The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-15
The Chincse Puzzle.

The best that can be said OF the Chinese
situation today is that it is in state oil
confusion worse COMPOUNDED. The predicted
rebellion in southern China against the
Manchu dynasty has broken out violently,
and the dispatches tell us that 1t now COW
ers all the area between the British how-
loon concession to the East River. SIX OF
the ten cities in the Werchow prefecture
are in the hands of the rebels. The leader
of this movement, Sun Vat Sen. is Chi
pese reformer, friendly to foreigners and
to the introduction of Western civilization
to his country, and is well known in TINS
country and England. year ago his ad-
venture might have been considered as
favorable to European and American IN
terests, and perhaps could be so now were
ii not for the fact as understood. that he
considers the capture of Canton necessary
10 the success of his arms; because he is
said to believe that with that city in his
hands all southern China would make COM
mon cause with him. Should Sun make a
military move threatening Canton, Great
Britain and France would be compelled to
oppose him, and other powers might join.
There is another formidable warlike
movement in the south-that of the Black
Flags. who are pro- Manchu and are march
ing in hordes to join the Empress Dowager
and Prince Tuan at Signan-fu. Large bod
les of Boxers-Chinese troops are always
Boxers at CT 1venieIce-are reported on
both sides of Paoting-fu whittier an inter-
national expedition has started in two coll
umns from Tientsin and Pekin. So the
allies are likely to be fighting against their
friends, the pro-foreigners, in the south.
and the anti-foreigr Chinese Government,
the common enemy of both, in the north.
1t will be the craziest of crazy-quilt cam
pa:gns outside of opium dreamland.
Count Won Waldersee's strategy in send
obvious. 1t will be supported by another
column moving on line little farther
south, and the two columns will be dis
posed SO as to cut off the movement Of
supplies from the south and east TO the
new capital at Signan-fu. Natural OBJ
stacles render its provisioning from the
west and north nearly or quite impracti-
Dragon and her blood reeking creatures
may be smoked out. and perhaps brought
TO their knees at last. So much for the
military situation, which promises inter-
esting developments within few days.
Berlin is surprised at the latest Ameri-
| can diplomatic flop, which consists in an
ardent desire on the part of the Admin
icty
White House gate; a departure which
German newspapers rightly ascribe to
considerations of domestic politics. A
short time ago Washington was anxious
to forgive TIE Hsi. Tuan. and the lot OF
the guilty heathen in order to facilitate
a settlement and cut and scuttle with
out loss Of prestige; but superservicea-
| BILE friends of the authorities here helped
| them too assiduously for the plan to work
Mr.. WI, distinguished Administration
| editor, declared that Tuan and his coad-
| tors were the "Washingtons and Jacksons
OF China" and purely patriotic from pig
| tail TO toe. Such views antagonized the
| missionary and religious element in this
| country and raised the ghost of the tor
| tured and murdered American women and
children at Paoting- fu in way to men
| ace Mr.. Mckinley with the loss of sup
port of the Methodist conferences. the
| Presbyterian synods, and the Baptist as
sociations. Tuan's head must be handed
over on a charger; but, of course, some
| body else is to do the capturing and the
decapitating.
incidentally. it is reported OF what
seems to be good authority, that this san
| culinary prince, who is supposed to be
expiating his crimes on the sharp ridge
| pole of the Siberian frontier is In reality
| out in the country raising troops to fiehi
the allies. We must be allowed to he.
iieve that story in preference to the othe,
one which has it that little Kwang Hsu
| has risen on his aunt and left her, drag
ging with him to Pekin for execution the
| dictator Tuan. The first offers elements
OF probability, the second of Shanghai
mendacity. However. it is said that III.
Kwang Hsu report is credited with re-
serve in London: but We must doubt that
assertion, too. for the present.
In the Central nest.
Il