Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-01
CHINA RIPE FOR WAR
Driven to Desperation by the Course
of the Powers.
UNABLE TO MEET TIE DEMANDS
United States Alone is Moderate
and Concliatory.
AN ALARMING OUTLOOK

"A IN IN L
The following comprehensive article on
the present Chinese situation is by Mr.. Guy
Morrison Walker who has recently returned
from ten years of residence. travel and ex-
ploration in all parts of China. Former
articles of his have been widely printed In
the daily. weekly and monthly press of the
country. Mr.. Walker Is one Of our fore
most authorities .on Chinese matters. and
the opinion he presents of the wisdom of
the American course and the mistakes Of
the European concert is undoubtedly
worthy of serious consideration.
The powers are going at it in altogether
the wrong way in China. The concert of
Europe will not and cannot win along pres
ent lines. They are asking what China can
not give.
All China is today in ferment. The Chi
nese officials, papers and people are clamor-
ing for war. 1t will not do to laugh this
situation down 10y pointing to the easy cap
ture Of Pekin. We have seen enough OF
Chinese peace" developments already t.
realize that the Inflammation of all China
means nothing less than a worldwide war
Only the United States is true to the line
Of moderation. Europe's greed threatens
to bring nothing but ferment out of chaos
The utter futility of expecting China t.
comply with the demands made upon ~ as
conditions precedent to the final negotia
lions for peace is becoming apparent. 1t Is
vain for the powers to insist that they have
agreed, upon these demands and that China
must comply: for, under the conditions now
existing, the emperor and the doWager EN-,
press whatever their disposition may be,
are powerless to satisfy them and the pow
or, fhnv, nl1yae,
The Flight From Pekin.
When the Chinese court fled from Pekin
westward into the interior provinces which
have been the historic home Of Chinese civ
ilization, the imperial pair were accompa-
MED or rather taken as hostages by the
Gen, Tung Flu Hsiang and his army. The
first resting place of the imperial fugitives
was at Tai Yuan Flu, the capital of Shan
81, and the governor Of this province was
the notorious Yu Hsien, who was the gov
ernor of Shan-Tung at the time of the be-
ginning of the Boxer organization, and who
was, in fact, the organizer of the entire
Boxer movement. Yu Hsien was removed
from his position as governor of Shan-Tune
on account OF the outrages against foreign
ers In that province, but was afterward
promoted by the empress doWaeer to tn.
Vernorship Of Shan-Si
from the capital Of Shan-Si the cour,
moved westward into the next province
Shen-S1 and stopped in it's capital Star
~ "nere the court still is. Now, the prov
ince or Shan-Si is noted for its large Mo
hammetan population. and it Is also the
nome OF the Gen Tung Flu Hsiang who has
led the court thither. while Gen. Tunp' (
army Is composed entirely of Mohamme
tahs. the three great ringleaders in thu
uprising and the most bitter in their anti
foreign sentiments have been the Gov W,
Shien, Gen. Tung and Prince Tuan. anG
eneir execution Is the thing most strenu-
ousiy insisted upon by the conference of
kin. "' re
Expecting Too Much.
To those who have noted tho conrso 80
the negotiations it will be recalled ,bs, If
was only after the empress and tho conrt
nad lett Tai Yuan and thus got beyond the
power OF the governor, Yu Hsien, that the
empress consented to depose and punish
MIN, and so, too, in the ca se Of Prince ruan
the decree banishing him was not issued
until he had been separated from his re-
.ailiers. but the arch conspirator and the
one whom the ministers most insist upon
peing beheaded because of his treacnerv
and on account of the fact that he was
the leader In the attacks during the siege
1 or .ne legations is General Tung. 1t will
be noticed that with all the messages that
nave been forwarded to the Chinese court
demanding his execution, not one word ha :
yet come from the old empress indicating
'ha' sue htu ever received any memorial
concerning him, for she has not even mon
toned his name. 1t is hard to see how in
the present position Of the court anv-
thing In the way of Furnishing General Tuns
can be expected.
Guarded by Tung.
The only bodyguard that the court DOS
sesses at present is the Mohammetan armv
OF General Tung, which is devoted to him
The court is in Mohammetan province
where General lungs reputation is the
greatest and he is surrounded BY his
friends and the clans Of his faith. In ad-
dition to this he was himself the leader
OF the great Mohammetan rebellion a few
years ago. which was only put Gown by
the empress bribing him, giving him com
mission IN the army and putting him in
command OF the forces sent out to put uoWn
the rebellion. For the empress or the en-
peror to attempt to punish him now would
simply drive him to desperation and break
the slack of allegiance which he holds to
the throne. The court being entirely in
his power, should any attempt be made
by 1t to punish him, he might not stop at
merely renouncing his allegiance and rails
ing the standard Of rebellion. He probably
would assassinate both the emperor and
empress and declare himself the founder of
a new dynasty. With the prestige which
his name carries on account Of his success
In putting down the great rebellion, and
the renown that he has as a general, he
would rally all the reactionary and anti
foreign elements to his support and begin
a campaign Of determination against all
foreigners.
The Only Solution.
The only way in which justice can be
dealt out to the anti-foreign conspirators
who have brought all this recent trouble
upon China is first to deliver the emperor
and empress out Of their hands. The court
should be brought back into Pekin at once,
and whatever agreements are necessary to
secure this result should be made.
The rulers Of China have never been
lenient to their advisors who have got them
into trouble, regardless of the question as
to whether they were misled by mere errors
of judgment, or purposely by false repre-
sensations Of fact, and the present emperor
and empress can safely be allowed to deal
with those whose bad advice has made
necessary their fight from their capital
and caused them to lose face before their
people.
Would Simplify Matters.
With the emperor back in Pekin, where
the powers could protect him and support
him. the problems of China's future would