The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-06-30
France and China.

The Herald says War preparations go on
in China. Even her most timid statesmen feel
that something must be done to justify her vast
expenditure in placing her army and navy on a
martial footing. Little "a known of the strength
OF france. and Ii Hung Chang may feel that
having already challenged Russia, China
has little to fear from a power both smaller and
more distant than the empire of the Gear. Russia
could invade her from Turkestan. England
could invade her from Assam, but France must
bring the bulk Of her troops direct from home.
If the war comes to pass it will, therefore, be
among the most remarkable of modern times.
talk WITH A CHINESE OFFICIAL.
A Herald Washington special of June 9th
says: In an interview this morning with Chi
Yeang, Secretary of the Chinese Legation at
Washington, he stated that no important dis
patches had been received here in reference to
the pending rupture, but there was no doubt that
if France should refuse to recognize the sover-
eign protectOrate Of China over its dependency
Of Anam, hostilities would be inevitable; that
while the cause Of quarrel was strictly between
the Anamese and the French, China could not
afford to permit any interference of France, and
world interpose at all hazard. For this purpose
the Vieeroy Ii had already been ordered to take
command Of the Chinese troops and the Chinese
feet ordered to Tonquin.
Chi Keang expressed great interest in the i'm
pending war and said it was natural that the
national pride Of Cinnamon should be aroused
when threatened BY a European Power, from
the fact that foreign nations had been ac-
eussoued to believe in the impotency of the
Chinese as a warlike people. He said that Chi
ma was anxious to demonstrate the great i'm
provements it had made in the modern arts and
sciences and its great progress in the art of
warfare. 1t was perhaps owing to this feeling
that there is now such q strong war party in
China. Il must be emsmbere he said, that
China is a different nation to what it was fifty
years ago.. They have now have all the modern
improvements in rifles, muskets, light and heavy
artillery, mortars, shells, ETC., besides WE'LL
drilled troops. The Chinese navy now consists
OF between fifty and sixty effective ships,
and a number of ironciads and steel
plated vessels have lately been ordered from
England and Germany, so that France will not
find China helpless on land or sea. 1t would
be easy for China 70 concentrate from 100, 600
to I5O, OOOIaen alone from the Southern prov
inces. and, il necessary, 100000 troops ern be
in a short time marched to the field. 1t is ex-
pected that the Chinese war ships would pre-
vent the landing of the French troops at Ton
gum, but should fighting commence on land the
scientific engineers of China aud their fortifea-
tions would sorely test the French troops, An
other element in favor Of the Chinese is that
Tonquin. being much farther south than Al
giers, the French could not stand the climate SO
we'll as Cinnamon. Altogether. the prepondsr-
ance Of opinion, he said, was in favor Of keep
ing the dignity of the Chinese Government and
hostilities would not be regarded With disfayor.