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April* 3, 1909.] whenever matters are brought to a point; and unfortunately hitherto it has been the case that Austria bas been in each instance the chief offender. Austria, of course, stands most to lose in the case of a conflict; and it is quite possible that feeling this to be the case she has become the more rigid in refusing all accommodation. Germany has probably more influence with the Im perial House of the Hapsburgs than all the other Governments in Europe, and there is little doubt that word of caution, which from the other Powers would be looked upon as an impertinence, from Germany would be accepted in a friendly spirit. The word, however, does not come, but instead tirade about susceptibilities, and a hint that she does not like to place herself at cross pur- poses with her ally; consequently the atmosphere, which but a couple of weeks, ago was undoubtedly brightening, since has been rendered more murky than ever, but the telegram we publish this morning happily gives the best promise we have yet had of a settlement of this protracted quarrel.
THE POWERS AND CHINESE REFORMERS.
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(Daily Press, March 31st.) There is no position which is more difficult to maintain diplomatically than one of absolute neutrality and com plete non-intervention. At first blush this may appear to be an easy matter. It would seem that when any question of internal administration arises in any given nation, outside nations may reasonably content themselves with doing nothing and leaving the nation concerned to settle its own affairs and to work out its own destiny its own way. But, however easy this may appear in theory, it is found to be a very different matter in practice. Recently a complaint was made by a writer who signed himself as a Chinese Student at Cam- bridge" of the inconsistency of Foreign nations in their dealings with China in this respect. He complained that while Europeans were constantly pointing out the defects of the system of government exist ing in China, whenever the people in China took matters into their own hands, and endeavoured by threatened revolt or more severe revolutionary methods, to bring about a change, foreign nations invariably intervened, and supported the existing Government in putting down the threatened disturbance. That this statement is true, it is impossible to deny. From the time of the Tai Ping rebellion to the present day, the Peking Government have always received the support, moral if not actually material, of foreign nations and especially of Great Britain, in suppressing opposition to the existing order of things-bad though that state of matters may have been. Upon abstract grounds, this line of policy certainly seems open to the strictures which the writer above referred to cast upon it. Why, it may fairly he asked, if the Chinese are disposed to rise against an oppressive Government and to insist upon reforms, should European nations support a status quo which they have constantly denounced
as unentisfactory-to put it at its mildest? Would it not be more consistent for them to leave China to work out its own destiny as would be done with respect to any other nation? This is in effect the question which the Cambridge Chinaman propounds, and be is quite certain that, if left alone, China would work out her reformation-by revolution if it cannot be accomplished in any other
way.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
That European nations have in more than one instance afforded great aid to the Peking Government in suppressing revolts, is not, however, so inconsistent as those who are inclined to drastic measures are disposed to believe. The end that is hoped for by them is the establishment of a form of government in China which will provide justice and security to the people generally, and thus secure the stability of an Empire with which they have very large commercial and political interests. revolutionary movements in China did If revolts and not interfere with the safety and prosperity of the large number of Europeans whose fortunes are now embarked in the country, such risings would be no affair of theirs. Unfortunately, however, when disturbances arise in China, both the lives and the property of Europeans are placed in the greatest jeopardy; and thus a state of affairs arises in which it is impossible to sit still and allow events to take their course. Of this, the Peking Government is fully aware, and they usually manage with great skill, to get assist nce from foreign nations whenever a critical moment arrives, and after the immediate trouble has been put an end to, affairs go on, apparently at least, much as they were before.
