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THE ALLIES IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, 15th September.} The present situation in China, were it not that so many elements of tragedy are in it, would offer to the uuembarrassed specta-¡ tor no small amount of comedy. The Bri- tish Government has thought the events of the last three months sufficiently serious to send out from India four army corps: that
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND | presidential election, and it is unfortunately the case that she finds her policy hampered, and often for the moment actually reversed during the recurring four-yearly crisis. large proportion of her population is op- posed to the States mixing themselves up with the affairs of the world at large, and finds a secret sympathy with the ex- clusive policy of China. They would have the States confine themselves within a wire fence would eat their own corn, drink their of the United States has sent to the frontown heer, clothe themselves in their own or has on the way some twelve thousand cloth, and shut themselves out from all The men, and Germany from her distant base in association with their fellow men. Europe has despatched a like number, and feeling is by no means coincident with the thinks the affair sufficiently dangerous to divisions of party, but is so deep-seated that | put in command a Field Marshal. Japan in looking for votes neither party can afford who in response to the wishes of the rest has to neglect it so willy-nilly the man placed in the field some thirty thousand would he president must spread his sails to men, not to speak of nearly all the Powers | catch the lightest breeze that blows. Some of Europe having sent to the scene an im- eight years ago in the last throes of the portant portion of their available naval Harrison administration, faut de mieur the forces, Russia and France have likewise Hon. J. W. FOSTER acted for a few brief come on the scene, and have done in the field | months as Secretary of State, going out of some actual good service. But Russia has office in the next April with the moribund In 1894 Mr. FOSTER came been lately spending her money rather freely Administration. in productive enterprises, which, although out to China as Law Adviser to La HuNG not immediately remmerative, are sound Chase, and distinguished himself as even investments, and will probably within the more Chinese than his patron. next three or four yours increase largely | presidential eletion every side and every not only the revenue desirable from her shade of party counts, and to the Chinese great. Asiatic possessions, but her influence element in the country Mr. FOSTER's prin- and weight is the future of Asm. But Rus-ciples of exclusion as applied to politics are doubtless poqular. Mr. McKINLEY sia finds she is not yet ready; momentarily her finances are a little strained, and she finds that good as may be expansion as a finds some difficulty in keeping up with the policy to work on, during election times it others. All this is comprehensible, and it is advisable to clothe it, as they clothe the she only frankly acknowledged it, no one
Venus de Medici in certain cities of the would think less of her. But here comes West; so Mr. FOSTER is dragged out of his in the rub. Finding it is extremely Incon- obscurity, and sent to China as United States Commissioner. In 1858 a somewhat venient for her to complete the work she had undertaken, yet jealous of any oe else | similar position of affairs found Mr. REED, undertaking it, she coolly proposes to all to the then Plenipotentiary of the States, go back in the middle, and leave the task un-taking his cue from the Russian Minister, done till she is herself ready to go forward | Admiral PouTIATINE, as a writer in these again!
In other words, the rest of the columns reminded us yesterday. Both with- world is to stultify itself, after making all its our incurring the expense of a war preparations on the spot ; anithis, not is cause desirous of gaining all its advantages. It is it had committed any crime or in any way
not on record that the States came off very compromised itself, but simply that was successfully; in fact they were made the not momentarily convenient for its good catspaw of the Tsar, who played his game friend Russia to step in at the instant.
SO successfully that two years after goes without saying in the present di pend- Russia quietly fell into possession of the en- ence of France on her big friend that we tirety of Eastern Manchuria. The result was should hear mutterings and growling from not at all that America anticipated. Her the Quai d'Orsay; ut France's homble backing up of obstruction in China has led submission to the will of the other, h vover up to the recent atrocities, of which she has beautiful a thing in the abstract, is not mat- | had to bear even more than her share; while ter that concerns the world at large, except her complacence to Russia has ended in the to look on and wonder that a Power which burling up of the Primorsk, from any but a few years ago was influential in the benefit from which she is jealously excluded, councils of Europe, and whose statesmen in and the formation in the Pacific of a rival, a great measure controlled the other can- and by no means friendly, naval competitor. tinental Powers, should have elected to des- These things are doubtless an allegory from cend to the position of a mere parasite of which we can learn very useful lessons; and Russia. But so it is; and not the last the chief of these is that we have in hand comic part of the play is the humility with a very serious business; too serious, in fact, which France after ransacking her der for us to be turned aside by the interested for supplies, in order to look as big a nycajolery and mistaken sentiment of our very one else, has suddenly become converted good friends in the enterprise. to the views of her patron. So far as France and Russia are concerned the situn-
A Simla telegram of the 27th ult. sayar- tion is sufficiently embarrasing, but it as- sumes a graver character when front difer-Arangements have been made for the supply ent motives we find the United States follow ing in an almost similar track. The States have everything to gain by the settlement of the difficulty in China; even more than England they have suffered from the re-ent upheaval; American troops have rendered timely aid to the other Powers, and looking back it seems well nigh impossible that without the assistance of the forces sent on
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from Manila the rescue of the Legations would have been practicable, without con- siderably greater loss than has resulted. Americą is, however, on the eve of a
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[September 22, 1900.
