The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-12

and a report that he had gone so far as to
order that every one should shave their pig
tails and wear European dress Infatuated
many against him.
1t might have been expected that some Of
the Powers. whose game kwang Hsu was
obviously playing i. wishing to reform his
country, would have interviewed to support
him. but the Powers were very anxious to
back the winning horse" and they doubted
the strength and ability Of the Emperor.
while they considered the Dowager
Empress distinctly the person to be propiti-
ated. The opinion of our own Minister was
Gas expressed in a communication to the
GOVERNMENT thai the leader Of the reform
party and intimate friend of the Emperor,
Kang Yu Wei. who was being hunted down
by the Empress. had done much harm to
the cause of true reform in China" The
Empress he apparently considered TO be
the friend and patroness Of true REFORM"
since he not only advised the Government
to acknowledge her. but took great pains
to conciliate her by bringing about a meet
ing between her and the ladies of the for
eign legations.
That this line of action was i'll advised
has been proved by recent developments,
bul az Vie tllHt liltie welt tIldlIlS DOlillS
in favor of this policy, though it is hard
to Justify the lengths to which it was car
ried. To acknowledge the Empress was one
thing, but to stand by and without question
see her openly make military preparations
on an unusually large scale. and place the
direction of these under the VIGOROUSLY re-
dictionary Jung Lu, was to carry the prin-
ciple of noninterference to the point Of
culpable negligence. The raising of a special
additional corps of 10000 men to be sta
toned In Picking. which was one of the
tasks allotted to jung Lu, aroused no
anxiety in the British Legation, but was the
subject of curious comment throughout nom
official circles.
The famous interview Of the Empress
with the ladies of the foreign legations &C.
CURED at this time. and was spoken of as
marking another step in the nearer re,a-
lions of China with other nations" The
Catherine of China, who was at that time
| laying a. mine under their very feet, re-
| ceived the ladies with great cordially and
| much state, and displayed deep interest In
them and their countries. She pres ented
each with a pearl ring. and wore one of the
same pattern herself. saying 1t should be a
| bond of sisterhood between them. She
spoke most piously Of her little efforts ito
make this world a better place." but for
got to mention her favortte method of so
doing-by numbering all who interfered with
her Views of the world as it should be. She
embraced the ladies at parting, and they
had the honor of shaking hands with the
Emperor, who assisted his affectionate
aunt in their reception. A more painful
spectacle can hardly be imagined. The le-
cation ladies', themselves no doubt orna-
ments to their sex and countries. ignorant
| OF the depths Of vice to which their host
| ess was no stranger, were received with
condescension by a woman Of infamous pri-
vate character, and a hardly better public
one. The opinions of the better class of
Chinese on such an interview would hardly
reflect credit on the foreign ladies who were
so pleased and proud to receive the gifts of
the Empress, and would condemn still more
the men who allowed their female belong
ings to do honor to such a woman. 1t may
be mentioned here that Tsu Hsi, although
only a secondary wife-practically a con-
cubine-was not. as has been repres snted,
a slave, but was the member Of a respect
able family.
She was not, however, exempt from the
vices of her prototype. Catherine Of Rus
STA. and. in the unbridled possession of
power, in itself Is enough to intoXicate a
woman. she was only prevented from CIV
ing free license to her passions by q GER
tain cunning which restrained her from
anything that might weaken her power.
A year after the coup d'etat, in the au-
tumn Of last year. when her preparations
were well forward, and her creatures were
in all the principal posts Of command, she
began to issue edicts in her own name
commanding that. in case Of any trouble
with foreigners, force should be used with
out referring to Pekin. These edicts were
especially pointed against those Powers who
had obtained railway and other conces
sions. and the Chinese were eXhorted to de.
fend their land and ancestral graves from
the incursions of foreigners. The Boxer
movement was also encouraged and pro.
tected. at first by open edicts. and later By
secret ones. The PRONUNCIATION of these
edicts diverted the disaffection of the people
and their dislike of the Empress into ar
' anti-foreign channel. And 80 affairs marched
on to the terrible climax. 1t is certain