The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-29
Fighting and FLUSHING in China.

Yesterdays news from the Far East
brought confirmation of the report that
the FEanco-German expedition now in
the field had fought and defeated a
large force OF Chinese on the Shansi
border What Importance is TO be at
tached to the fact it would be hard at
present 10 say. As the affair is said 10
have occurred well within the Shansi
line, which marks the limit of interna-
tional occupation. the inference is that
it viii create additional i'll feeling to-
ward foreigners among the Chinese,
and possibly might result in bringing
the threatened general outbreak to a
head.
When the column shall have compile
ted the service assigned TO it by Count
Won Waldersee, and returned to Pekin,
fears are expressed that the reports
will'be spread among the natives claim
ing that it had been routed and driven
back by the invincible warriors of Gen
eral Liu, and, Of course. the masses Of
the Empire unquestioningly viii accept
the story as true. Punitive expeditions
in China do not seem to accomplish
much where not conducted in consid-
cradle force. and in manner TO strike
terror into the hearts of the Chinese
Dowager Empress and her following. II
is not at all certain that the German
idea Of a thorough punitive campaign
in the first instance, after the capture
of Pekin, was not the correct one.
However, it is too late To discuss that
under the conditions of the moment,
although its consideration might be
made again timely were a serious up
rising to occur in the near future. The
Shansi incident furnishes something of
warning that all Of the fight has not
been knocked out of the Celestials, and
that the Powers win do well to make
haste slowly in withdrawing their
forces from the country That might
easily mean an early struggle TO save
the legations once more from the fate
that came so near overtaking them last
summer.
As might have been anticipated. the
efforts Of the Administration 10 induce
the Powers to cut their indemnity
claims in half, and the total failure of
Mr. Rcckhill 10 impress his colleagues
with this view. are commented on with
something approaching contempt in the
90 transatlantic capitals. This country
has gained nothing by the attempt but
the unfriendliness Of Governments with
whom II is very undesirable To quarrel.
The scheme was one OF the worst sort
of diplomacy on its face. Now that 1t
has been defeated with scant ceremony.
it would be well 10 stop its further ex-
ploitation either accidentally by way
Of defending the course Of the State
Department, or practically through our
representatives abroad.
Our Chinese policy. as we elanc..
through its history for the past eight
cen months. is calculated to remind one
Of the work on Chinese Philosophy"
by The literary man of the "E.atanswil
Gazette" mentioned in the "Pickwick
Papers" In this case the author pre-
pared himself for the production of this
magnum opus by deep reading in the
Encyclopedia Britannica-China, under
&C" and Philosophy under "P," and
combining his information The anna
teur diplomats who had charge of our
Chinese relations during the heated
term last summer must have followed
the English model referred to, il we
consider results. No doubt they dug
their China out Of &C" In a Webster's
Unabridged. and worked up their con
cepts Of policy and diplomacy from the
Agricultural and Postofi,ce reports. We