Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
War a Difficult Problem in Interna-
tional Law.
CANNOT SPARE TROOPS
German Journals Estimate of
x
Chinese Army.
MR.. AsTOR AND THE PRINCE
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

LoNDoN, July "a, 1SO0
There are two attitudes with respect to
China. between which the powers seem now
o halt; one Is founded upon a disbelief OF
!hinese honesty and means war; the other.
which admits doubt as to the motives OF
he Chinese, means a more peaceful ana
entative policy.
The question whether war should be for
nally declared agoinst China is at presen
giving anxious consideration to the chancei,
tories of Europe. and the concensus OF
.pinion seems to point toward the adop-
ion of certain precautionary measures
which. while falling short Of an actual dec
aration. will at least suspend diplomatic
md trade relationships. The question is de.
cribed as a difficult problem of information
Il law, but 1t is unnecessary to strain too
ar the legal technicalities China is no.
eally a member of the family of nations
nd has never officially subscribed to tn,
ules that govern the state rela tionships o.
he western world. While therefore, tn,
overs are bound by the ordinary ctate:
# humanity, there is no call to stand upoI
CEREMONY or to prejudice the position by
he observance of courtesies that have n.
neanng for the celestial empire.
M. Delcasse has issued a circular to thu
overs. calling for International cO-opera.
ION In striking out a definite Inc of con,
iuct and 1t is believed that Lord Salisbur,
J 1aVOraDle 10 the proposal. germany na
llready taken action by intimating to tn,
hinese minister in Berlin that his officia
correspondence must be subjected to rigor
JUS censorship; and the news from Siberia
:learly indicates that Russia Is there EN-
>roiled in military operations that reall!
onstitute a state of war Some lead n:
newspapers, both here and on the continent
itrongly contend that the powers should a
,nce declare war, and there Is no doub.
hat such a step would materially strength
IN the hands of the executive
n dealing with the acts Of their own sub
ects. 1t would. for example. put an end
o all trade with China, thus effectually
topping the export Of arms and ammuni-
ion. On the other hand. if by temporisine
md inducing the powers to believe the
cries of lies that at present emanate from
'ekin. and the various anti-foreign vice
-oys those responsible for the Boxer out
make effective their resistance to the force
hat must surely be ultimately applied.
Strong views are held at Shanghai as to
he need for sending troops and vessels to
he Yangtsze ports to protect the foreigners
here. but there is no unanimity Of opinion
IS to what the result OF such action would
be.
Great Britain however Is not likely to
send troops to the Yangtsze ports, and this
because she could not spare enough troops
20 deal with those which China would hur.
lgaipst any that be sent.
Ships could be sent and possibly keep the
|hinese from storming the settlements with
reach of their guns. That is the extent
f EnglaEd's ability on the Yangtsze. She
would certainly not land an army of fifty
one hundred thousand men to march
against Pekin. Would France Join Britain
with an effective force? Nobody expects it.
Dr. Germany? The emperor is sending ten
IT fifteen thousand men. and If the quarrel
proceeds he will need them all at kfau-
Chau. 1t is only by thorough combination
among the powers that China Is likely to
suffer- and she knows it. Therefore her
diplomacy.
The German View of China.
German military journal gives some in
teresting particulars as to the strength of
the Chinese army. The field troops number
about 80 600. In addition to these the Ban
nermen and Green Flags may be reckoned
at 100000. but the latter furnish no prom
sing material for real military organiza-
tio.-
The presen. disposition Of the regular
forces Is as f. ows: In Manchuria there are
5000 men. .4any Of them armed with
Chings army at Pekin is 10000 strong, but
it is not well armed Gen. Nieh's force
numbers Z3.OO. and at Shan-hai-kwan Gen.
Ma commands something like II 600 men,
Under Gen. Fuh-Siang there are
1880 Mahommedans, and last but most
important of all. come Yuan-Shi-Kais army
OF l2No. who are armed with Mannlicher
rifles and the newest guns. and who have
European officers.
In the provinces of Chilli and Shantung
si,Voo men are concentrated and many Of
these are amply provided with modern
weapons. The physical qualifications of the
Chinese regulars are also high. In the
north and central provinces there are plenty
OF men OF powerful physique. while the
southern provinces produce race whose
diminished stature Is counterbaianced by
their agility and endurance. In addition to
his physical capacity, the Chinaman's men
tai attitude Of rigid fatalism makes him an
enemy whose power 1t would be folly to
underestimate.
1t Is curious how the British post office
contrives always to be unpopular. There
Is perhaps no branch Of the government
that has so consistently been behind the
times. SO impatient of reform and the
adoption of improvements as the post Of
nee. which is hopelessly bound up in red
Tape. Every important move in advance
has been forced upon 1t from outside by
public pressure, and its slow-going officials
nave invariably opposed every idea that
carried with 1t additional facilities for the
public. More than this. the officials have
nearly always denounced every new idea
mat has ultimately been adopted as i'm
possible to be carried out.
NOT very long ago this department stol-
idly regarded the telegraph as useful only
TO convey messages referring to death or
great business deals, and 1t was by dint
OF great public agitation only that the
prices were so reduced that ordinary NOR
tals could seEd commonplace messages It
took years to accomplish an internal penny
post and years more to extend such facil-
tiles to the colonies.
The difficulties under which we labor
now in England. owing to the stiffness of
the red-tape system, are unknown in
America
Famous London Party.
Mr.. Aston, the ex-American, does not
always find that his new countrymen like
his manners. He has given several exhi-
billions of a pettish feeling which English
society has not taken in very good part
His latest escapade can be followed in his
own paper. the Pail Mall Gazette. whose
columns he has, with rather questionable
taste. used to crafty a personal spite
A few days ago an offensive paragraph
appeared in that paper, regarding the
presence of Sir Berkeley Milne at one of
Mr.. Astors concert parties. The para
graph stated in effect that Sir Berkeley
Milne had attended without an invitation.
Sir Berkeley Milne is naval officer of
considerable service, well known in society
and of unblemished character. He was
staying in London with some friends who
were very intimate with the Aston family.
and they. having been asked to the con-
cert. thought they might take Sir Berkeley