Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-05-24
PROGRESS IN CHINA.
= NC" spirit Seeming to Guide the Comm
sells OF the fsoyerumenf

l
Inc vast progress Of China in recent
years Is set in a striking light in an
article. The March OF the Monpol y
oy W b. Dunlop Mr.. Dunlop dates
the new movement from the period
soon alter the suppression OF the Tai
ping rebellion, when the Chinese Cow
eminent first established the imperial /
maritime customs. which, under the
wise and energetic control of Sir Rob- |
ert hart, the inspector-general Of GUS
toms at Picking. has attained so re-
markable development. 1t is sig |
hincant OF the shrewdness of the Chi |
nese that they perceived the advan-
tage to be derived from dismissine the
native collectors and appointing trust
worthy foreigners in their room. The
experiment was justified by large
and Immediate rise in the amount Of
the revenue from customs duties.
which has ever since been steadily in
creasing-a considerable part of the
surplus having been employed in erect
ing lighthouses along the immense
seaboard of China. which has now one
OF the best lighted coasts in the word
1T is a sign Of the new spirit that
guides the counsels of the Government
that there have been erected during
the last year or two many thousands
OF miles Of telegraph wires radiating
through the Empire. 1t is now pos
sib'e to telegraph from London to
Peking or Chung King. the principal
town Of the rich and fertile province
OF Szechueh. city nearly fifteen hun
dred miles in the interior of the eoun-
try. Meanw lille the extension or the
Chinese telegraph system is, we are
told, proceeding at a rate which may
shortly astonish even American tele-
graphists. Railway extension is more
di fficult and necessarily slower: bu
against this has to be set the splendid
system of internal water communica-
ton.
The total coast trade in foreign
built vessels outward and inv ard
amounted in 1886 to the enormous
sum of 1900. 900 tons. Here again
the Chine~e are well aware of the adj
vantages to be gained from employing
3 foreigners. Only certain portion Of
| the foreign commerce of the Empire
| comes within the jurisdiction of the
| imperial maritime customs; but this
| portion reached in 1886 the hitherto
! unprecedented amount of 44l 600 600
| still trifing amount when we con-
/ slider that China proper is estimated
by the imperial statisticians. with the
assistance of the be st native authori-
ties. to have population of 3S9, Co.,
GOO souls.
/ The only practical obstacle to a trade
of startling dimensions between China
and the Outside world seems to be the
old '4Likin'' system ct internal dues
some notion OF which may IA rived
from the fact that on the great wes.
river trade route between Canton and
Peso. distance of 900 miles, merchan-
disc is said to have to run the gauntlet
of nearly one hundred customs bar
riers. The Government. however, ha:
shown significant signs OF being alive
to this evil, which it has already init
igated to some extent. in the teeth o
vested interests. by allowing the Likir
charges in certain cases to be com
muted by fixed payment for {
transit pass"
The improvement in the system 0
national defense is still more STRIKING
Huge arsenals under foreign direction
are springing up in various directions
and the vast army of China is bein!
gradually supplied with weapons o
the latest pattern. while great battai
ions are being necessarily drilled ant
: disciplined by European officers. Tn
t Chinese navy already consists Q
: twenty-six foreign built men-of- war
Il some OF them large and powerful
iron-cIads. and about one hundre
gunboats, built in the arseuals Of tn
empire. Referring to the notoriou
l. industry and enterprise of the Chimes
abroad Mr.. Dunlop prophesies tina
y when the subjects of the Celestial En-
: pire enjoy under the new and NOR
enlightened policy the same privilege
and opportunities at home as are a
= forded to them abroad there will be n
u room for doubt as to what is to be tn
i dominating power OF the future in tn
: far east of Asia.
II The writer of the article on ''Th
{ March of the Mongol' is very far frol
< being the only authority on Asiatt
affairs who thinks that the solution
the Eastern question. as far as Russia
aggression in Asia is concerned. wi
one day be found in an Anglo-Chine'
" alliance.-Asiatic Quarterly Review.