The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-16
WHAT WILL THE POWERS DO,

VIII they combine, unanimously conn
blne 10 prop UP the tottering empire?
WIN they unite to compel the reform Of
the Manchu government Or viii they
reinstate the empress dowager and let
her go on her own way as before2
Each of these courses presents insu-
perable difficulties to one or other power,
and the first and last, even IL accepted
for the time, weuld merely stave off the
difficulty TO such a time that the death
blow may be inflicted more completely by
certain powers whose arrangements viii
then be perfected
To understand what Is likely to occur
we must remember that the powers in
China fall naturally into two distinct
groups, with a chasm between. These
groups are committed TO policies shso-
lutely irreconcilahle. In one we find RUS
STA. France and Germany, now las in
1850 pledged to uphold the sphere" policy
with more or less closed doors. An ex-
animation OF the colonial policy OF these
powers VIII demonstrate very clearly what
will happen In their respective spheres.
In each we shall have restricted tariffs,
monopoiies, and SO forth
In the second group we have Great
Britain. the United States and Japan,
whose interests lie In the preservation
Of the open door. This may be only
possible by the establishment of spheres
under their protection bun these spheres
will remain an open market to the world.
The first group Is bound. for the preser-
walton of Its own prestige, to prop up
the Manchu dynasty-an easy puppet.
The second group, to obtain the reforms
which are. essential for free and open
trade. and the development of the coun-
try, are bound to press for real CEN
trail government, which can only be In
the heart Of China.
The Individual elements which represent
these different policies in China itself
are roughly speaking the empress dow
ager. the Manchu clansmen and the
Chinese viceroy, III Hung Chang. These
are anti-reform and ro-Russan.
On the other hand we have the en-
peror az he still EXISTS and the young
China party, Including many OF the lead
Ing provincial officials. who are in favor
of reform, and inclined to rely on Brit
ain. America and Japan for support and
guidance The empress dowager and her
creatures have compromised themselves
hopeiessly In the recent outrage. which
fact should be in favor of the policy Of
the second group
We come TO the question with which we
began Is China breaking up2 And a
| consideration of the circumstances leads
us to the conclusion that her dismem-
| berment has already began. and that IT
| had In its causes certain elements Of
| the inevitable, which are sim fand more
! strongly in play and render any arrest
| OF the process impossible
| | have endeavored to give In these ar
! tIcles some idea of the conditions. in
/ ternal and external, which have culmin-
! ated In the present crisis, and without
| actually entering into the discussion of
I future policies. which are outside the
| scope OF these articles. I have indicated
| certain points. the right appreciation of
| which will help TO formulate some idea
! of what our position In, and how we
should preserve II.
My strongest plea is that we have 70
! play a part In the far East. Let us bal
/ ancc up the interests which compel as
/ 10 do 50, and see that our action ia COM
/ mensurate with those interests. II is no
( use scampinE things We have tried that
/ IN the far Fast with disastrous effects.
For Britain II is not merely a COM
1 mercial question--vast though that he.
! We have far more important interests
| Mt stake. Our Eastern empire, our very
| existence as an Asiatic power. may hang