The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-03

engineers, medical men and mission
aries. Then it was deemed expedient to
reinforce the embassy guards at Picking
a measure taken just in time. The en-
basses were besieged, the Roman Cath
Ole Cathedral and mission was besieg-
ed and held its own. The other mis-
sionaries and their converts, who were
within reach concentrated at the EN-
bassies. There was the abortive relief
expedition of Admiral Seymour, which,
had it succeeded might have brought
off the embassies but would have left
the Chinese question more insoluble
than ever. Finally there was the sue
cessful occupation of Picking by the al
lies, the flight of the Emperor and EN-
press with their court, and the initia-
ton of negotiations for penalties to be
paid by those who were concerned in
the massacres. Succintly that is the
history of Northern China for close on
a year back.
AS long as the embassies were in
danger there was fair unanimity among
Picking the Russians played false. They
were not successful, but they in all
probability enabled the Emperor and
Empress to escape. Had they been cap
tured, the solution of the difficulties
w Iuld have been much easier. AS soon
as the embassies were saved disintegra-
ton set in. The policy of revenge urg-
IxrT -.
government. other governments were
undecided. Russia had her own game
to play, and she has played it to some
purpose.
The United States has withdrawn all
her troops save legation guard. Minis
ter Conger has been given a long vaca-
ton. Russia has devoted herself to
Manchuria and has obtained a hold up
on that country which however much
she may apparently modify, she. will
never loose. When the Bear puts his
paw on territory it means that he has
made another advance, and he will not
retire, unless. of course, driven out by
force of arms.
The policy of revenge has been car
ried out. A number of Chinese officials
have been beheaded at the demand Of
the Christian nations of the world, and
then their heads have been reattached
they have been laid in gorgeous collins
will be buried in the ancestral ceme-
teries, and undoubtedly will be regard
ed and may be worshipped as patriot
martyrs. There have also been punt
tive" expeditions in which villages have
been burned and in some cases towns
destroyed. But there does not seem out
of all this to be be much outcome to-
wards settlement. AS far as the Chi
nese Court is concerned, official heads
! are cheap. 1t has been the custom OF
the court to slice them off like carrots
when so it had the whim. AS for
punitive expeditions, there are plenty OF
villages and towns in China, and a few
more or less does not matter.
The hardest blow China has had, has
been the occupation of Manchuria. HeI
fear in this direction has caused her tc
appeal to the very powers whose min
listers she insulted, and who have made
bitter, if fruitless reprisals upon her
The very fact that she ignores the re-
prisals is proof positive of how little
they have affected her.
In such a state of affairs with so
many Earring interests, with commerce.
al pressure being brought to bear, with
Japan's jealousy and fear of Russia it
is impossible to predicate what may
ha
cut is that of the United States. She
will have nothing to do with Chinese
complications. But she has a very
large interest in Chinese trade. The
Chinese markets are all important to
her ever expanding commerce. Many
manufactures are dependent on Chi
nese trade. Can she then follow this
clear cut policy. May she not be in
volved in the complications at the last.
/