The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-11-01
4 CRAFTY PAIR
Ii Hung Chang and the
Dowager Empress.
Great CapabtIity Attributed TO the
MISUNDERSTANDING OF the
Present Trouble.

BERKELEY. CaIif-Dr John Fryer.
Agaesiz Professor Of Oriental Langu-
ages in the University of California. is
qualified by his long residence in China
and by his yearly visits 20 that coun-
try to speak with the authority of an
expert about lis affairs. Professor
Fryer was invited by the late Emperor
to found and command national An
glo-Chinese University in China. Al
though he declined that invitation, he
lis still an officer of the Chinese Gov
eminent. being entitled 10 wear its
feather and button, and he is probably
better fitted TO read and interpret the
signs Of the times as they are recorded
by current events in China than any
other living American. In dn inter
view he says:
of the causes leading up 10 the
downfall of the Emperor. the first in
the order of time was his decree in
Producing radical change in the sys-
tenn OF competitive examinations.
whereby the 'wenchang.' or formal es-
say in eight divisions, together with
the writing of poetry, was abolished.
and questions on Chinese and foreign
political matters. as well as Western,
learning generally, were TO take its
place. Hence the whole body of the
literati who may have spent the prime
of their years in preparing for the
old form of examination. suddenly
found their life's labor useless as 4
pathway TO a career in the public ser
vice An entirely new course Of study
had TO be commenced, for which they
had little relish, but, rather. strong
.repugnance.
This decree of the young Emperor
was followed by others of an equally
sweeping character. the tendency OF
which was to magnify foreigners. with
their arts. sciences and manufacture
ers, and to depreciate the Chinese, with
all their time-honored institutions.
The Emperor, doubtless, was too
precipitate in seeking TO rush through
these reforms without considering the
effect they would have upon the con
sentative element in all the eighteen
provinces. Hence the defeat of the re-
form party and the perhaps compul-
sorry abdication of the Emperor. No
doubt the anti-foreign feeling in Pc
king has ragged very high as the popu-
lace attribute much of their troubles
to the residence Of foreigners in the
metropolis, a consequence being the
mobbiug such foreigners as appeared
on the streets. My own idea is that
when this loud Outburst of feeling is
over things VIII all settle down again
and the Empress Will hold the reins OF
government until some new phase of
political affairs shall make further
changes necessary.
THE Empress is such a capable and
energetic woman, and has had so many
years of experience in handling the
affairs of the country. that China is
hardly likely TO be partitioned among
the foreign powers while she holds the
hem and Glrects the ship of state. She
knows we'll how to play one foreign
nation against another. She probably
feels that if Russia is too loud in max
ing demands, the agressions will GER
tainly be either checked or stopped by
the other powers.
AT present. both the Empress and
Ii Hung Chang seem TO be playing
into the hands of Russia. This may
merely be for the purpose of making
England and the other powers show
better to establish measures for the
preservation Of the Empire.