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"YOUNG CHINA" AGAIN.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
1905 ninety-two million taels worth of its the administration in China to see what is imports, Tientsin fifty-nine millions, Han-really needful to make the Government kow forty-seven millions, Canton practically respected and the people content. The all it imported, Newchwang thirty-one VICEROY at Nanking is notoriously of the millions, Kowlcon twenty-two millions, and party that would keep Chin for th so on. The rest of the book is taken up Chinese; as such it might have been with analyses of the various imports them- anticipated that in his own administration selves, particulars of which may be found he would have taken steps to prove the in an excerpt on another page, headed possibility of the policy. Unfortunately, if "China's Imports Analysed'
illustration were needed of the present inability of China to bring her government up to the level of a well administered State, it is to be found in this very province of Kiangnan. This is the more remarkable that under the late Viceroy, Liu KwEN-YI, the two Kiang were able to set an example to the rest of the Empire. Indeed had it not been for Lro's statesmanlike policy during the time of the fantastic emeute in Peking, the whole position in China would have had to be changed, and it is doubtful if the Imperial rule in Peking could have been maintained. Now, on the contrary, we find Nanking converted into a centre of intrigue, the professed object of which is to throw the State into the hands of reactionaries. Such tactics must ever prove unsuccessful from their very nature. It may be in the power of au ordinary man to throw a State into confusion, but to organise a successful revolution demands administrative talent; and it is just in his ability for effective administration that the present VICEROY, and his followers, seem markedly deficient. The little police incident amongst many such is an additional proof of the incapacity of the Young China party for rule of any sort. Swarmeries have an ugly habit of being most dangerous to their organisers, and China has had only too many instances lately of this.
to
CLAIMS UPON CHINA.
(Daly Press, 2nd August.) CHOU Fu, Viceroy of the Liang Kinng who poses as the most progressive of the offi cial hierarchy, has just been giving in hi own capital an inkling of his capacity torule, and his understanding of modern conditions in China. The incident was but a trifle; but a feather best shows how blows the wind, and Chou Fu is so far in accord with the Government at Peking that it is under- stood that he stands in the way of high promotion, and according to rumour is about to be sent to the Sonth, to put in order the somewhat strained position of affairs in the two Kwang provinces. We do not hail the apparition so near ourselves of this latest exponent of young Chinese doctrines. Unwilling to judge too harshly of the man without further experience, we yet cannot forget how CHOU Fu has succeeded in dissociating himself from censure in the affair of the outrages at Nanchang, and has left it to be supposed that the blame lay entirely with the FUTAI of that province. Doubtless the provincial administration of Kiangsi is rutten to the core: but has it not been following closely in the footsteps of Kiangnan? The little incident which we referred to seems suggest that Nanking under Chou Fu's rule is in little more wholesome condition, Fortunately no foreigner was immediately concerned, but the spirit displayed is of
(Daily Press, 3rd Angust.) precisely similar nature. The affair bad to The reason for the squeamishness with do with the new plice force regarding regard to demanding indemnities from which we have heard much, but seen little. China was a good one. It arose as a The new force, being introduced on lines natural consequence in the minds of Western feebly imitative of those under which the ers, always constitutionally endowed with police system of Japan is conducted, has
strict sense of justice, when it was pointed heen tabooed by Young China as tainted out that while it was the officials who with foreign proclivities. One of these started most of the trouble, it was the people new-fangled police in the heart of Chou who were really being made to pay. From Fo's territory, conceiving that one of the a lawyer's pint of view, the injustice; even duties of a civic police was to look after then might be regarded as more apparent traffic, objected to two of the soldiers in the than real, as a master is responsible for the suite of a military officer riding iu one
acts of his servant, and theoretically (cer. ricsha. The officer was 'moving house
tainly not in fact) the officials are the and the soldiers had been assisting in the
servants of the people. Yet setting aside operation. The soldiers went immediately that somewhat far-fetched point, there can and informed their officer, and that worthy, be no overlooking the fact that the deeds fully imbued with the spirit of “swarшery inspired by bad officials were always com- to which we have lately had much occasion mitted by the people. Allowing that they to refer, gave the hint to the wrathful
