The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-17
B. III. LEVY & BRO.


eouSly reported IN the press OF the YVES
tern world
AS the struggle progressed the Emperor
became more and more a prisoner in his
own palace, his friends were attacked
and rendered powerless. Those high IN
office were degraded or beheaded, and
those low in office sent to districts where
they had no following and did not even
know the local language. The Empress
Dowager with superior acumen saw the
Increasing power of foreign nations and
attempted to utilize it on her own behalf.
1t was she who insisted upon violating
all the precedents of her country by hav-
ing Kwang Su receive the ambassadors
in person at Pekin. To US the event had
little significance. In China IL made a
SILVER throughout the empire. The Book
Of Rites, which is as sacred to the Orient
as the Bible is to the Occident, prescribes
that 1.-THE Son of Heaven" shall not be
looked upon by any common mortal, much
less a foreign devil. When the princes
of the realm meet him in the council they
fall upon their knees, and touch their
foreheads to the earth. This has been
the rule for centuries, and when Kwang
Su broke through Il it seemed as If the
world were coming to an end. The next
iconoclasm was the reception given by
the Empress Dowager to Lady Mcdonald
and other foreign women of official dis
tinction The Book of Rites prescribes the
same formaities in regard to the EN-
press owager as to the Emperor him
self Beyond this, Chinese law and Gus
tom forbids women TO enter the presence
of men, and treats all guilty Of the Of
Tense as being disorderly characters. For
eign women who Gravel alone are viewed
as rnalefactors, suspicious people or lun-
atics. When, therefore, the Empress
Dowager received a body of foreign wo-
men in her audience chamber and talked
with them, although they had not kow-
lowed to her, IL made a sensation as deep
as that produced by the ACTON OF the
Emperor himself.
What part the Empress-Dowager Is
plaving in the present instruction or
Boxer movement does not yet appear.
There is deep dissension, almost war. In
the Manchu governing class. The En-
press owager is at the head of the adj
ministration, while 1t is said the majority
Of the Manchu princes are bitterly op
posed to the continuation of her rule.
There is a strong public sentiment in ia
vor of the poor dethroned Emperor and
deeper than all is the old antipathy Of
the Chinese people to their Manchurian
rulers.
Even to-day It must noe be forgotten
that the term fankawi, or foreign devil,
Is applied colloqui3lly in China as much
IN the Manchus as TO foreigners. Re-
cent reports from Shanghai declare that
the Boxer movement has been abetted II
not started, by the Empress-Dowager in
order TO, provoke the armed Intervention
of the European Powers. and through
them to suppress the rebellious mobiles
Of the capital.
Under the Chinese law these mobiles, by
majority vote, have the power to depose
the Empress Dowager and the Emperor,
and to nominate a new ruler OF the empire.
Thus far she semes 60 have prevented
any action Of this sort but recent events
seem 10 indicate that her power Is being
contested, II not undermined by the
princes Of the royal blood, and that she
is PLAYING her last and most desperate
card to secure a continuation Of her own
rule