The National tribune., 1900-06-21
THE CHINESE PROBLEM.

the people look for the next kilograms witt
the deepest anxiety. Whatever may have
been Russia's original designs. she has
stirred up a storm that is fearful in its out
look. Just how far the present disturbance
may reach only Divinity can foresee. Itmay
be that it is the long-prophesied 'awak-
ening of the Chinese people" when they
will begin by overthrowing, massacreing
and driving out the ruling Tartar caste,
which have dominated the country for
over $50 years. The Tartars came into
the country and took possession of ifs
| Government in 1644. 1t is estimated that
there are about 20,GO0,OO0 of these, who
rule about SS0,000,000 Chinese, or l to
every 19 genuine Chinese. The cry of
China for the Chinese" may be, and prob
ably is, as much directed against the Tar
tar rulers as against the Western for
| eigners. IF this be the case then chaos
has come in China, and will continue until
some combination is made sufficient to re-
| store order. The question will then be
whether there is anywhere in China any
set of men from whom this can be hoped,
or whether it will have to come from the
outside. There are immense numbers of
very able men in China, of non-Tartar
blood, but whether any of these have suf-
| ficient talents for leadership in such an
emergency may well be doubted. Here
tofore no Chinaman has shown any ca
pacity for political and military leader
ship. This may be because any such man
has been promptly cut off by the Tartar
rulers. In any other country such man
might be expected to come up in a day
from among the common people, as Ma
poleOn did in France, Lincoln in this coun-
try, Andreas Hofer in Typol Cromwell
in England, etc, etc. But China is an
exception to all countries. No rule seems
to work there.
If order is to be restored from the out
side, then the burden will fall upon the
United States, Great Britain and Japan.
Germany, France and Italy are too far
away to have Il strong influence in such a
gigantic task as this may become. The
experience of the Italian troops in Africa
shows them to be of little value in con-
flict with masses of semi-civilized people.
Furthermore, the Italian Treasury is
bankrupt and in no condition for the drain
of foreign expeditions. France and Ger
many are not in any condition to send a
considerable force that distance from
home and supply it. They would have to
send everything and everybody more than
halfway around the world. Russia is at
present considerably in evidence, but she
will quickly pass out, if the task becomes
one of any magnitude. In spite of her
territory adjoining that of China for thou
sands of miles, and in spite of her 81
berian railroad, she is in reality much far
ther away than either France or Ger
many. Her Siberian railroad is not com
pleted, and it would be of very limited
capacity if it were. 1t is a single track,
G,0G0 miles long, through a country with
out present resources or settlers, and sub
ject to all the mishaps that a new, badly
constructed road through a wild country
always is. Even were it in the best pos
sible shape, it would be a very poor de-
pendence for any considerable body of
men 6,0G0 miles away from their coun-
try. Another obstacle is in the notorious
incompetency and rascaity of the Russian
army system. 1t proved utterly unable
to take care Of an army as near as the
Crimea, and again in the Danubian Val
ley, and probably has not improved since
the last Turkish war Then the Russian
troops, when once outside their country,
die off at an appalling rate. Russia may
have 10000 men along the Chinese border
now. If so, it will puzzle her to muster
q good, strong division on Chinese soil in
side Of two months.
On the other hand, Japan has an army
of about 100000 men, quite near the scene
of operations, and supported by a stronger
navy than any other power than Great
Britain or we can concentrate in Eastern
waters. What value the Japanese troops.
will have for great modern military op-
erations remains to be determined. They
showed up pretty well in the war with
China, but there was not much test in that
struggle.
Great Britain has 74,o0O white soldiers
in Hindustan, and 10000 in native regi-
ments. AS there is no particular trouble
in India at present, she should be able
to detach a very strong army for opera
tions in China, and supply it from Hin
dustan, Australia, New Zealand and her
other possessions.
AS for ourselves, we can probably spare
at once a division from Manila. This
could be reinforced quickly by any num-
ber of troops from the United States, if
they were needed. The Spanish war vol
unteers could be made readily available,
either to take the places of the troops now
in the Philippines, or go directly to China.
At present writing it seems impossible
that we should avoid taking some part in
the struggle. Our Flag has been insulted,
our Minister Is cut off from cnmmunic,-