The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-05
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
n EPORTS from China concerning the death o.
~ the Emperor conflicting but out OF the very
l conflict comes proof that the crisis in the EN-.

n EPORTS from China concerning the death of
~ the Emperor are conflicting, but out of the very
L conflict comes proof that the crisis in the en-
pire has reached stage and likely to result
il disturbances that will endanger the property and
the lives of all foreigners residing there 1t is there
fore gratifying that the President has promptly
dered Admiral Dewey to dispatch the Baltimore to
the Chinese coast for the protection Of Amer
lean interests
The riots in the larger cities OF the empire and the
rumor that the death OF the Emperor was caused by
assassination reveal something OF the real conditions
OF the Chinese situation, and aid in understanding
of the difficulties that have confronted the Dowager
Empress, Ii Hung Chang and other officials in deal
ing with the issues arising from the conflict of Jap
and European aggression on the one side and
Chinese stagnation and superstition the other.
The young Emperor appears to have been a liberal
minded youth with aspirations to accomplish among
his people reforms the broadest scale 1t his
desire to enghten the ignorance of the Chinese by
the introduction of European sciences well in
dusria arts among them, and in the pursuit of this
ambition he went so far to require aspirants for
official positions to pass examinations and write
papers chemistry instead of the Chinese classics
as of old.
Had the empire been victorious in the war with
Japan had it been free from European aggression,
such radical measures these would under such
circumstances have aroused antagonism. Coming as
they did at time when the people exasperated
by defeat and reused to rage by the encroachmens of
France, Germany, Great Britain and Russia, they
naturally appeared the popuace and the upholders
OF the old faith as betrayal of the nation by its ruler
It is therefore not to be wondered that in their
barbarism they have resorted riots and to assassin
ltion.
With such a seething of discomfort around
them the Dowager Empress and her advisers from Ii
Hung Chang down have had harder task to per-
form than any other rulers of the time. 1t is clear
that an extensive civil disturbance in China will Hasten
the disruption OF the empire 1t is essential to the
preservation of peace that the supersttons of the
people shall not be too much disturbed, that re-
forms shall go slowly 1t is at the time neces-
sary to appease the greed of Europe for trade Con-
cessons have had to be made in turn to each OF the
great commercial powers. Thus the administration at
Picking has found itself in dilemma to escape from
which would have taxed the brains of the greatest
statesmen that ever lived even in the most enlight-
ened nations.
The end seems at hand. The young Emperor even
if the reports of his death be unfounded, is politically
dead The Dowager Empress and Chang grow
ing old The menace of civil is perceived in
every province of the empire The fleets of the great
nations are fastening from the and gath
erng around the Chinese coast awaiting the newt
able coming of the time when each will seize what it
can It will be something very like miracle that
will keep old China intact until the close of the CEN
fury.
For several years number of intelligent nations
have bent their energies to the extinction of the seal
herd. Perseverance will accomplish much, and sue
cess seems at hand.
T. Carl Spelling announces that he Is still in the
fight for Congress Aside from the word of the gen
teman there is scant evidence pointing to this