Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-05-13
THE CHINESE MAcHIAVELLI.
Ii Hung Chang Accorded That DIS
honorable Distinction.

Ii Hunq Chang Accorded That Dis
honorable Distinction.
In the Forum Robert E. Lewis pre-
sents a graphic picture OF Ii Hung
Chang. the "Machiavelli of Chinese
dinlomacy." For 40 years the veteran
celestial diplomatist has been cross
ing swords with European and Amerl-
can representatives of statecraft, he
knows. as Mr.. Lewis points out, every
thrust and every parry in the game Oh
diplomacy and he can cut into every
unprotected point His adversaries IN
the present negotiations are compare
lively inexperienced men. Minister
Conger has had about three years
contact with the east; the Russian
minister has been in China a shorter
time than the American; the French
representative is novice in deallng
with the Chinese. and the British Min
lister has been transferred within the
past few months from Toxic to Pekln
to conduct the negotiations in behalf
of his government Ii Hung Chang mas
more than held his own in the past
with the keenest European and Amerl-
can diplomatists, and, In Mr.. Lewis
opinion, he is better able to fight
losing battle than all his opponents
combined. Given a fair field and no
favor he would deity set them to
uuarreling as to who should lead IN
the assault, who should have his hat,
coat and shoes, with the result that he
would remain intact, while they would
wonder how it happened.
Undoubtedly Ii Hung Chang is the
shrewdest man in China today-and
also one Of the shrewdest in the world.
Machiavellian diplomacy has no ADLER
exemplar than this veteran Of many
a negotiation. He is q master OF
Chinese politics and, so far as the
Oriental mind can comprehend, the in
teIlectuaI processes Of Western civili-
cation, he is a master Of world politics
also. For years the foreign dlplo-
macy of China has been guided by him
and he has accomplished marvels
when it is considered that he has had
to contend against the jealous1es or
the palace clique. If he had been not
only a diplomatist, but an absolute
dictator as well, there is no telling
what he might not have accomplished
in the way of opposing European de-
mands But Machiavellian diplomacy,
to attain the greatest measure or sue
cess nowadays, must be supported at
critical times by something more than
skill in word juggling, in artistic pre-
varication and in playing upon the
fears and hopes Of ones antagonist.
Even then it does not always succeed.
Russian diplomacy, it has often been
charged, is of the Machiavellian kind;
but even Russia, the greatest military
power in the world. has more than
once found that not even her might
could save her diplomacy from defeat.
Europe has never feared China's army
and navy, and Ii Hung Chang's di-
pIomatic victories have been won pure
ly by his own resourcefulness His
strategy is all the more wonderful,
therefor, but it is doubtful whether
ever his cleverness can save China's
face in the present crisis, or whether
it will be more effective than it was
after the war between China and
Japan, when the latter dictated terms
of peace.
China cannot hope to avoid humilia-
ton and the payment of large in
demnity tc the powers for the outrages
committed by the boxers upon foreign
ers. Even Ii Hung Changes diplo-
macy has failed to secure a modifica-
ton Of the harsh terms imposed by
the allies. This is case in which
Machiavelli himself would have failed.
And the reason for the failure is plain
enough. Ii Hung Chang might quib-