Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1900-11-17

functions upon one minister of
foreign affairs makes a wholesome
change. Heretofore there has
been a many-headed administra
ton of the foreign office and
hence a division of responsibility
which has made it difficult, if not
impossible, to ascertain the chief
culprits in the anti foreign out
RACES. BY combining these powers
and responsibilities in one indi,
vidual it is hoped to inspire
moderation and circumspectness
in that officer, and this will prob
ably be the result.
Additional approximation to
the usages of other nations is re-
quired by the insistance that
"rational intercourse shall be
permitted with the emperor, as
in civilized countries" This will
end such representations of the
imperial person as China has
lately witnessed, and will enable
foreign governments to commu-
nicate directly with the source of
authority without subjection to
the restraints and deceptions
which have attended intercourse
through intermediary officials.
1t is required that the forts at
Taku and elsewhere on the coast
of Chi Lii province shall be RACED,
and the importation of war ma
terial is prohibited ; and it Is
provided that permanent legation
guards shall be maintained at
Pekin and also between Pekip
and the sea. The experiences of
the last few months furnish suffi-
cient justification for these exac-
tions.
The final requirement that for
two years imperial proclamations
shall be posted throughout the
empire for the suppressi m of the
Boxers also seems to be necessary
ss 9 deterrent.
Were China. both as a nation
and a government DOre civilized
and less arrogant were it on the
same plane as my nation, how
ever feeble, of he western world,
these conditions Of peace would
appear exhorbitant and even
But we have to CON
slider that China's case stands
alone and requires special treat
ment. The western powers have
to deal with an immense multi
tude, swollen with pride and pre-,
judice and without any real
knowledge of their obligations TO
humanity or to international law.
Time and again breach has been
made in the closed gates of China
and foreign forces have entered,
made their mild eXactions and
having behind them no
memorial Of the discipline to
which they had srbjected the
government, weak in itself but
powerful in the imaginings of its
people. They have come and
gone and even the small fraction
of China's 4O0,00O,O00 who saw
them enter and depart have had
no true conception of the con-
ditions they imposed nor Of their
power to enforce those conditions.
1t is necessary now to give a
more impressive lesson and thus
to insure regard for the usages of
civilized nations and the protec
tion of their citizens in China.
The terms may seem harsh, but
when it is remembered that it
was in the power Of these aven-
ging nations to end the dynasty,
to overthrow the imperial throne
and to divide the territory and
people of China among them
selves, it will be seen that the
conditions imposed are relatively
very mild and have the whole
some object of securing life and
property to those whom China
has already accorded free res.
idence in her territory. Analysis
proves that the conditions i'm.
posed are designed to be preven-
tive even more than nnnitiYe, and