The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-09

rang. envoy extraordinary and minister
pssfiiFoseEt3ary OF China. in the course es
recent conversation which l had VITA
him
l answered tina: the American policy
was opposed to eniansling foreign alll-
! arceS. and i quoted what Thomas +. Bay.
/ ard had said 10 me recently IN opposition
20 any formal alliance with Great Britain.
Yes" said Mr.. WI. But England -
always reaching - for territory. An
alliance with England might get You into
trouble. TIE Chinese are not aggressive.
Mind. do nog propose an alliance. be-
cause have no authority 10 do 80. an
Tot speaking officially
Speaking eonsersaiionallv. then"
answered. what would be gained By such
an alliance
IF any one attacked either China or
the United States they could help ona
another. II any nation tried TO seize a
part OF China the United States could
stop IL. ard il you got into trouble China
would furnish soldiers To help YOU"
Don't you think We can take care of
ourselves against the whole woride'' I
asked
The minister shrugged his shoulders and
spread his hands in gesture that meant
despair at the fataous faith OF Americans
IN their ability 10 defy the world.
would there be any commercial az
All, yes" sad the minister China
would no 30 YOU like a brother II there
was such an alliance You would have
every advantage eommercialiy-conces-
sions and privileges"
There was something almost pla .ntiye in
the uggestion--eoaversa,io remember
and wholly notwithstanding from the
representative of aso.laa9o people whose
territory s threatened with division among
some or the great powers Of the earth-a
suggestion that the only great power
which is not engaged In iand-grabbing
might perhaps step in 10 help the I'M
aggressive Chinese resist these encroach-
rnents
Earlier in the conversation, discussing
recent happenings in China. Mr.. Wa had
made no pretense that the taking OF Chi
nesa territory by France, Russia. Ger!
many and England had the free sanction
or his government or that il was for
China's advantage. When / suggested
that II might be 10 the advantage of China
TO have this foreign element introduced,
he said that might be so; but that re-
manned 10 be seen. II was true that
China must advance now on modern lines.
he said: in fact, China was already adj
vaneing
we are conservative people" he said
and We adept new ideas slowly. But
the development of China might have been
much more rapid IL the first attempt to
open up China to intercourse with other
nations had been made in a different way
IL was done with force and by making
war on our people. and that was a mis-
take
Are you going to fght?" asked Mr.. Wa
suddenly.
said that / did not expect to fight
Fnen this representative OF a people whom
me tnonghtiess American is apt TO class
with the semi-civilzed. said 70 me:
1t Is pity that war could not have
oeen prevented. War Ia barharous
Many years ago. whea 7 was In London
there was much talk of an international
tribunal. / was greatly In favor Of IL
I stnl hope II may be established A
tribunal which viii Judge OF all disputes
oetween nations and whose award shall
be enforced by the other nations Just
as when two men get into 4 dispute. they
carry II into the courts. and when the
courts have decided it they must do az
the court direct or be punished
But there should not i5s any more war
why couldn't your people let Spain keep
the little that she would have asked n,
Cuba" | believe she would have been
satisfied with Just the faee-nothsng more
What difference does K make TO your re,-
pie THAI the Spanish Tag flies over Cuba
II the Spanish have withdrawn and keen
up only the form % suzerainty there? II
L had befn in SPANS place. / should have
Sold Cuba for sasa. 0oo0ea.
There IL no doubt in my mind where
victory viii rest But the United States
VIII lose some lives and grea, deal of
money. and II seems TO me /, rnieh, All
have been settled by giving Spain n
chance TO carry out the reforms in Cuba
which she had granted. Then they could
have made arrangements 70 watch what
was being done In Cuba through their
consul general, and IL Spain did not keep
her promises 1t would have been time
TO step In. But no; this war feeling is like
an epidemic. / think. though, that your
people viii see a few months hence that
the trouble might have been settled with
cut shedding blood
Mr.. Wa expressed A doubt OF that poss-
ular belief that 075e naval engagement will
settle the war. And when ] irsssanced the
fact that the minister of Spain had said
he would remain in Canada Until the war
was over. Mr. WI told me that ne had
talked with Minister Polo before his de-
partnre and expressed the hope that he
would sec him again IN Washington But
she spanish minister replied, Not In
Washington: in Madrid" Minister WI
is accredited 70 Spain. 40 we'll az to the
United States and Aexico, aEd no doubt
Ae viii see Senior Polo next in Madrid.
Minister WI and Mr.. Polo met CONVEX
I+RN+R~f~At%t
English language. Most OF the repre-
sentatives Of foreign powers 81 Washing
ton fer many years have been English
schoiars. bu; 1r. WI. believe. is the
first Chinese minister who has not needed
the ssrvtess % an interpreter. His knowi4
edge of Eagiiss has heen Of IncaIculatsa
advantage to the Chinese minister. Not
only does 81 make his relations xsth the
state department. closer. but IL brings him
into touch with all eur public men.
i spent two hours in very pleasant con-
vers<sflou with Mr.. Wa. He told me-
among other things. that We had nothing
20 fsar now from the cotton manufacture
ers os China. The industry was In IS in
fancy and II tx ever grew 20 formidable
proportions it would not be IN this genera
flon. He TOLD me that ws u.sjudxea the
Chinese because va had nos a tras con-
cspsian os their character. and ne quoted
IN illustration a paragraph saying tAAt Ii
Hung Chang and sheng Taotai had se-
come enemies because Sheng had gained
power.
We. who were accustomed % seeing III
gratitude he said assumed that SaeaR
mus. he opposed 30 Ii Bur tAs fact xzs
that saemg's rise had been made possible
Ivy the friendship % Ii mary years ago.