Evening star., 1900-07-14
RESULTS OF TEE ARMY SCANDALS
American Engineers Given Warm
Reception in London.
PEANUTS FOR THE PEOPLE
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

would be drawn into a great war. The
war with the Chinese may not be of long
duration. but what may follow that war
no man may predict. Signs are not want
ing already Of trouble to come.
Surprise is expressed that the allied
forces at Taku. numbering in all some
thirteen thousand or more. have not made
another advance on Pekin. 1 have good
ground for saying that. the delay is due to
disagreement among the powers as to who
shall have charge Of the expedition.
Russia claims the leadership, and the
other powers, especially England and Ger
many, regard Russia with suspicion
France is willing to support Russia, but
the United States declines to assume any
definite attitude at present. What is CIV
ing considerable anxiety to the British for
eign office is the fact that an understand
ing has been come to between Russia and
Japan whereby Russia is willing for as
many Japanese troops as possible to be
landed in China for the purpose of quelling
the disturbances.
Japan and Russia.
This turn of affairs has caused great sur
prise in diplomatic circles. because it has
been expected all along that Russia would
stoutly resist large Japanese forces being
sent to China Indeed. in the case of
trouble between the powers, England and
Japan We're expected to stand together
However, If my information Is correct the
world will learn in the next few days from
events that Japan has allied herself with
Russia. The details of the bargain are
secret As to the fate of the Europeans
the general impression among diplomatist
Is that 1t is sealed. Little hope of their
relief Is left.
Among the measures suggested II the
murder of the ambassadors be confirmed
are the punishment Of the empress and her
underlings. and the burning OF Pekin.
The latter would be advantageous as a
sanitary measure 1t Is the filthiest city
on the face of the earth, and nothing but
fire would purify it. The crime would also
precpitate dissolution of the Chinese en-
pire.
A Gloomy Outlook.
There are grave fears that China is on
the eve of such terrible upheaval as
revolutionized Japan preliminary to its
he more horrible in China, not only be-
cause it has ten or twelve times the popu-
lation of Japan, but also because the Chi
nese. moving slowly, also move heavily
There is no doubt of what will happen if
there is widespread rising In that case
the powers will at once send their armies
into China and take possession of it. each
in its own sphere
1t is not anticipated there would be diff
hculty in the great powers taking possess
clude only the troops armed with modern
weapons, does not exceed 1OO, 900 men, and
would soon be disposed of. AS for admin
istering the country, the Manchus who
nave heid II so long, are as much foreign
ers as any of the great powers that now
stand on the threshold.
Would He Easily Ruled.
IL that weak and corrupt foreign power
can rule the Chinese. wise and honest civ
llized government could. The Chinese are
quiet and submissive people normally
and when once 1t became known to them
that the new foreign administration was
both strong and just they would readily
come under it. This is the opinion of one
who knows China and the Chinese.
The Japanese authorities, l find, are hur-
rying on the completion of the orders for
war material which have been placed in
recent months in England. One great iron
and steel firm in the country has for the
last two or three years been intrusted with
important orders for the supply of gun
and shell casing. The last order, a gem
tleman associated with the industry tells
me, was the largest ever intrusted to the
firm, and now telegraphic requests have
been received that it should be- If possi-
BILE, completed earlier than the time speci-
ned In the contract. The firm will make
an effort to comply with this request .It
is, said the informant to whom / have
alluded, "a pleasure to have transactions
with the Japanese. They are eminentIy
buSineSslike, practical and fair" He added
that the experience of his firm was that of
other firms with which the Japanese gov
ernment had placed contracts The Jap
snese, in fact, are doing all they can to be
in a state of preparedness for eventuali-
ties.
Even the anxiety aroused here by the
blacker news from China has not served
to divert either parliamentary or public at
tention from the medical hospital question
in South Africa.
The English War Scandals
AS l intimated some time since scandals
were sure to arise in connection with the
war in South Africa, and now, apart from
the gross one attaching to the contracts
for army clothing, which is now being
gently probed by emnently respectable
gentlemen forming the parliamentary COM
mittee the charges brought by Burdett
Coutts against the military hospitals prom
Use to develop into a scandal which will
oVershadow all the rest. 1t comes so near
the heart of the common people that II ey
cites a general interest throughout the
country and will not be laid to rest with
out a strict inquiry
While there is general agreement as to
the necessity of inquiry into the question
of the South African hospitals there is
a strong objection to a mere departmental
committee. as suggested by the govern
ment 1t Is evident that if the matter is
to be probed to the bottom 1t must he q
very strong body that will make the in
quiry. 1t will also be necessary to secure
adequate protection for witnesses who
speak the truth, and it may be expedient
to have the power to administer an oath.
Effect of the Revelations.
I understand that the Matron's Council
intend to demand that a woman of expert
ence and skill in the work of nursing should
be placed on the committee which Is to in
vestigate the maladministration of the hos
pital system in South Africa
Whatever may be the result of the revela-
ton of the scandals in South African hos
pitals, they have already had one result
Tney have driven off Indefinitely the gen
ereal election and made it impossible this
year. To go to the country with these al
legations hanging over them would be al
most fatal to the government. The ordi-
nary elector would not appreciate the ques-
tions raised by the government about the
difficulties of transport. All that would
be known was that the sick and wounded
had been very badly treated, and he would
very properly, hold the government re-
sponsibe.
For many weeks and months the question
of the treatment of the wounded will fill
the minds Of the people. Mr.. Coutts reye-
lations have produced a great effect in the
country and his In rIj