Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-06-20
The CHINESE SITUATION.

The CHINESE SITUATION.
The disturbed condition of affairs in
China continues, and although there
is not sufficient information upon
which one can arrive at really clear
idea of the situation, still the general
drift of the dispatches leads in the d.
rection of certain conclusions that seem
to be more or less plausible.
Taking the situation only in the
light of the developments of the past
few weeks, it looks as if. the mission
aries are almost if not entirely respon-
sible for the disturbance but in the
light of events that have been occur
ring during the past few years, and
little pointers that show up from time
to time, there is good reason to believe
that while the missionaries are figuring
more or less as the unwilling cause of
the trouble, it is not so much through
any fault of theirs as it is through the
scheming of others in the accomplish
ment of political ends that have been
under consideration for years.
The first dispatches described the
Boxers as constituting powerful mob
which the government would gladly
put down if it were able to do 80. Now
it is beginning to look like this mob is
really the whole people of China,
backed by the regularly constituted
government with all the power of the
army and navy and that instead of
being on the verge of civil war, China
is really trying to organize herself in
such shape as will enable her to resist
the designs she has reason to believe
the various foreign nations have
against her.
Nor is this all. Most of the dis
patches give color to the idea that all
of the foreign governments, Russia and
France included, have come to an un-
derstanding by which they will CO.
operate in forcing China to recognize
the rights of all foreigners; but this is
not all of it. An occasional straw
points to the fact that Russia and
France are rather more in accord with
China and each other than with the
other powers, and that even if the
united powers should take China by
the throat and make her submit to
good order, there will follow quarrel
between the powers as to what rights,
privileges and possessions each is to
thereafter have by way of compensation
for the trouble each has had to 60 to.
The powers are like jackals after a
carcass. As to whether some schem.
ing Russian diplomat has been the
means of ofinstigating the Boxers against
the missionaries, will probably never
be certainly known. That murder and
ill treatment of missionaries has been
made the pretext for this joint inter-
ference, there is no question. That
the powers have determined to act
jointly rather than leave each to pro-
tect its citizens has undoubtedly been
brought about by the fear that one
might use the opportunity to get an
advantage over the others. That they
will now be able to adjust the matter
to the satisfaction of each without
friction among themselves appears to
be impossible, and although matters
appear to be moving smoothly enough
up to this time, it is difficult to con-
slider the situation otherwise than as
filled with tremendous consequences.
As we see it, one of two things is
going to happen. Afraid to move for
fear of each other, it is possible that
the powers may leave the Boxers to
drive out and keep out the missiona-
ries. This is not likely. 1t does not
seem possible either that the powers
can agree upon any division. Then
there will be no other way for it ex-
cept to fight it out, and that is about
what it is coming to. The rapacity,
greed and unfairness of the nations
are such that bloodshed seems to be
the only antidote.