The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-15


and who has conducted all negotiations
with the outer barbarian for a good
quarter Of a century, Ii Hung Chang
with all his fine spun threads OF intri-
que carried on with every Western
power OF the earth, Ii Hung Chang
with all his wealth-and he was reput-
ed TO be the wealthiest man in the
woodworking his brain to the very
last. finally has had to succumb to the
general fate. r.
To adequately write of Ii Hung
Chang requires deeper knowledge
than any Westerner possesses. The
Westerner never understands the orien-
tai and the oriental never understands
the Westerner. There are countless &C
counts Of Ii Hung Chang from many
gifted pens. Soldiers, statesmen, diplo-
mats, correspondents. big and little,
have all tried their hands at pen por-
traits and character sketches of this
more than prominent oriental, but not
one probably has sketched for US the
real Ii Hung Chang, and the west will
probably never know him, except when
the east and west fully understand
each other, which will not occur for
several centuries to come.
But it is not the character of Ii
Hung Chang or what he has done in
the past which interests US. 1t is the
future that must be of absorbing in
terest. Who is going to I'LL Ii Hung
Chang's place, and what attitude is
going to be taken by his successor with
regard to foreign trade. For after all
the entire interest of the Western
powers towards China lies in its trade
Embassies have gone to China what
for? to get Chinese. alliance as an ag-
gressive power? by no means They
have gone simply and solely to obtain
concessions for trading purposes How
ever, naughty the members of the EN-
bassy however brilliant the staff, how
ever rich the gifts rendered the EN-
peror, it was trade and trade only
which was the actuating motive.
What AL the nations want to know is
what the trade conditions will be. And
none want to know them more than the
United States. The commercial policy
of the United States needs the Chinese
market. Its aim is a dominance in
the Chinese market. A reactionary
policy would complicate commercial
results, and probably prevent the pres
ent well defined policy. 1t might again
throw US into conjunction with the
other Western powers, which is not a
desirable position for US to be put in.
The late President had no desire to
be trammeled by the intrigues of the
European powers, and American troops
sent out on the rescue expedition were
kept vigorously away from so-called
punitive expeditions, while they were
Withdrawn long before the troops of
the other Western powers.
That Russia has discounted Ii Hung
Changes death is moderately If not alb
solutely certain. That Ii was COM
pletely under the thumb of Russia is
doubtful, but that he was a most
powerful Russian agent is certain, and
that substantial portion of his enor-
nous wealth came to him from Rus
sian Golfers is strongly affirmed. Rus
sian diplomatists are far too astute to
see their right hand man in China,
slowly but surely dying, without hav1
ing in view some one who will be
equally useful and equally amenable
to the clink of gold
The other Western nations have
never been so astute as Russia in their
dealings with the Chinese. Russia
foresaw the Boxer difficulties when no
other power did, and was in a measure
prepared to meet them. How otherwise
could she have had masses of troops so
readily on the frontier and could so
quickly gain her point IN Manchuria?
Undoubtedly Russia has her man
ready and almost as undoubtedly he
will be appointed to fill LIS place.
our interest in China, however is
purely commercial, but 1t is vital
interest. 1t must be remembered that
a number of cotton mills in the East
had to shut down during the Boxer
trouble, and that the ns-Pacihc
liners ran back and forth with only
half cargoes. Take away our Chinese
trade and we shall be in serious diff
culties. Our commercial expansion
needs the markets of the teeming pop
ulation of China and of Indo-China. 1t
is thence that we draw returns for our
surplus cottons denims, OIL Watches
clocks, lamps, hardware and so forth
Cut off this market, and where shall
We find an outlet? We cannot con-
sumo these articles ourselves, we are
already supplied. Upon the SUCCESSORS
Of Ii Hung Chang and the future for
eign policy of China depends a good
deal Of the commercial prosperity Of
the United States.