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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CHINA AND THE DEMANDS OF, it is well to remember would have been
THE POWERS.
own inner
BRITISH REPRESENTATION AT PEKING.
[January 12, 1901.
will serve to show, as the proverbial straw does, which way the wind blows, and British residents in the East, long and painfully familiar with the class of statesmen whose object is firstly the interests of the Chinese, and secondly, and then only when it cannot be avoided, the interest of their own na tionals, will have no difficulty in filling in the line of policy likely to be pursued.
resented, even if the result had been less trágic. The truculence of China's action has enhanced the penalty she has had (Daily Press, 7th January.) The unqualified acceptance of the terms to pay, but it has not affected the proposed by the Powers, while it may be principle concerned, and hence it is that the infliction of the penalty has not taken as the first, and it is to be hoped been left to any one Power, but has most important, step towards a settlement of the difficulties which China has brought been inflicted by all in concert. For six
We are not, however, concerned so much on herself, can only be looked upon in the months China has been an outlaw; she has
now been permitted to purge herself from with the immediate negotiations as with the light of a preliminary towards the peace the penalty of her contempt, but this by future. Itis pretty safe to say that the demands eventually to follow. Before the parties to an agreement can begin to settle the terms no means is to be taken to imply that all of the Powers were formulated in the Foreign there are manifestly things to be done in China's difficulties are ended, or that she is. Offices of the various countries and being order to bring about a common ground for to be at liberty to adopt a similar attitude agreed upon will be enforced and necessarily discussion; and that is the point at which in future. Rather will the nations interpret accepted by China. They are, from the affairs have now arrived. Henceforward her enforced submission as a late admission nature of things, of a general nature and both parties will be in a position to discuss of the inevitable. If she have good sense can be made comprehensive or not, according the pros and cons of any scheme proposed, enough to comprehend this, she will find to the interpretation that is put on them while up to this there has been no common every assistance given her to replace herself after their acceptance; and when the time on her former footing. Should she, however, comes for carrying them out in detail, more ground admitting of discussion. Looking at the whole affair from beginning to end, fail to comprehend these easy conditions, particularly will this be the case with there is nothing in the requirements which she will find herself at the mercy of the first regard to the eleventh clause of the Joint have been laid down beyond those ordinary nation powerful enough to strike. Revenge Note, which calls for the inauguration of some arrangements for dealing with the rules which direct the intercourse of civilised has formed no part of the programme of nations; and it was merely the breach of the terms offered, but the simple desire in commerce of China: The Chinese can be these universally accepted rules of conduct the interests of China, quite as much as of relied upon with their usual shortsighted- ness to oppose, in the execution, any that rendered necessary their imposition in the other Powers, to shield her from the the form set out by all the Powers. Had, direst effect of those dangers which she attempt at opening the country generally at placing their system of in fact, any other nation done as China has has ignorantly brought upon herself. This to trade, done, she would in turn have had to submit is the lesson which we still fear her states-collecting revenue on an equitable basis, or, to stipulations of exactly the same nature men have failed to comprehend; and we in a word, at reoganising their finances. and degree. In this respect there is nothing would rather that China should be brought They will, as in the past, accept these in the abstract readily enough; they will sign humiliating to China in the acceptance of to understand them of her the code; the humiliation rather consisted consciousness than that a failure in as- and agree to anything if they cau only per- in her having permitted herself to be led similating the lesson should again bring suade the "foreign devil" to take himself, away by the ideas of a few ignorant her into unpleasant conflict with the his agreement, and more especially his troops, home again. Anyone of average in- guides into supposing that there was coercive forces of modern civilisation.
telligence is capable of presenting this really any essential difference between
agreement; the difficulty and the real work · her own position as regards the nations,
will be to get the details carried out. To and their position as regards her. Histori-
do this we shall require as a representative cally nations have before this laid claim to
a man of iron will, of iron patience, and en- The Roman
(Daily Press, 10th January.) some such exclusive rights.
