The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-02-08
PROVO CITY. FEB. 8. lS9
THE CHINESE SITUATION.

The four leading nations of western
civilization, that is to say, Russia,
France, England and the United States
have settled upvn what they Will do,
and how they will issue the law to
China, after Japan has pounded the
eternal film out of her." She will not
be called upon to divide up her landed
estate. There is to be no dlsmember-
ment: it is agreed by these powers that
her ports are to be opened, and free
commercial intercourse to all parts of
the empire is to become as safe as in
civilized countries. This is pretty
good, only we should say In spirit Of
civilized fairness that, as Japan did the
rough work of breaking down Chinese
exclusiveness, it would be only fair
that Japan be invited to the feast,
have voice, however small, in the
business of arranging the future of her
great conquest. We have no doubt but
this plan would be the best for the sal :
four leading civilized nations, and it
may be for China herself and the bal
ance OF mankind, including Japan as
well. But just why dismemberment
outright is not to occur we fail to see.
If the western nations are afraid of
China, afraid of the 25,000,000 of sol
diers she is able to PUT into the field,
or would be if properly governed, we
fail to see why they have the right to
force her TO open her ports, and
upset all of her internal pol
icies, and not the right to par
Gel her out among themselves,
to absolutely divide her into twenty
political divisions and forever forbid
them coming together again under one
central government. Anyhow we in
sist that Japan be granted voice in
the settlement.
However, General the Viscount Lord
Wolseley has written a timely article
on what the Cinnamon might do, in
case they can be brought to see the
situation in its true light and to accept
in England her mentor and infallible
guild. Lord Wolseley thinks China has
the making of lordly army out of her
400, 100000 men, if only they would call
on England to furnish officers to organ
iZe, train and command her hosts.
However, his lordstip does not give
any reasons as to why American,
Russian or French officers might not
do this work as well as the English.
The other nations in the compact may
not accept Lord Wolseley's suggestion
for fear that it might turn out only
another East Indian affair and while
England would be walking off with the
game they would be left to hold the
bag, Thus, with the couple of millions
of home and English colonies soldiers
she already has, with her East Indian
forces, added to the %, 900, 900 of Chin
ese soldiers, after few years of train.
ing she would be rather more of a
menace to the European balance of
power than a dozen Chinese Empires
of today would be.
The English are sly, and Lord
Wolseley is one of the slyest of her
sons, but this hopeful scheme of his
must be nipped in the bud at once, or
Japan must be suffered alone to settle
with the Chinese in her own fashion.
A better thing to do for US, would be
to fall back on the healthy old demo
cratic doctrine of steering clear of
foreign entanglements and put our own
country on basis of thorough efici-
ency and say to all comers: "This far
and no farther" That homely old
Monroe doctrine is about the best and
safest general principle which our
hundred years of national life has as
yet evolved. We had better stick to it,
and yet we as Yankee merchants can
have not the slightest objection to
sharing in the commercial richness
which the general opening up of the
China's port to foreign commerce
would bring TO the world.
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