were misguided in what they did, that their victims of police regulation. The result conduct was frequently characterised ny was the immediate sack of all the new police that spontaneous, irresponsible passion of quarters throughout the city. The police, mobdon (which has been epitomised in the believing in the truism that discretion is word "swarmery") rather thau by deliber the better part of valour, and probably nte malice aforethought, the people as a fecling that they had no friends in high whole cannot be absolved of all respon- quarters, seemel to have offered little sibility for the outrages done by them in résistance, so that the list of casualties was part. Still, there was the feeling that ominously small, and the city generally was
many were made to suffer for the sins unaware that it had actually been the battle of a comparative few; and perhaps ground for the two departments of its peace there was some slight pricking of the protectors. According to well understood Western conscience, conscious of provocation custom, as soon as the news of the con- given. At all events, the feeling grew, and clusion of the emeute had reached the the American Government, hoping to VICEROY's ears, that worthy gave his convince the Chinese of its benevolent immediate orders to his bodyguard to quell intentions, an quite unconscious that the the riot, which they did with much success, Chinese are familiar with a sying of one actually bringing in some of the soldiers of their own philosophers that Virtus concerned. The riot itself is of little avowed loses its virtue, made itself one of importance, and we have only mentioned the most ostentatious exponents of this it as an instance of the utter incapacity of particular spirit of moderation. In the
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[August 6, 1908,
case of certain missionary societies (whose members naturally do not admit their propaganda to be provocation), the same reluctance has been manifested, inde nuities for murdered missionaries being scorned as
'blood money",
", whatever that phrase may imply in this peculiar connection. We bave never realised the aptness of its use, since it is better understood as indicating the ignoble reward of informers and police spies. However, assuming for the moment that our information from Amoy yesterday was authentic, we may wonder what could have been the motive impelling the missionaries in that district to sign a "round robin" requesting the British CONSUL to discourage the claims for indemnity made by Dr. HORNE and Mr.
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FORBES FADIE. It could not have been the conscientious objection to the acceptance of "
blood money
for neither of those victims was in any way connected with missions; and it would be too presumptu- ous, even in missionaries, to constitute themselves the consciences of other men. It is difficult to see how it could be due to the sense of injustice already mentioned, for in this case, to give the devil his due, the native officials -are not under suspicion, and the people deserve to pay (as the said officials have readily admitted) for the people's most wicked behaviour. There is th further suggestion (a matter of common belief and current
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It
comment in Amoy) that they hid at the time of their protest a claim pending ag siust the same officials for compensation (report ୧୦୯୫ as high a $100,000) for mission property destroyed a short time before, and not many miles from the place where the murderous and cowardly attack upon the two commercial men was inade. If, as we have twice premised, they bive really acte.l as reported and we are still loath to believe it-we can only exclaim at the shocking want of tict their meddling shows. would be quite plausible for someone to suggest that the missionaries themselves were in a sense partly responsible for the suffering of the non-missionary victims. Previous events in the visinity of Anoy had just proved that the mission, were not popular with the surrounding populace. Missionary demands for compensation were, it is alleged, on file, and would be known to the people. There alone was sufficient provocation (in the eyes of the ignoraut natives) for what has up to regarded as a quite unprovoked attack. We hope that, in their own interests, the missionaries will lose no time in removing, if it cau be remove, the aulavourab o impression at present entertained by the foreign public o. the port, by getting in a proper 1ght the nature of their attitude ju this case, which we would fain hope stands at present very much misrepresented.
now been
CHINESE AND THE ECLIPSE.
(Daily Press, 4 h August.) When the interesting pro-lamation trans- lated by our Canton correspondent comes to be read in Engiand, it will occasiou very little surprise. Some few, who have beau studying the newspaper and missionary accounts of China's growing education and enlig tenment, will be in doubt which evidence they ought to reject, the procla mation of August 1906, or the optimistic reports of the Lis: couple of years." That a irur grasp of the state of affairs can be gained by dovetailing both is unlikely tɔ occur to more than an intelligent few. Local readers will, we presame, be generally.