Some time ago we had occasion to remark dowed physically with an iron constitution. Emperors at one period doubtless aimed at exclusive sovereignty; but the attempt to that strenuous efforts must be made in order The question of interest, of grave interest, exercise it led to the loss of her legion to force the Government to inaugurate and for the commercial class of Britain, is: Are under VARUS, and her forced withdrawas carry out a policy in support of legitimate we likely to get such a man? Lord SALIS- from Asia beyond the Euphrates. The British interests in China. This is a policy BURY has not hitherto shown himself successors of the Roman Empire at Con- which can only be brought into being if particularly able to realise the greatness of stantinople attempted to exercise some such backed by the force of strong public opinion our interests in the Far East nor particular- in the affairs of the East, and had to pay the at home; and it is a policy which the appoint-ly anxious to protect them, but judging by penalty claim in the loss of their capital, and ment of Sir ERNEST SATOw as Minister at his recent utterances at the Guildhall, he the entire destruction of their Empire at the Peking gives no guarantee will be adopted does seem to have recognised at last that hands of the Ottoman power. The Turk him- and pursued. The first of these has long things have not gone quite right lately. self assumed the role of the Sublime Porte, been a self-evident proposition to those who peculiar side-light is thrown on things by and had to pay the penalty of becoming the have witnessed the apathy of the govern-his reference to the Empress Dowager as dependent of the Powers of western Europe. ment in things Chinese during the last the author of the troubles which have The other based on the devasted the North of China. When we The lesson learnt has not been forgotten, twenty-five years. and the consequence has been the establish- feeling that one of our strongest and most remember that Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD ment of an international comnity, which capable statesmen is needed to meet the was a firm believer in the Dowager, that for ever forbids the assumption by one situation, a statesman more particularly Lady MACDONALD headed a deputation of uation of any innate superiority over its who will be free from those leanings towards the ladies of the diplomatic corps to wait on fellows, and teaches each to respect its Orientalism which are the marked character her, that Sir CLAUDE thought the gracious neighbours. Of course it is not pretended istic of men having long and intimate deal- condescension of a semi-civilised Manchu that all nations are equal to power nor in ings with Eastern races has received curi-woman, in receiving the deputation, was of influence. In the councils of the world, forous confirmation from farins sources during sufficient importance to telegraph home- instance, Russia counts for far more than the past few months. Sir ERNEST SATOW, Lord SALISBURY's public recognition of Holland, but this is not held by the we are told, is most anxious to avoid upset- this woman as responsible for the attempt- nations at large to justify an attempt to ting the susceptibilities of the Imperial ed massacre of the inmates of the Lega- Assume any air of superiority in her Court on their return to Peking. No doubt tions and the actual murder of hundreds diplomatic relations; and an outrage offered this is a very laudable and humane motive, of defenceless men, women, and children by the government of the Tsar to that of but it cau be carried to such an extent as to throughout the Empire is nothing more or the weakest of the European Powers would become ludicrous, and what is of more im- less than a repudiation of the policy of the certainly be regarded as an insult to all. portance, a source of danger, from the fact Minister whom a short time ago he as gravely In the same manner China's right to play that it will surely be interpreted by the asked us to accept as a hero on the level of the part of an independent state would Chinese themselves as a sign of weakness. KITCHENER and CROMER. We are not whose never have been called in question by the The British are in occupation of certain concerned with the question of heroes, how. other Powers, had she been content to exer- buildings formerly used by the members of ever; what we want is a Minister, cise that independence in a way consonant the Court. These buildings are of the im- policy will be steady persistance in the main with those principles which experience has perial colour, and the fear that the sight of tainance of British commercial interests. barbarian may Judging by past experience, it may well be. taught the general comity to regard these inhabited by the as binding rules. When, however, upset the. Court, when and if it returns, conceded that the man who accomplishes it n-be China arrogantly set herself up as the appears to be a grave and serious reason to can be called a hero, for nothing more wear- arbiter of international amenities, and our Minister for either evacuating them or ing, exasperating and heart-breaking can attempted to pose as above her fellows at least removing such evidences of their encountered by any statesman than is offered in her international relations, the very former imperial use as may serve to save the by the passive resistance of the Chinese ttempt was an insult to all and each, which face of the Chinese. This, trivial in itself, t broke down Sir CLAUDE MacDonald in
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