The herald., 1894-09-29
DISORDERS In CHINA.

Anarchy Almost Sure TO Follow Military
Rsverses.
WARRINGTON, Sept. 2S.-Mail advices
received here from China from sources
especially entitled to credit, OF date early
in August. are almost prophetic of what
has already occurred there since that
date, and II the predictions for the future
hold good, Secretary Herbert's action in
largely reinforcing the United States
warshipa in Chinese waters will be
proved to have been q very wise move.
The advices describe the measures which
have been adopted by the Chinese to
block the navigation of their rivers and
the resulting effect upon commerce. For
one thing, in the Ning-Po district. the
Hasatus rock buoy. the Zan Yu spit
buoy and the Nemesis rock and Tigers
Tail beacon have been temporarily re-
moved. Lights have also been removed
and distractions placed at the mouth of
the River Pei-Ho.
Although the discontinuance of the
lights. the presence at night OF q float
ing boom and tho laying OF torpedoes are
obviously hindrances to the coming and
going OF vessels, nevertheless, with the
exception of the Chinese lineB, shipping
is being carried on as usual and there
are no indications that merchants are
withholding their cargoes. Trade to
enaue, however, is being adversely
affected, az cipher tslegrams are no
longer accepted, although they can be
cent from Shanghai. A feeling OF timid-
ity as to the safety OF the business ven-
lures with Tien Tsin is naturally per-
vadipg the business world. The Chinese
themselves will not block the port, but
the Japanese are likely to do so at any
time. An effort was making to insure
immunity from capture OF Japanese and
Chinese vessels plying respectively be-
tween thei. own ports and common to
neutral ports, but the consent of the
Japanese had not at the date of the ad-
vices been received.
There was, however, o great menace
to trade from another quarter, and it
was this that led to appeals of foreign
merchants to their home governments
for the presence of warships in the
treaty ports of China. 1t was generally
expected by them that should the
Chinese be defeated on their own soil,
exactly what has happened already,
according to cable reports, the Chinese
soldiers would be demoralized and fall
to securing the country in every direc-
tion, committing outrages. In that
event, the slender thresd which sus-
tains the obedience of the masses to the
viceroy would be snapped. and pande-
monium would reign supreme.
The Chinese naturally hate the we'll
ordered management of q foreign COM
munity. and with disorder and confu-
zion everywhere, the peaceable and
well-regulated composure of q foreign
community is sure to excite the ami
mostly of soldiers inflamed by passion
over which control has been lost. The
great treaty port of Tien-Tsin is begin
ming to be especially threatening in this
case. One prophetic statement in the
mail advicea is as follows:
I'm proportion to the disasters OF war
that will surely overtaks China. VIM rnu-
influence of the vicereys wane, and
should the defeat of the Chinese be
crushing one they will be absolutely
incapable OF maintaining order. Ii
Hung Chang has been q severe disci-
plinarian, and with reverses the masses
will turn upon him with the pent up
hatred Of years. As these. things are
coming to pass, and the prophecy has
already been verified as to LIS degrsda-
tion, it will be matter of serious inter-
est to know how far the remainder OF
this degradation shall be justified by the
events of the future"