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AFFAIRS IN NORTH CHINA.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
different men been in charge of the Yangtze provinces and the Two Kwang, we could only have protected our interest in Central and South China by resigning the care of Northern affairs to other Powers in fact, to Russia and Japan. Few would care to predict what then would have happened.
Shall we then see as the result of the present troubles the permanent retention of a more powerful British Squadron in Chinese waters, the stationing of an adequate garri- son, adequately armed, at Hongkong, and the development of Weihaiwei, the value of which has been shown in the last fortnight? If we do not, we may definitely conclude that lessons are wasted on those to whose wisdom the protection of our interests is en- trusted.
(Daily Press, 3rd July.)
(Daily Press 2nd July.) A long and very interesting letter appears in our Shanghai contemporary, the North China Daily News, on the 26th ult., from its Weihaiwei correspondent. Among the many points worthy of notice there is one which may well be described as of Imperial importance, and that is when the writer deals with the subject of the efficiency of our China Squadron. It would, he says, be interesting to know what estimate of the fighting value of the British fleet in Chinese waters at the present moment would be given by the Admiralty, were a question in this direction asked in Parliament. He goes on
state that the ships are denuded of officers and men.
Our ship, "for example," he says, "has less than two "hundred men on board out of a comple- In view of the important statement made "ment of over five hundred. Another, one in our telegram yesterday that the Boxers of the larger of the smaller class of ships, had made preparations for a general rising "has two officers and eleven seamen. Her in September next, when they calculated on "stokehold is correspondingly depleted, re- numbering some eight million adherents, "ducing her speed on 'emergency from including the regular troops, and that the "fourteen knots to about nine and a half or Pacting-fu affair precipitated matters unduly, ten. Another at a pinch could perhaps it is curious to read in a Washington des- "work two of her guns. Another cannot use patch to the Times on the 1st of last month her larger boats she has enough men left that it was hinted in diplomatic circles in "to get them on board again. Some, it is Washington that the sudden increase ob- said, and it may be true, cannot move served in the activity of the Boxers was "at all. They are effectually anchored part of a well-conceived plan by one of the "within a dozen miles or so of Taku." great European Powers to secure a perman- As a contrast to the state of affairs obtain-ent lodgment in Peking and seize a position, ing in the British fleet, the Russian and Ja- panese boats are described as having their full complements. If this correspondent can substantiate his observations, the charge he makes is a grave one. But we are inclined to think that the case is overstated. It is no doubt true that many of the warships are obliged to remain at a distance from Taku, but is not the reason one of draught and not of crew? The Chinese rivers, of course, are not suitable for vessels of any considerable draught, and this point cannot be forgotten when the China Squa- dron 18 increased. But the boats which cannot be employed in affairs like the present one have their own duties -and it is not with a view of keeping China in order that they are here. With regard to the condition of efficiency in which they are maintained it would be unsafe to conclude hastily from the statements of one observer, however able he may be. His words must be weighed with the rest. If they are irrefutable, we cannot but hear more hereafter on the point which he discusses.
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It must, however, be admitted that 88 matters have stood in the past and still stand until the arrival of rein- forcements, the footing on which our naval and military establishments have been kept in China is such that to meet a great emergency steps have to be taken which unjustifiably weaken us at vital points in order to furnish us, with a sufficient attack ing force elsewhere. As we pointed out last week we have only been able to despatch 700 men to Taku by reducing our already inadequate garrison in Hongkong to 2,000 odd. Similarly Admiral SEYMOUR only got to- gether his first handful of men by impairing the strength of the vessels he left under Admiral BRUCE. That we have done so well under the circumstances and held our own with the other foreign contingents is cre- ditable to the officers and men; but, generally speaking, we had great luck on our side. The Viceroys of the Central provinces have maintained their character for firmness and commonsense, and have been able to hold down the unruly elements in their heighbourhood. LA HUNG-CHANG has done similar work here in the South. Had
ily 7, 1900. quality. Our
But
reach Taku gust.
