The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-10
IN ABEYANCE.

The Chinese situation has not mate
rally altered according to latest tele-
grams. The statement that Russia and
Germany had reached an agreement is
denied, and though it is constantly ru-
Inored that the German Emperor has
receded from his position, there seems
to be no foundation for the report other
than an interested wish that he should
do So Indeed everything points the
other way, and one of the strongest ar
guments is to be found IN the with
C1rawal of the American troops from
Picking.
The President foresaw the complica-
lions that would occur should Germany
continue Ito press her claim. Ions
continued war must be the inevitable
result, and there was no cause for Am
erica to go to war. She does not want
to 1isintegrate China. She is not pre-
pared to ignore the China Government.
The only thing was to withdraw and
get out of the way before the crash
came.
The position Of the Chinese court is
singularly Chinese. The Emperor is now
THRUST IOIWdIly anu Is Illdue " SldIC
that he blames the ministers for the
whole trouble. He further holds Tuan
responsible for the whole trouble.
Whereupon Tuan is degraded. This is
all that will happen when dealing di-
Tectly with the Chinese government.
There will be some tiowery oriental
phrases; a pretence of degradation, the
anffar of Nrbi NJ
may not be paid in time, and China
will go on as ever, outwitting the West
ern barbarian believing that he is her
inferior and looking out for a chance
to humiliate him.
The only person who is likely to teach
the necessary lesson is the German
Emperor. He recognizes the shifty
character of his foe, as Give and War
rem Hastings did the characters of the
Eastern potentate they fought against
and negotiated with. They minced
matters, no more than the Emperor
does.
The fact lS China really has no gov
eminent in the Western sense of the
word. The main government has no
idea Of its outlying provinces, and has
little or no power over them. 1t rules
by decree which affect those at the
head Of affairs, but has no effect upon
the masses. The palace is one net work
of intrigue. But for foreign aid the
customs duties would be in hopeless
confusion. Corruption is rampant in
every portion of official life and this
will go on till some power or powers
straighten the matter out. This is the
kind of power we are now gravely ne
gotiating with, and the results may
easily be predicated.
France has come out with a policy for
dismantling the Chinese forts and pro-
hibiting the sale of arms and ammuni-
ton to the Chinese. This seems
chimerical plan. Even if the fortifica-
ton were dismantled, it could only be
the coast towns and China could have
chain of forts fifty miles inland,
which could be erected without anyone
knowing anything about them. AS for
arms and ammunition the Chinese could
manufacture for themselves. The Jap
anese turn out their own rifles and cast
their own big guns, and what the Jap
anese can do the Chinese can do More
over, China must have some arms on
the coast. She does not keep down her
coast and river pirates very ably but
she does keep them down somewhat.
If China were unarfned, these scoun-
drels would increase and multiply until
they would be a scourge to commerce
in the future as they used to be in the
past.
The position of Great Britain on the
Chinese question has not been clearly
shown. From being the prime factor
in all matters concerning China, she
has receded to a position where she
divides her prestige with many powers.
She may, however, throw in her lot
with Germany. If she does it will be
because the German policy is Anti
Russian.
Lastly there is Japan. This country
has borne the bruDt of the fighting, has
the largest force in the field and has
been put to the greatest expense. She
will have to be remunerated. The pues-
ton is, how? The Chinese puzzle is
very far from solution even though
Russia and the United States have
withdrawn from Picking