Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-06-27
CHINA and THE POWERS
Sir Robert Hart Points Out Some
of Their Errors.
MISTAKE TO FORTIFY LEGATIONS.
-


Legation Ground Is Sacred Chi
nese Question No Nearer Solution
Now Than Before the Trouble.
The London Express gives the fol-
lowing account of an interview, under
the date Of May "a, with Sir Robert
Hart, commissioner Of customs in Chi
ma:
81 do not think that we are any near
er to a solution today than we were be-
fore the trouble" he said. 'The &C
ceptance Of the peace negotiations will
not really advance the situation In any
way, for China is for the moment at
bay and will sign anything. Nor have
I at all a high opinion of the terms laid
down by the powers. Some Of the con
ditions are futile and unnecessary, and
much has been omitted which should
have been inserted. l look on the pro-
posed fortified legation quarter as a
very injudicious move. 1t Is a mistake
strategica1ly, politically and socially.
"~Strategically because, however
strongly such a place may be fortified.
the Chinese will be able to capture it If
they wish to; politically because a le-
cation Is in theory sacred ground, and
1t should be our purpose to make the
Chinese understand hat 1t must be so
In practice. We ought to throw the
onus Of protecting the legations on the
Chinese government and take measures
to see that they do protect them. How
can we have serious political dealings
of any sort with a country whom we
cannot trust even to this extent?
SSCoaioI1v ~ Sc n yoicfo 10 ho0ar7o0 %hn
presence of such a stronghold in Pc
king will make the Cinnamon lose
face which is a more serious matter
than some folks think, but above all it
will cause relations between the white
man and the Chinaman to be more
strained and unsatisfactory thar ever
If you are going to fortify the lega-
tons, which are in theory a protection
in themselves, how much more neces-
sary must it be to fortify the dwelling
places Of all other foreigners through
out China who will have no protec-
tion?"
"Do you mean to imply by this that
the time has come for the foreign
troops to be withdrawn, and that we
should hand back the control Of Pc
king to the Chinese?' mot at all, for
were Picking to be without foreign
troops today there would not be a for
eigner alive in this city tomorrow"
"Then how can we establish this rule
OF peace and good will and mutual on
fdence, which l gather you believe to
be feasible?"
cit will be a work of time and Of deli
cacy. / think we should, in carrying on
~-- A- ~
put ourselves in the Chinaman's shoes
and look at things from his point Of
view. The failure in the policy Of
western nations in dealing with China
is due to the fact that no attempt Is
made to treat the Chinaman as a ra-
tional being. If we would deal salts
factorily with him, we must endeavor
to understand him. A Chinaman, like
anybody else, will sign any contract
when he is forced into 1T, but when
you force a man to follow a policy he
does not believe in that man will be
forever endeavorfng to find a means to
circumvent his prosecutors. If you o
back at the International dealings with
China, you will find that nearly every
contract that has been made with her
has been forced upon her against her
will.
"People make a great mistake in i'm
agining that the Chinese are not sensi-
tive. They are extremely SO, and the
manner in which a thing is proposed to
them goes a very long way. People
imagine that Russia is more unpopular
with the Chinese than are the other
powers, but such is not the case. What
ever territory Russia may have acquir-
ed and whatever means she may have
adopted in occupying that territory,
her success at Peking is not wholly due
to China's knowledge of Russia's pow
er or to bribery. Russian officials al
ways treat the Chinese dignitaries
with great courtesy and amiability, and
the Chinese like their methods. Only
recently a member of the tsung-li-ya-
men said to me: The Russians are go
polite that when they take something
from us they do it SO nicely that we
feel we must thank them. Whereas,
even when certain other nations fall in
with our views they do SO in a manner
which makes it clear that they have no
respect for u.s."
HAS the foreigner improved his po-
sition with the Chinese by this display
of strength"
'That all depends on how he makes
use of his temporary advantage. If we
expect that we shall suddenly be able
to push the Chinese into becoming a
progressive race like the japanese, we
shall make a great mistake. Not only
would it be impossible for Us to alter
the Chinaman's nature, but, as I have
pointed out elsewhere, It Is essential
that we should be most careful to treat
him very gently in the matter of re-
form. Why do we want to make him
do this and do that, and above all why
in the world do we want to arm him
and make a soldier of him?