China, though such design stinately and unthinkingly disregarded, TOLSTOY does not know himself. He is has been freely attributed to her. FREDERICK BRUCE, the first Minister at mentally incapable, as we have pointed out
He lacks the necessary and saving| Peking after the Tientsin Treaty, and Sir before. RUTHERFORD ALCOCK and Sir THOMAS sense of humour; blinded by the pride of WADE who followed him, were all notori- intellect, he takes his dreams too seriously. ously averse to anything which might tend | His thesis is that all force is bad, whether
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name affixed, very few Times readers would have troubled to read it. With that sign manual, many would read it. So it went in. It is worth while to remem. ber this human trait, before traversing the points of the mystic Russian, because there are people who will reply, "But if TOLSTOY says so, and if the Times gives it publicity, there must be something in it." illogical, but it is also human cature. offer no censure, we intend no ridicule; but faithful reflection will bring conviction that it is quite true; and being true, it is im- portant. Man has been advised to learn to know himself; 'the greatest study of mankind is man'; these admissions tend
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These Governments, when they find it necessary, crush with armed force any risings and manifestations of the will of the people, which they regard as transgressions of the law-i.e., of that which these Govern. ments at a given moment regard as the law." That is While urging the claims of the individual We "conscience," he forgets that all law in a representative Government is but the expression of the collective conscience. This is important, for the coll ctive conscience changes and modifies its decisions from time to time, and individual consciences are uo more stable. Conscience as the only guide means every man a law unto himself, an unthinkable condition of society. For the greatest good of the greatest number, those individuals whose consciences are inconveniently elastic are overawed by the organized coercive power" Tolstoy thinks He tells us that “ in England, so dreadful. the United States, France, and Germany