Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-17
THE CHINESE SITUATION
THE VIEWS OF MEMBER OF THE
BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
A Long Engagement Looked fOr-Re-
culties in Way of Allied Troops.

Mr.. ]. Roche of London, member of par
Lament, in discussing the Chinese situation
with a Star reporter at the Arlington this
morning, said that he considered the posi-
ton of the American and allied forces at
Tien Tsin to be one of serious danger to
the troops.
1T is a grave question" said Mr.. Roche
whether the allied force is strong enough
to hold its position, and if not, the ADAM
donment of the city will be natural conse-
Quencc. / have been twice in China, hav-
ing been connected with the British lega-
ton for several months. Those who have
never visited that country have no concep
ton of its people or of the physical diff
cultes in the way of march to Pekin.
The road is interspersed with canals. mo-
RAISES and small streams, and is altogether
country over which an army would have
difficulty in marching. If. indeed. it would
not have to rely upon the river to reach the
Chinese capital. 1t took me four days to go
from Tien Tsin to Pekin.
Early Settlement improbable.
NO / do not look for a speedy termna-
ton of the trouble. Sixty-five per cent of
the Chinese nation did not know that the
Japanese had fought and won a war. And
while there are not over 1901 900 stand of
modern arms in the country, it will
be demonstrated that it will not be
as quickly overcome as is thought.
And, when conquered. what will be
the outcome2 The Chinese had great
difficulty in floating the last European loan
oil f3o.Np,oO0. and at per cent. How can
it raise indemnity of hundreds of mil
lions? No European nation will lend itself
money to pay its own indemnity. The Gus
toms service of China pays the present in
terest on existing loans, and Sir Robert
Hart, who controlled this fund. may be
dead and the service demorGliZed. Person
11,- 4. TIL ID L.
persisted. 1t is probable that he, and he
alone. may have escaped, as the Chinese
mandarinS of the capital We're his friends.
| do not think that he was in the legation
buildings at the time of the massacre, and
l base my opinion upon the wording of a
dispatch he sent, which leads me to con-
clude that he was not with the Europeans,
though the women and all Of the others
were. Let US hope that he has been spared.
BOmbardment of the Forts.
Il consider the bombardment of the forts
by the allied fleets mistake, and observe
that the American admiral did not partici-
pate in it. The Chinese took this bonn
bardment as declaratio of war of the
other nations against them even though we
consider that a state of actual war does
not exist, and have and will act according
ly- 1t is my opinion that they will make a
desperate resistance. l attribute the pres
emf uprising largely the result of the pres
of the concessiOnists of railroads. To the
Chinese railroad is a curse to the land,
and that being their belief they resent
their presence by force.
To Move the Capital.
The capital will undoubtedly be moved
from Pekin as one result of the war to the
seacoast, where the legations would be
safe under the guns of the foreign fleets.
1 do not believe that the European powers
will ever again trust their diplomatic rep
resentatves in the interior. unless guarded
by large and adequate armies
VIII the allied armies fight together har-
monlousy? The tangle in this respect in
the Crimean war is too fresh to deserve
comment. The question of leadership will
prove a stumbling block, l believe General
DoddS, the ranking general and command
ing the French forces. is a negro or what
You would call mulatto here. But he is a
full general. and, having been in command
of the French army in the Tonquin for
many years, understands thoroughly the
foe he is to fight.
The Possible Outcome.
II understand that the 9th Regiment of
American troops is crack regiment, and
/ well understand the feelings of the
people here when they fully realize the great
loss they have suffered. The accuracy of the
fire of the Chinese has proved a surprise.
if. as reported, the regiment had a fourth
of its men disabled 1 look for serious
times ahead.
THE possible outcome? Who can say?
That China will be made to pay by the
loss of more seaports and territory there
can be no doubt. l think the course of
President Mckinley has been consistent
No one can foresee future events 1t would
seem to me that the American policy of
nothing would have been gained by such a
declaration"