Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-25
THE ARMORY OF CHINA.
Growing Importance OF TINS ny
nasty to the Outer World
London Spectator.

LpuOOu OpcVtnsoAs
The sudden rise of China to place
among the "World Powers" is by far
the greatest change which this genera.
tion has witnessed in Asiatic politics.
1t is scarcely yet six years since the great
empire stood as much outside the politics
of the world, and especially the politics
of Europe, as if she belonged to o sepa-
rate and distinct planet. A few observ-
ers. it is true, who had noticed recent
eyents-the extirpation of the Panthays,
the erasure of the Kingdom OF kashgar,
and the determined attitude assumed by
Pekin when demanding the retrocession
of Kulia by the Russians--had begun to
doubt whether the vitality of China had
not been underrated, but the statesmen
of Europe paid her little attention. The
dispatch of an ambassador to Europe
was rather an absurdity; it was necessary
to protect his suite from insult in Lon.
don by some rather sharp sentences; and
the French government, when it began
its experiments in Indo- China, openly
pronounced the Chinese Empire to be
uns quantite aeg!igeable. We ourselves
delayed carrying out tho treaty OF lien.
stin with certain Indifferent Incidence,
and in Central Europe China was con-
sidered an interesting geographical ex-
preston. Within six years this indlffer.
ence has completely disappeared, and
China is now recognized by all diploma
fists as q state of vast Importance, which
can exersise direct and serious influence
on almost every great Power.
She stands, in fact, in direct contact
with the majority of them. 1t is not TOO
much to say that the statesmen OF fek'n
could overthrow any French Ministry by
merely increasing their pressure on Ton
quin and encouraging the Anamese to
attempt an instruction. That is to say
they could compel the French govern
ment to ask for men and money with
which to defend their Indo Chinese pos
sions on o scale which the peasantry
would assuredly not bear, and which,
even If voted, would ALLEVIATE the cham
bers. The Chinese are aware OF this fact
and are even now striking blows at
France which exasperate the Foreign
Office in Paris to the last degree. Pekin
has decreed that the old arrangement,
confirmed by treaty in 1859, by which
France is the recognized protector OF
Catholic Chinese converts, shall be abro-
gated; and through Nj. de Freycinet
RACES and threatens both China and the
Papacy, the change under VIII. ch the peo.
pie will plant Nuncio in Pekin has
been already arranged and France will
have no remedy except an impracticable
war. The Chinese could, in Burmab.
make every thing difficult for the British
government, which again has every de-
sire for their friendship, not only because
the opium revenue depends upon it, but
because in any grand struggle with Rus
sia the alliance with China might enable
us to effect serious diversion, perhaps
to embarrass the government of st. Pc
tersburg more than by any direct attack
IN the Black Sea. The Indian Govern
ment, acting in unison with that of China,
would control nearly half the human
race, and could exert force in Asia
with which even the masses of soldery
at the disposal of the Gar would be
unable to contend. To Russia, indeed,
China is one of the most formidable of
States, because by an invasion of Man.
ohooria or of the territory west of Kulja,
the Chinese Emperor can at discretion
compel st. Petersburg either to submit
to q defeat, which would be followed by
insurrections throughout Asiatic Russia,
or to forward an army over 5000 miles of
an inhospitable country at an expense
which would be ruinous to any treasury
in the world. One can hardly imagine a
worse position than that OF Russian