BEYHOUR S very shortly erous and a hay be sure, te possible. rtunately so until the not be too inisters had
supply of guns of an excellent new Indian troops cannot before the beginning of the force before which Admi 2,000 could but give way w be confronted with a far more better equipped force, who, will press on with all the The situation at Peking is u grave that we cannot feel ce allies reach the city, that they late; for the story that the consented to leave under Chine escort seems to be disposed of by the new of their de claration that they will remain their post. | This sacrifice to a principle, thị ngh heroic, may in the worst event deal a bavy blow to the Governments whose repres tatives they are. But we will hope that air courage will impress even the anti-fogn fanatics who follow Prince TUAN's lead
THE SITUATION IN LEKING.
(Daily Press, 5th July)-
state of affairs in North China which time We are apparently now face to face with
alone can change. The allied forces in Tientsin are in the melancholy position of knowing that their inability move may cost the lives of the Ministers the Powers now besieged and in desperate traitsin the British Legation, one of the the Eu ropea buildings which alone seem toe left stand- ing in Peking. Within the eosure of the giving it full control of the Peiho river. Legation there are, as far as we know, some The opinion, was also held, it appears, that four hundred men collected,cluding the the plan proved abortive owing to the alert- Ministers and their staffs, enth of the re- ness of the other European Powers, but fugees as remained in Pekin and the in- particularly to the readiness of Mr. CONGER ternational troops. As far asins are con- and Rear-Admiral KEMPFF, which at once cerned the garrison are wellhed, but we gave the movement an international aspect have no knowledge of what atom of provisions and so tended to prevent the nation con- they have. A certain reserve Legations cerned from aggrandising itself at the ex- are wont to have, and the trodes that went pense of the interests of the other nations. up from Tientsin on the 31st May took a It was thought that the excitement would fresh stock with them; but it hardly seems soon abate and the rioters vanish away; likely that there is a sufficiens to provide so much so that when Mr. CONGER, the against a siege. It is unfortunately impro- United States Minister in Peking, cabled bable even that there could besiege of any that the arrival of the guards for the duration, owing to the overwhelming num- Legations had improved the situation, bers of the besiegers, who car but over- and that Peking was much quieter, though come the most heroic resista
fif it comes the Boxers were still active in the neigh-to a matter of direct assault. The utmost bourhood, his words carried conviction we can hope for is that there my be no at- with them. The scene is indeed a tempt to carry the building by ssault until different one now from what might be sufficient reinforcements arrit Tientsin imagined from the pictures which the from Manila, Japan, and Bisnes we can Ministers drew for their home govern- hardly add from here-to enable a strong ments. The persistent under-rating of the body to force its way through Such hope, strength of the Boxers has brought its however, is shadowy, if Prine Nemesis. Of the conduct of the Ministers fluence is all that is likely in persisting in remaining at Peking and immediate attack on the hand throwing the responsibility for their safety ers almost in his grasp. The u on the Imperial Government, it may cer- known character is not such as to encourage tainly be said that it is brave, but in the any ideas that he will interfere to preserve present circumstances it is foolhardy. If the hated aliens. Elated by ther success Prince TUAN is at the head of affairs now over Admiral SEYMOUR'S tembo svity.com. probably actual Emperor, the telegram mand the ex-Imperial troops at fail to says there is no power likely to restrain the think themselves the matcide fril nations Manchu-anti-foreign party. Even the Em- which the Manchu party engouraged press Dowager with her pretended Boxer-sup- them to believe. The moral Let the re- pressing edicts has vanished, and a worse pulse of the Peking relief force must have enemy to foreigners has taken her place. When been absolutely disastrous she threw away the reins of power we do not know, and it is therefore impossible to say whether it was under her rule or that of Prince TUAN that the unfortunate Baron VON KETTELER, once, as we show elsewhere, a familiar figure in Canton, met with his death at the hands of the Chinese troops. It matters little, however, who is directly responsible for the murder, all the mem. bers of the palace clique are tarred with the same brush, and all must pay for the acts of their party. This they will soon commence to do. Already they have against them 14,000 troops, provided with an ample
Uan's in- prevent an of foreign- er's well-
The question arises, Didil the Minters do right in insisting on rerghating at Peking while it was yet possible for them to have in safety-say, at the begining of June, when the contingent of three hundred and Thirty mixed troops had arrived by the then intact Tientsin-Peking line to guard the Legations? It is an undoubted fact that they could then or in the course of the next few days have left Peking and retired to Tieltsin, intimat- ing to the Imperial Government that they were obliged to take this extre
Veme mea owing to the improper way in which
Boxers" were being dealt with and the
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