The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-20
THE CHINESE QUESTION.


question as the great problem of the
future, a problem from which there is
no escape: and as the solution of these
great struggles for supremacy often In
wolves aniappeal to force, safety lies in
being armed and organized against all
emergencies"
So says Brooks Adams in the Attain
tic monthly The true question is who
shall dominate in China. Shall we, shall
Germany, shall Britain or shall Russia.
The case of Great Britain is one where
capital has a tendency rather to con-
tract than to expend its sphere of &C
tivity. Germany is aggressive and were
Germany and Russia to coalesce the
strain upon the expansion of American
commerce would become. very severe.
And what ever policy may for the
moment rule in the councils of the ma
tiOn, American commerce must expand,
1t is expanding under the immutable
laws of nature, just as the tide rises
and falls, 0r,the. earth takes it's yearly
course around the sun. Plainly the
United STATES is the great factor in the
Chinese question at the present mo-
-ment. - .rf...,..... t.
But however great a factor the United
States may be, Russia must be consi-
dered as also a potent one either for
good or for evil, And it is upon what
Russia is capable, of doing or of undoing
that much of the question hinges. An
article, recently published in The Star,
showed what the military power of
Russia was, and why that power could
nnA no 70 Nc f,,n
whole question of Russia's dominance
in the worlds affairs rests upon the
financial problem, and that it is impos-
sible for Russia to solve.
For years the government of Russia
has been carried on by a system of Dor
rowing, until everything that there is
in Russia to pledge has been pledged,
and as a consequence the people are
ground down with taxes which are 60
ing not into public improvements, but
into the pockets of foreign bankers.
Russia's object in Manchuria is to ac-
quire something, to pledge. The acqus-
ition of the Shansi mineral deposits
would be the most brilliant prize that
could be obtained. That the prize might
be misused has nothing to do with the
case. What ever Russia acquires is
bound to be misused.
The Russians are not a commercial
people, says Mr.. Adams, consequently
their finances have never been admins
tered by men of business, and have al
ways borne an amateurish stamp. Lit
tie serious attempt at economy has ever
been made, and though the people may
be starving, and the currency in con-
fusion, the court and the administra-
ton have always been the most lavish
in Europe. Nevertheless, by means of
the reputation of 1889, some semblance
of order was restored. That is to say,
the deficit was reduced to about &c, 00O,-
900 roubles in good years, and through
foreign loans a treasure was amassed
large enough to lure the Gar Nicholas
into attempting the Crimean war. Two
: campaigns sufIiced to exhaust the eco
nomic endurance Of the empire. In 1855
the deficit reached 1852, 100000 roubles,
and at the peace the paper currency
amounted to 49,, 100000 while S21, 100000
rpubles had been extorted as loan
from such institutions as had funds
In precisely the same way Russia broke
down twenty-five. years later under the
walls of Constantinople, and surrender
ed the fruits of victory, because her pa
per issues had attained the enormous
volume of 1900 900, 900 roubles, and her
five per cent bonds could hardly be sold
in small amounts in Berlin at twenty
six per cent discount.
T., pf ha
bursement of Russia has risen from
900, OOO, 900 roubles TO 1,413, 000,0 900 roubles
and the deficit is 100 6OO,O roubles or
about $12S, 4S0 900. Under such financial
conditions is it any wonder that the
mineral deposits of Shansi and HOnan
should be eagerly sought for. Let any
one develop those enormous deposits of
coal and iron with cheap Chinese labor
at hand and there would be unlimited
wealth to draw upon.
The question is who shall do this de-
veloping. Shall it be done by such a
power as Russia, where the wealth will
be dissipated in Imperial display and
the waptom recklessness of an aristo-
cratic caste, or shall it be developed by
a conservative though progressive COM
mercial nation. Every nation owes a
duty to the world, just as every indivi-
dual owes a duty to society. The posi-
ton of the United States on the Chinese
question is one which it cannot brush
aside, and say it has no interest in. The
commanding commercial position of
the United States calls for an equally
commanding position in the worlds
councils. The United States cannot be-
come China and shut itself up as that
power has done to its own undoing.
The anti-expansion campaign now
going on on the mainland may succeed
for a moment, though it is very doubt
full if it even can succeed for so short
space, but the course Of events and
the immutable laws of commercial pro-