The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-10-10
PRIMITIVE CIIINANEN.
Interview with M. Patenotre, the
French Ambassador.
WELL vERsED IN CHINESE AFFAIRS

He Spent Many Years In That Country,
and Talks Entertaininsly Of His obser-
yations-I Hung Chang Statesman,
Not a Warrior.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1o.-Ambassador Pa
tenotre, the representative of the French
republic in the United States, is regarded
as one of the best informed men in diplo-
matte life on China and the scenes of the
present conflict between that country and
Japan. A good part of his life in the
French diplomatic service has been spent
at Pekin and Tientsin, where he was in
constant communication with Lii Hung
Chang. 1t was NJ. Patenotre who signed,
with Ii Hung Chang, the famous Ticntsln
treaty of peace between France and China.
Prior to that he had served some years at
Pekin, first as the secretary of the French
legation, then charge d'affaires, and finally
minister. He was the special envoy of
France to Anam and Tonqutn In the stir
ring conflicts of 'S4 when France secured
her strong foothold in Asia, and he closed
that international event by signing the
treaty OF Hue. His views on eastern af
fairs, therefore, possess unusual interest.
NJ Patenotre was asked by an Associ-
ated Press representative as to the defense
of Pekin, which the Japanese now threaten
to strike and the roads over which the in
vaders will have to pass If they march on
peSin.
"Ehe defenses are very primitive" said
the ambassador. "The outer wall Is
huge affair, completely encircling the city.
1t is about the height of "a six story build
ing, and wide enough for travel by horses
and carriages, but as q means of defense it
would amount to nothing against modern
artillery The walls about Tonquin were
even stronger, being built by skilled en-
gineers but they quickly gave way before
big guns.
.'There Is hardly any such thing as roads
about Pekin and Tientsin, 80 that travel is
very difficult. There are occasional
stretches of good roads, hut these are ex-
ceptional. The trip from Tientsin to Pekin,
about twenty miles, used to take me two
or three days. Usually it is made by the
river route, and that also takes several
days. 1t Is the most primitive kind Of
travelling, each passenger having boat to
himself. There was no steamer above
Tientsin although the capital and the EN-
peror were only ninety miles above"
The locality between Tientsin and Pekin
of which the ambassador spoke Is the ono
referred to in the daily reports from the
scene OF war as the probable route Of the
Japanese. Mr.. Patenotre was asked what
difficulties of climate would be encoun-
tered by the invading force.
''The climate will be the greatest diff
Guilty" said he, sit gets intensely cold
about Pekin the latter part Of October and
everything is frozen up In November. The
cold is so severe that it almost puts stop
to travel and communication. 1t has
taken full month for me to get letter
from Shanghai to Pekin in tho winter
The Japanese are from a warm country,
entirely unused to severe cold, and, Us far
as we hear, without special provision of
clothing for the intense cold coming ON the
latter part OF this month That promises
to be the greatest difficulty they viii have
to contend against"
1t is a singular fact that during NJ. Pa
tenotres long service in China, much of
| the time in the same city as the emperor,
, he did not see the Chinese ruler. '1he
emperor practically lives in a city by him
| self" said he, ms the imperial palace and
| grounds are surrounded by great walls,
| from which the emperor does not come
| from one years end to the other, and to
| which no one except the ministers and
| court attendants ever penetrate. If at rare
| intervals the emperor com es outside, there
is public proclamation in advance, and
any one in the streets when he passes
| through is severely punished. The only
| glimpse ever secured of the emperor Is by
prieldng holes In the white paper windows
which take the place of panes of glass.
The ambassador was asked if his OBJ
servations of the great latent resources and
enormous population of China led him to
believe that they would ultimately be
aroused and prove resistless.
,InHt,
something like four hundred millions
great population and great army" said
the ambassador, significantly.
Speaking of LII Hung Chang the ambas-
sador said
He does not speak English, French or
any other language than his own, all in.
tercourse with foreign officials being car
ried on through an interpreter. There ap-
pears to be settled policy among Chinese
diplomats and officials to adhere to their
own language, so much SO that the Chinese
diplomat at Paris, who became proficient
/ in making French bon mots, created some.
thing of a sensation and was afterward re.
called. Viceroy Ii impressed me, however
as one of the very few Chinese officials who
Mt heart desired to accept the moderns ways
| of European countries, and il he had not
| been held back by the oycrw helming senti-
ment of China against eastern oiyiliza,
tion he would have modernized China long
ago. As it is he has introduced quite q
European atmosphere into his private
| household. Ii strikes one as a student and
statesman rather than as warrior His
tendencies arc all those of scholar He
has sought to moaernize the Chinese army
and navy, but compared with the equip
ments of European and American troops
which improve constantly, they are far Out
| nf ,lntn ~