Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-25

was unfortunate that their residence began
without the refugee emperor being forced
to come down from Jehol and receive them
with honors and due courtesy, and that the
long regency of the two secluded expresses
continued the evasion of personal audi
ences. since precedent and custom soon
crystalline in fixed laws to the Chinese. In
the first years of their disgrace and defeat
the officials were civil and courteous, gra-
cious and kindly in their intercourse with
diplomats; but in a few years they recov-
cred their aplomb, found their lost face"
and became as insolent, arrogant, con-
temptuous and overbearing as they had been
before the war, and have continued to be.
save in other brief moments Of humiliation
and defeat, even since.
The audience question was just reaching
the hopeful and enlightened stage when
the coup d'etat unsettled things. There
have been no social relations between the
diplomatic corps and court circles, no meet
ing or mingling, save for the formal presen-
tation of credentials the dreary New Year
audiences in the palace Enclosure, the Ia
dies audience of 1898 and the formal ex-
change of visits with the members of the
board of the tsung Ii yamen. and, in gen.
eral, none know less of the Chinese charac-
ter and life than those officially acquainted
with the Emperor Of China.
Virtual Ostraclsm.
No Chinese official dares maintain inti-
mate social relations with the legations
even those who have appreciated and keen
ly enjoyed the social life and official hos
pitalities of London, Paris. Toxic and
Washington relapsing into strange conser-
vatism and churlishness, the usual con-
temptuous attitude of the Manchu officials,
when they return to Pekin. Even then
they are denounced to the throne for IN
timacy with foreigners blackballed and
cold-shouldered al their clubs and perse-
cuted into retirement by jealous ones, who
consider association with foreigners sure
sigr of disloyalty. Even the needy literafi
who teach Chinese at the different lega-
ticns would scorn to recognize their 1orelgn
pupils on the street or in the presence OF
any other Chinese, and the contempt Oh
randees and petty button folk, as they
pass one on the streets of Pekin, IS some
thing to remember in ones hours OF pride.
A Dangerous Post.
During recent years Pekin has been such
a hotbed of intrigue, secret conventions and
concession seeking, of high and underhand-
ed proceedings, that diplomats lie has
not been a happy one. nor his position
shecure. With coup d'etats before break
fast. executions over night, rioting soldiers
at the railway station, mobs stoning lega-
ton carts and chairs at Will, ana tele-
graphic communication broken whenever
the soldiers could reach the wires, the lega-
tons called for guards of their own ma
rines in the autumn CT 1888 Thirty or
rCpean legations, but the Russian legation
required seventy men-at-arms and Cos
sacks to protect it. Last to arrive We're
nine marines to defend the modest prem
ises rented to the great republic of the
United States of North America, the want
of actual roof area to shelter more guards
obiginS the American minister to ask that
the other marines should remain at lien
Isin, eighty miles away. By renting a
Chinese house eighteen marines We're finally
quartered near the legation. This would
have been farcial and laughable, humiiiat-
ing to American pride only, If there had
not been real danger and need for guards
for the little community of foreign diplo-
mats, shut like rats in double-walled
city of an estimated million three hundred
thousand, fanatic, foreign-ha ting Chinese
with a more hostile and lawless army OF
6o,0O0 vicious Nninese soldiers without the
walls and scattered over the country to-
ward Tien Tsin.
The Tsung Lii Yamen.
All international affairs are dealt with
by the board of the tsung Ii yamen, estab-
hshed as a temporary bureau of necessity
after the war of 1850, and still ranking as
an inferior Board, not one of the six srea,
boards or departments of the government.
1t has not even the honor of being housed
within the imperial city Ministers have
always long, slow ride in state across to
the shabby gateway of the forlorn old
yamen, where now eleven aged sleepy In
competents muddle with foreign affairs.
As these eleven elders have reached such
posts by steady advances. they are AL
ways septuagenarians worn out with the
eXacting, empty, routine rites and func-
tions of such high office. and physically
too exhausted by their midnight rides 10
and sunrise departures from the palace to
begin fifty the days tedium at the di!api-
dated tsung Ii yamen. The appointment for
an interview with the non-committal ire
sponsible board must be made beforehand
the minister and his secretaries are always
kept waiting and the inner reception room
swarms with gaping attendants during an
interview once the American minister
made a vigorous protest, and refused 20
conduct any negotiations while there were
underlings in the room; and as it was bust
ness that the Chinese government wished
conducted, the minions We're summarily
cast out-cast out to the other side of the
many hinged. latticed doors, where they
scuffied audibly for first places at cracks
and knotholes. The other ENJOYS would
not sustain the American protest, and soon
the farce of the empty room was played to
an end, and the servants came in with
their pipes and fans, tea and cake and
car dies, as usual; stood about commented
on and fairly took part in the diplomatic
conversations, as before. An unconscious
able time is always consumed in Offering
and arranging the tea and sweets and to
any direct questions these celestial states
melon seeds or ginger root-"lowering
buckets into a bottomless weu,' was Sir
Harry Parke's comparison for audience
at this yamen.
No Secrets Possible.
Il go to the yamen by appointment at a
certain hour" said one diplomat land
while I am waiting my usual wait in those
dirty, cold rooms the ashsfter comes in
and wants to know If l think there will be
war between this and that European power
because, mind you, some very peculiar tel
egrams have just arrived for those lega-
tions Every legation telegram Is read and
discussed at the yamen, you know before
it is delivered to us. and the cipher codes
give them rare IDEAS"
Every servant in foreign establishment
in Pekin is a spy and informer Of some de-
gree. Espionage is a regular business. and
the table talk, visiting list dinner list. card
tray and scrap basket. with full accounts of
all comings and goings. sayings and doings
of any envoy or foreigner in Pekin are reg
ularly offered for purchase by recognized
purveyors of such news. One often catches
a glimpse of concentrated attention on the
face of the turbaned servants standing he
hind rining room chairs that convinces one
of this feature of capital life. Diplomatic
secrets are fairly impossible in such an at