The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-21
A Peep at Pekin.


last four years has been Belgian Minis
ter to China, was staving at the Windsor
Hotel last week when Herald reporter
had an interview with him. He was
accompanied by his wife and five chill
dren- The whole family reached San
Francisco from China on the American
steamer City of Toxic on June Il. Since
then they had been travelling through
the United States, and yesterday they
sailed for Europe. .
''I was very much surprised" sail
the count to the reporter, Ito behold
how great and wealthy a country this
is. So many large cities. so many we'll
built towns, and such an extent of cult
waited territory can not fail to call forth
the admiration of those who visit
America for the first time"
'And as for the hotels" added the
countess, ''they are marvelS of conven-
ience and comfort. The luxury, too.
with which some of them are furnished
is quite remarkable"
''What do YOU think. count, of the
rupture of the Franco-ChineSe treaty?'
1.-The recent attack by the Chinese
troops upon the French at Lang-SOu is
thing which | caq not well under
stand. 1t is impossible for ME to say
what the Chinese mean by it, for /
assume that the newspaper accounts of
the a lair must be correct, aud that the
attack did take place. The Chinese
must be looked upon as very formal
people, and when they bind themselves
by treaty they nearly always comply
with their StipulatiOns.
In what spirit do the Chinese usually
construe their treaties with foreign
pOwers?"
"Always-very rigidly. The Govern
ment of China must first be bound in
plain, unequivocal terms to do certain
thing or not to do it. Then it may be
depended upon to keep its pledged
word; but if a loophOle can be found in
the treaty or contract through which
that Government can escape You may
depend that it will endeavor to elude a
a respOnsibility-particularly if it be a
disa@reeabie one. In the present IA
stance there is no saying but that the
Lang-Sou difficulty originated in some
misunderstanding as to the interpreta-
ton of some clause in the late TientSin
treaty. | can hardly attribute the
action of the Chinese 20 premeditated
bad faith on their part. They are good
diplomats, but when everything is laid
down plainly in writing they almost in
variably keep their word. 1t is hard to
see why China should now want to go
to war after the re establishment of
peace in her own interest"
.No doubt the Government is per-
fectlv master of its own aetion?"
1.-The Chinese Government is very
peculiarly situated While in some
things it might be looked upon as auto
cratic, yet in many matters it is the
creature of varying influences, and in
fluences that are by no means har'
monious among themselves. At present
the war and the peace parties are the
most dominant factions in Pekin. The
Emperor, who IS only boy, has not as
sumed the re;ns of power. He is rep
resented by the Empress mother, and
she belongs to- the war party. But
many of the ablest and wiseSt men in
the Empire are opposed to war with
the foreigner, and thus it happens
whether the Government observes a war
like or pacific policy it is sure to be
blamed"
do the people generally interest
themselves much in politics."
20, certainly All the people are in
tensely interested in everything going
forward which has bearing on the
country's welfare, and rs for their con-
senting to part with either the island of
Formosa or any other portion of the
National territory, the Chinese would
pay almost any amount before they
would consent to that
Then you think that the Flowery
Kingdom will pay the 2jO.000 francs
demanded by Minister Ferry rather
than lose territory"
Yes, | do; but ia the meanwhile
China may fight
"But would China be able to cope
with France"
'.>ince 1910. when China commenced
to consider western ideas. she has pro-
gressed rapidly in the direction of ma
terial improvement vt present she
has her telegraph syStem-On small
scale, to he sure, relatively speaking
ana railroads are beginning 10 find favor
with the thinking men of the country.
In the art of war, too, a great deal has
been done. What may be called the
regular army of China numbers only
seventy thousand men, but these can be
recruited mp to any number that may
be required. The Chinese are person
allv brave--that is, they are regardless
of life; and when their leaders come to
learn fully all the advantages of mill
tary organization, as practiced in
Europe, the great population of China
will make her truly formidable To
such degree have the Chinese learned
to appreciate the benefits of organi-
zation that they have admitted many
foreign officers, of different nationali-
ties. into the various branches of their
service. The navy, the ordnance de-
partment and the torpedo bureau are
mostly under the control Of foreigners.
The knowledge of the Chinese in the
possibilities of torpedo warfare is very
extensive. This knowledge they are
applying to the defense of the great
rivers leading to the interior OF the
Empire, particularly the approaches to
Pekin. They are especially solicitous
about the capital, believing as they do
that until it is occupied by a foreign
army they ought not 10 consider them
selves defeated. The defenses of the
great rivers are strene thened by Dumer-
Gus batteries of cannon OF the most i'm
proved European systems; so that,
while 1 believe that the French must,
as matter of course, defeat the
Chinese in any war that may ensue
from the present difficulties, yet | think
that the former should not count upon
obtaining their. victories at too cheaD a