MINISTERIAL REPRESENTA- TIONS AND THE FAR EAST.
(Daily Press, 21st September.) What are the "limits of elasticity of con- in the case of a Parliamentary science ' Secretary of State? The constitution as generally interpreted throws little light on the subject; yet that there must be some is indicated pretty plainly by the two Secre- taries who have occupied the post under Lord SALISBURY's present administration. Mr. CURZON, now Lord CURZON of KEDLES- TON, had some very high limits on the subject, and made some remarkable state- ments in the House. But then Mr. CURZON resigned, and for a time men were led to
believe that he did so on account of the amount of work attached to the office; vet Mr. CURZON accepted the office of Governor-General of India, a post implying far more work and responsibility. Unfor funately he knew something of what was going on in the East, and men were found to suggest that the elastic limit had been reached in his case, and that he could go further in support of a policy of retrogres- sion, nor could he be a party to throwing further dust in the eves of the House. His successor did not labour under the same disability, so perhaps the experiment was Mr. St. JOHN BRODRICK hardly a fair one.
could boast with an easy conscience that he at least knew nothing of China. It was after all but a little way from the Foreign Office to Portland Place; it was easy to step into his cab, and, after all, Sir HALLIDAY MACARTNEY and CHICHEN LO FENGLU were very kind, and would doubtless place all the information be required at his disposal.
On the 30th March last. Mr. WALTON spoke of the general neglect of British interests in China displayed by Her Majesty's Ministers, and asked a few pertinent ques- It was eminently an occasion on tions. which Mr. BRODRICK could have condes- werecended to give some important information to the House on what was being done; and most ministers in his place would have been glad of the opportunity. If any member had however gone to the House under the expectation of being enlightened, he must have been grievously disappointed. Amongst other things, Mr. WALTON spoke of the very alarming position in Peking and the dis- of the country, and turbed condition the
evident anti-foreign feeling exhibited in many places. These offered the Secretary an opportunity for a display of ridicule. Everything was going on in the best possible manner, and if there were any delay at all it was owing to the delay of the British financier, who had ob- tained concessions through this most active of Governments, hat had actually done no work, and the Chinese Government were
direct from Australia of six hundred artillery
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Justified in requiring that some substantial progress" should be made with what they had already granted before proceeding fur- ther. He had the hardihood to deny that British influence had disappeared at Peking, or that the Government had given up any claims they had put forward. As every one of these statements proved untrue, a fact which it did not require the massacres of horses and colts as a reserve at Hongkong jor
the next June to prove, it becomes a matter the China Force. The supervising staff is to
of some interest to enquire how they came be sent from India. Twenty one-pounder Maxius, pompoms, are being supplied from to be put forward by a Minister of the home for the China expeditionary force, while Crown in Mr. BRODRICK's position. Were 195 horses for the same will be shipped at the they, in fact, deliberate untruths put för- war Office has been asked to arrange to end they on the other hand proceed from true The ward with the object of deception, or did
back to India as many as practicable of the and genuine ignorance of the real position thirty Commissariat transport subordinates now employed in South Africa to replace those of affairs? There is absolutely no middle despatched with the China Fore, which has alternative, and Mr. BRODRICK must be absorbed altogether 7 members of the sub- prepared to accept one or other conclusion. ordinate branch of this Department in India.
In either case the Minister who uttered them
end of the current onth from India.
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