t we
This line of action is certainly open to objection on the ground of consistency; but logical consistency is not. the essence of foreign policy. As MACAULAY observed, in speaking of the defects observable among Ecclesiastics in matters of practical govern- ment, the essence of Theology is logic; but the essence of politics is compromise. Whether logically consistent or not, it is, after all, not an unsound position for European nations to adopt, to say will do all we can by our influence and advice to bring about an improvement in the internal government of China, as our commercial and political interests are largely concerned in this; but we are not able to sit still when authority is actively defied, revolt broken out or revolution threatened. Some other ueans than these must be found if they are to have our support." Such a position, it cannot be denied, by temperate people, is at all events a sound one, and is practically that which has been adopted by foreign nations hitherto and is likely to be continued in the future. So far as the past is concerned, it has certainly not proved so ineffectual, as might be thought. There has been some progress in China, though it has been slow, and it would be unwise, at the present time, to conclude that the promises of constitutional reform which have been definitely made will be absolutely ignored. It is quite possible that the reactionary element at the capital will have to be reckoned with; and that the reforms that are promised will not be all that could be hoped for; but if some reasonable form of representative or even partially representa- tive government be established, more than half the difficulties under which China has so long laboured, will come to an end.
THE CROWN AGENTS' OFFICE,
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(Daily Press, April 1st.) Twelve months ago or more the Imperial Government appointed a Committee to in- quire into "the conditions of tenure, the scale of payment of salaries and pensions, and how far arrangements, in the office of the Crown Agents for the Colonies are in accord, or can be brought into barmony with the principles governing the Civil Service." In order to enable the Committee to decide whether changes were required or not, it became necessary for them to have a general survey of what work is done and
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how it is done. Evidence was given before the committee by witnesses possessing either special colonial experience or a particular knowledge of transactions with the Crown Agents, and although a certain amount of the evidence appears to be outside the proper subject of the enquiry, this. as the Committee says, is not on the whole to be regretted. The Committee says the general effect of this evidence has been to show that "while there is in the Colonies in many with the methods of the Crown Agents, it quarters a certain simmering of discontent is due rather to want of touch between them. and the Colonial Governments, to some want of elasticity on the part of officials claiming to occupy a quasi-independent position, or to personal considerations, but not to a failure in the work of the office which appears to be on the whole well done, and to be clear from all suspicion of corruption." So little is geuerally known with regard to the Crown Agents Office that a few par- ticulars may be found interesting. The Crown Agents Office acts for all the Colonies twenty-four in number, not possessing responsible government, for the eleven British Protectorates and for Zanzibar, and serves as the general agency in Great Britain for all these countries. It purchases and sends out the materials and goods of all kinda required
which are by the Colonial Governments from the United Kingdom or Europe, it issues their public loans, keeps the registers of their stock, pays the interest and invests the sinking funds, and transacts all kinds of miscellaneous financial business including the payment of salaries to Colonial Officials on leave, and the payment of pensions where the recipients live in the United Kingdom of communication between Colonial Govern- or Europe. Moreover, it acts as the channel
United Kingdom. The Crown Agents, three ments and their Consulting Engineers in the
in number, are selected by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and hold office during the pleasure of the Crown. Their salaries are
fixed by the Secretary of State while those of the Staff number- ing about 225 persons, have been left to the discretion of the Crown Agents, though maximum lump sums are allocated, and a maximum rate of salary is fixed by the Crown; periodic statements have to be rendered to the Colonial Office showing the actual salaries paid to the established officers.
the first time that the way the Crown This, as many of our readers know, is not Agents Office does its work has been inquired into. There was a Local Committee of Inquiry into the stores Department in Ceylon in 1878; and a similar committee in Hongkong in 1902, and the result in each case-according to Sir E. BLAKE, the Senior Crown Agent-was that the work of the office was found to be well done, and that there was practically nothing requiring alteration. Consequently when Lord ELGIN acceded to the demand for an inter-departmental committee to conduct an inquiry into the organisation of the Office before any prima facie case for inquiry had been made out, the Crown Agents naturally protested, and declared that "some person or persons who have a personal grievance against the Crown Agents are almost always at the bottom of agitations against us,' The Secretary of State, how- ever, did not feel that he could resist the demand, and the inquiry has been held with results which on the one hand must be gratifying to the Crown Agents, and on the other very satisfactory to the Colonies who are interested in knowing not only that on the whole the work of the Crown Agents Office appears to be well done, and free from the
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