The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-17

its present rulers China would remain
a lotbed of conspiracy against the
whites and against civilization whiie
under any other native government
there could be no assurance OF reform.
as the empire is constituted strong
I central native power is impracticable,
| and for the very good reason that the
provinces do not cohere. They form,
when taken together, the loosest of
loose confederacies. The common pso-
| pie of the various provinces do not
speak each others language and they
know but little of what Is going on be-
yond their local borders. They have
no patriotism and but for the appear
ance among them of Manchu viceroys
and tax-gatherers would have no visi-
BILE sign of their political connection
with Picking. Moreover'each province
has it's own army and several have
their separate naval establishments.
While tie Tsung Ii Yamen or its do
mest.c adjunct can rule this composite
empire sufficiently to collect taxes it
cannot maintain order. When things
come to that pass each province and
even each village and town is law
or an outlaw-unto itself. On this ac-
count fore gn powers are never sure of
proper redress for outrages; and they
must either endure such troubles as
! they come or else take charge of China
| for themselves.
! Europe has been preparing these five
years for the seizure and division of
the country. Its first care was to fore
stall quarrel over the spoils by agree
| ing on spheres of influence along which
| the work of eventual partition might
smoothly run. Russia is now ready to
take over Manchuria without friction;
she already has a ninety-nine year
lease of the Liaotong peninsula. Great
| Britain is the paramount European
power in the Yang-tse valley. Japan
mas been permitted to consider the
province of Fo-Kien under political
mortgage to the government at Tokyo.
/ France. when the breakup comes, will
take Hai-Nan and a strip adjoining
Cochin China. Germany looks to Shan
| tung for her share of territorial awards
and may induce Great Britain to ex-
change her foothold in that province
the fortress of Wei-Hai- Wei-for East
African soil. Portugal will retain Ma
Gao as Great Britain will keep Hong
kong. AS to the disposition of Chill,
that province may be organized as a
neutrality-suspicious. Chinese State under
alien control. This is the only feature
OF the divisional program, save the
Italian claim north of Fo-Kien, which
has been left for future consideration.
The rest is settled; all Europe has to
do when 1t gets ready to act is to gath
lats nh a t.Vrz
ments as peacefully as people take des-
ignated gifts off Christmas tree.
China, thus committed to foreign
hands. would soon be transformed
After all, the Chinese are not an un-
progressive race. They are simply
asleep as the japanese were before the
great awakening of 1868. Mongols who
have strayed abroad show a remarkabl,
adaptability to foreign ways; they are
even beginning, in Hawaii, to cut of
. their queues. They go into the trade:
and other occupations of the "outsid,
barbarian" they relish foreign food
they seek the knowledge and knack o.
the alien. Take their-stay at HON,
, countrymen out from under the pres
sure of their native and governing liter
.
. try, end the official blackmail unde
which the people groan and make Law
! synonymous with justice: do this ant
: China may become as ambitious ant
progressive as Japan. We have seei
, the truth of this illustrated on a small
2 scale in the city of Kinchow, a plac
, captured by the japanese in 1894 A
, soon as 1T was clear that the conquer
ors meant no persecution and tina
every mans savings were safe from of
fetal rapacity, the Chinese became a
q enthusiastic for progress as the littl
. brown men themselves. When the Jap
anese went away for good the inhab
, itants protested in a memorial to tn
= Tokyo government and on finding tina
Z their late enemies would not return, al
f, the leading families both of Kinchoy
and Liaotong petitioned for the. RICH
: to go to Japan and stay there. Tall
8 about conservatism-these poor foil
4, only needed a chance to forge aheat
: and show the best that was in them.
@ a Europeanized China would sool
4 acquire diversified industries, especial
: ly those connected with mining; it
o rivers would be kept within bounds: it
Z lNhtBo nun iohth NY hlAbdbipHs It's Dto
pie would be taught the arts and out
lawry would be put down with a stroni
- hand. Some form of Christianity nigh
? follow. Without reference to tn
. economic effect upon other countries,
#, theme Of wide speculation in itself, tn
change would be of enormous valu
and benefit to the Chinese race. AS 70
the alternative-native government Il
other than present hands-the reason
we have pointed out are enough to con
. denim IL. Such government could no
restore order and the chances are tina
, IL would prove to be as intolerable a
y the one 1t had supplanted China
e stimulus must come from without 70
u despite the latent hopes and yearning
l. of the people it cannot come fror
2, within.