New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02

Diagrams. Octave. PIP X, 3y'. Harper &
Brothers.
Though it came at any time Mr.. ColGuhoun' S
book China would he valLed Cor the well-ar-
ranged information it gives. and for the grasp
which the author shows that he has upon the
political and other potentialites of the coun-
try. Appearing just now. when all the world is
talking Of China. this ork is nothing more nor
less than a masterpiece Of high-class journalism
a succinct account of what evaiy body wants to
know. 1t deals. of course with many things
that of late have been fully gone over in the
newspapers but nowhere is the whole Chinese
gu ,stion more effectively traversed than in this
interesting volume. 1t is book meet a crisis
Mr. COquhoun does not pretend tn be writing
about China simply because he loves the theme.
He is principally interested because the grea,
question in the East. as he it, is whether
England or Russia is to dominate in that quar-
ter Russia, he aptly sets forth, is obeyinG
a law of sunward and seaward gravtatiOn as
she moves on in her scheme of absorption Of
China: this natural movement is accelerated by
the ambitions of her statesmen and officials. and
1t results in a course of development which must
progress until il encounters the opposition of a
nation stronger and better than herself This
book attempts TO show the better and stronger
nation how to establish itself in Russia's path.
and. an important step in this enterprise.
displays the material with which England has
to deal. Primarily. argues Mr.. Coquhoun,
England mus; build railways, and they must
be not merely strategic but Industrial in sgnif-
canoe. ut is only by opening the empire and
peacefully developing its resources" he says.
Thereby giving TO all foreign nations a CONNER
cial interest in the country, that safety is to be
found" The country is bound to break up in
time, he adds but wisely he protests against
our regarding this ultimate dissolution. as an
affair Of military conflict alone. An industrial
revolution is what is needed. for that will suit
the temper OF the country and will fall in. too
with circumstances they now are. The gov
eminent Of China is carried on by mysterious
processes. which Mr.. COquhOun elucdates with
fair success. The details. after all. are uni:n-
portaEt. What is worth noting lis that the GOV
eminent is corrupt 10 its very core. and tha,
the separation of the country into unwiedy
provinces leaves it just the amorphous unds-
cipliDed and invertebrate thing to break natural
ly into sections convenient for the purposes OF
alien Powers. This is a cold bloOded way OF
looking at it, Of course but Mr.. Colquhoun is
certainly plausible in his exposition of the case
Ii is impossible to deny that the peaceful in
PRODUCTION Of Western civilization into China
I y,
while our author is convinced that the sword
must be met by the sword, and urges a more
aggressive diplomatic policy than the British
have supported since Lord PalmerstOn's dag. he
is constantly dwelling upon the peaceful expc-
dents open to foreign governments who want
their share OF the Emperors dominions.
/ Let them seek theii share in trade. not in
conquest, he tacitly observes, and he is al great
pains to show just what the trader has to ex-
pect. In the first place. he must look for a
shrewd buyer. a man who works hard ard ex
poets to lay out his money to the best possible
advantage. The predominant quality of the
! Chinaman. says Mr.. COlquhoun, is beyond doubt
his industry. He has almost a passion for Ia
:. Dor; in search Of it he compasses sea and land
He seems born to be the newer OF wood and
drawer of water for humanity. but not a
slave The Chnaman is always merchant
and sells his labor for a price" Commercial
genius. continues our author has characterized
the Chinese in the past and is therefore moss
likely to distinguish them in the future. They
are the original true and only real shopkeepers
and in every position of life. the furthest
removed from the atmosphere OF commerce, the
Chinese may be said to think in money.
Nor is it the mere gain that inspires the passion
for merchandising. In common with Orientals
generally the Chinese are fascinated by the
sport of ban gaining as cat is by playing its
mouse or a fisherman his salmon 1t is said that
the sreat Ii Hung Chang derived purer pleasure
from doing an emplOye out of half a months
pay. as the result OF an afternoons contest than
if he had saved a province of the empire-a
weakness which has no doubt often been turned
TO profitable account by those who had impOr-
tant transactions with that eminent statesman.
/ ~, hat NVith n4f of CIIth