Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-10-25

Explanation of tho Present Situation Thai
Young Headers VIII Understand.

Explanation OF tho Present Situation That
Young Readers VIII Understand.
To tho young readers Of st. Nicholas,
r. Van Bergen addresses letter e2-
planning the present situation 10 China.
The Empress Of the West had son e
wears old at the time OF his fathers
death in 1861. This child was placed
upon the throne rs the Emperor Tung
Cuih pronounced Toong Cheel, which
means United Rule, because the two ON
presses had agreed to be his guardians
that is, to take care Of him and rule
the country for him SO long as he re-
manned child The widow of an
emperor is called a dowaeer empress,
and so tho two dowageIs began 10 rule
| the country.
You can easily understand that these
| two ladies' were Just as superstitious as
| the Cinnamon. They believed that the
air-and water spirit was angry because
the Emperor had gone to feh.ho; ana
when there came flood and famine
| and dreadful disease, they believed 1t
all the more. But Tung Chih grew up
until he was 16 years Old, when IT was
4 thought tine that he should marry. a
wife was selected for him by MS two
guardians. Tung Chih had been bad
Dbyi uuh NDN hU'S
into q bad man; but two years after
hss marriage Tin 1874 no caught the
smallpox and died.
Once again tho throne was vacant,
and the two dowagors selected the 3la.
years old son, ysaitien pronounced
Tsie teen). of Prince Chung to succeed
Tung Chib. The childs name was
changed into Kuang Hsu pronounced
kwang Suo, breathing upon the o.
Sool, which means Industrious Sue
cessoI." Tho two dowagers were onci
moro to be guardians OF the child. anc
, again directed the government OF China
All this mace the two dowager
, droadfully afraid of the flung shui, ant
this fear has increased until ut presen
the surviving nprt So of the East is il
! terror of her own shadow. Tho othe
Dowager is dead. In the meanwhile
> kuang Iisu grew up, and in duo tim
, was proclaimed Emi eror He trustee
Z all the business with foreigners to tn
wise old yiceruy named Iii Hung Chan
pronounced LIE lioonE Changl, unit
the war with Japan broke out in issH
Jatan, at that time, ha topulatio
=, equal to about one ten b. OF mat
China. But the Japanese love lighting
thew had their sotli,r drillrd II man
| S6ifS, uTSb ny lohob Nho pLoh a.
German officers, and therefore had
y fine army, whereas China had no so
70 diers at all. OF cou SO. the Japanes
Il won. When China asked for peace.
:, had to pay to japan many millions I
:. dollars aud give it tho island of Fo
- mosa, in the China Sea, almost o.
u. posite Hongkong. japan also wantt
y land in China, and that country cou
"a not say no. But then Russia, Fran
IN spd Germany told japan that she nu
a. not take land on the continent of Asi
in The Japanese were very angry, but d
~ not wish to fight three big nations
an once. They gave way, but promis
~ themselves to have it out with Russ
- at some other time. They we're ma
= more anery still when they heard lat
IN that Russia herseif had taken the sar
"a land whica Japan had demanded fro
China.
bv PoIr Kuung Hsu could not und'
ii, stand how it vas that the Great M idt
a. Kingdom, az the Chinese called tn,
re county, could be defeated by SUI
ne nation Of men WHOM he called wo le
IN or Eigmies. Then somebody whisper
,at into his ears that the Japanese h
re. railroads and all the new Inventions
90 90 our time "ptry WE'LL" said Kua
| llEus InbU VIZ. iiuau ihbD w
M. But" said this voice, 1.-The Japan
~ have learned everything that the b
en- barians can teach." ''Well," repl
'he ths Emperor, "tben we must lei
r,s that, too. So the Emperor made la
IL ordering the Chintso 10 establ
~ schools, and to have their child
a a.s learn the same studies which you
aa learning row. lie gave orders also
,isa commence the building of railroads.
~ H. This alarmed the people and espt
IA ally the old Empress Dowager.
~" first law which all Chinese must o.
o. is, honor thy father and thy moth
~ and although he was not rally
' smo son, she had adopted him. So W
N n,, the Empress commanded poor Ku
lIsu not to make any moro laws.
osn let her do it, the poor man could
az refuse. 1t was this flung shut SUI
-, sn stitiou again! The Empress orde
70 that no one must obey Huang lis
ia; n laws, and did all she could to stop
me building of railroads
Is She was told by the ambassado
~ " Russia that she was right. Why?
~ cause Russia wanted to take all VI
80, for Itself, and il the Chinese made
,ose gress as the Japanese had done, VI
r., would be strong enough to del
NY itself. Japan advised the old Emp
VIZ ~ that she must do as Kuang Hsu
n .n done. at last the Empress teoam
m an angry that she ordered the .peopl
~, III buy arms and to drive the foreig
shis out of China. Now the whole worl
a .,a sending men-nf war aud soldiers
tha China, and after tho Chinese have
o tn defeated, Russia and Japan may,
haps, wage war with each other TO
glon Wno sn ma y T9An sl statos b., n,so
they try: ne Ut; nhora nv, m a r
con- soluie.s W Gi 1h,, I'D o,r aov
1t our oitiAens ~ oin", 4ho,,, y, on
ty of i an. in"st STAY aaho . b",o u
gilt, oh'heSe a'eaoh 'no.u.
must n .,s-.a.-J.
ittle CHINESE ANffFAihhbo'