Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1900-11-21

J ing the different governments engaged,
in the interest of civilization, in an effort
to shape China's future, the status of
the heir apparent to the throne presents
an interesting problem.
The heir apparent, Pu Chun, or Pu
Tsung, is the son of the Prince Tuan,
who from all reliable testimony, seems
to have been the head and front of the
anti-foreign movement, and whose de-
eapitation has been demanded by the
allies. Under the Chinese law the dis
grace of the father is visited upon the
son, and beheadlng is the most disgrace
full Of all deaths. 1t seems natural,
therefore, that on the surface the ques-
tion should be asked at Pekin whether
the son can maintain his right if his
father is beheaded.
A way out of the difficulty-or rather
out of this phase of it's furnished by
saving point of the Chinese law which
affects this particular young man. When
he was designated by the empress dow
ager to the exalted role of heir apparent,
he was formally adopted by the late
Emperor Tung Chi. To be sure, Tung
Chi had been dead for fifteen years, but
the adoption, having been made by i'm
perial decree, was valid. Now an adopt
ed son according to Chinese law discards
his own family entirely and from a legal
standpoint becomes the actual son of his
adopter.
Technically, therefore, the heir ap-
parent would not be-affected by the dis
grace Of his fathers death. But the
representatives of the powers have some
thing more than mere Chinese techni-
cality to deal with. The strongest affec-
tion known to the Chinese-the most
prominent trait in the Chinese character
is filial affection. This is really the
corner stone of Confucianism. 1t is nat
ural, therefore, that those charged, with
the working out of the difficult problem
should be asking whether it would be pos
sible for Prince Tuan's son if elevated
to the throne to maintain friendly atti-
tude toward the foreign powers respon-
sible for his fathers death.
The boy, who is now about fourteen
years old, has been brought up in the
most bitterly reactionary and antiforeign
atmosphere. His tutors were two high
officials whose friendship for the boxers
was just as strong as that of the boys
real father. These tutors and Prince
Tuan are believed to have had more to
do with influencing the dowager empress
in her anti foreign proclivities than any
body else; and the tutors showed they
appreciated the eternal fitness of things
by committing suicide before the foreign
forces reached Pehin.
1t is perfectly natural, in view of these
facts, that the ministers should be seri-
ously considering whether it would not
be wise to incorporate in the treaty to be
made with China some provision looking
to the selection of some other person to
become the nominal head of the Chinese
empire upon the death of the present en-
peror. Such interference with the in
ternal affairs of great nation like the
| Chinese emnire would. of course. be all
most unprecedented, but it is the duty
of the powers to safeguard the future in
every way possible. This is the best
opportunity they will probably ever have
and it may be that an extreme step of
this kind is necessary not only for the
safety of foreign interests, but for the
preservation Of the entity of China as
one of the nations of the earth to dwell
with her sister nations in peace and uni
ty.