The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-26

pronounced to be harmless. was not ike
1y to return to her official post Wlthou.
new ideas on the invuinerability OF oinc e
residences. Whatever the bulk OF = h1nes %
peasantry might think touching the COW
ardice and heiplessness OF the o. e eAse.
devils" she al least recognized on tnsir
side a power with which she would nave
in the future to reckon; and whlle Enc
might share with others Of her race q cor
dial distaste for white mans domlnat'on
IN China she was equally convinced that
the white man can be fought only with the
white mans weapon and that there.ote
China must steadily work toward high
or level Of material. II not intellectual or
moral civilization.
To March with Her People
Fer violent veto to the reform plans OF
the Emperor In 1898 sprang not SO muca
from her innate Chinese conversation as
from a profound statesmanllke apprecia-
lion OF the fact that reform so sweeping
as had been planned would be followed oy
a corresponding reaction. 1t was her duty.
she argued to march with her people; not
too far In advance OF them.
ANY one who has seen the China OF le6o
and has been able to compare II win t.le
China OF day cannot but note the I'M
,nensc Observation-Disclosures speaking Il Ana
Tat the same time knowing the great
movers which have been welded ny thls
little Bismarck In pett!coats II Wouio pe y
wholly unfair not to credit her with q iu'i
sha re in the good work that has been Done ''
during her reign-or dom!nion-or what
ever word is best fitted to describe an as
tendency so complete.
The great power she has ever exer r'e'1 IS
owing, OF course, mainly to her own IN nate IA
force OF Will and capacty for work. p 'n y
wa. fortunate in having no serious rivals ~ a.
IN her field Prince kunE was OF a s'o eIi'
full and pleasure loving nature. ana cheer-
fully allowed the energetlc Empress
mother to indulge her passion ror VS." 'osr ga a.
passion which distinguished her pre-e''iA-
nently.
Lookjnq Back Over History
1.ootinr back over Chinese history OF the
-, :. ,ls century we can but wonder that
,,s+ en- Ire held together under the re-
heated blows which 1t received. That 't
aid together even tolerabl,' we'll remains
&C /, monument to the energy and the sense
of this lady. 3
In 1861 the TAPPING rebellion, which had
risen in 1850. was still a menace to the Pekln
government, particularly in conjunction
With the European wars of 1858 ana lseo.
The TAPPING Emperor held court at Nam
Tin and his forces were plunderins and
iktllIng up and down the valley OF the
iyangtse. Even as late as 1915, when
annlied for a pass to travel In the interior
az China, i had to promise the Chinese
authorities tl1atI would have no dealings
with the rebels. and this sixteen yeara
= "a r the outbreak of the rebellion!
Tn Yunnan province on the edges OF
Tibet and Burmah, there had broken 4out
In 1856 a serious Mohammed an2insurrectlon,
which along, with the TAPPING ana the
foreign invasions kept the Pekln q dminls-
stration pretty busy, at least with plans TOT
future residence in case a ny one OF sthe =
troubles should affect Pekin palace N
the general condition Of lelpiessn ess ana
3imbec!lity that permeated ofhclal Ch - = =
the little Empress Regent saw her oppor-
tuntty and compelled obedience even
among those who read IN Confuclu's ma! many
ia ra graphs intended TO discourage "oino 1
from leaving tho nursery.
In 1894 the TAPPING rebellion closeas ny
the capture Of Nankin and the suiclde g
tho Pretender, In 1879 the hlonafnn'leuan
mnr,sinr. which had spread immensely
since 1913, came W sAiA SiiNA' ~ -, -
sultan soliman poisoned himself and MS
hend was brought In triumph to Pekln.
while was In China the last OF the RED
ala on the Turkestan border We're being
dispersed. X
Educated In 6tatecraft
For the first twenty-slx years OF her
life at court she had been receiving the
rare education which comes from discuss
ing and carrying on measures Tor INV
safety Of a State In extreme danger, she
had had ample opportunity before heF
1 ccess,on to actual dominion In 1851 70
measure the relative feebleness OF the
diferent officials who pretended TO help.
the government, and she must have been
wax indeed. IL she did not draw courage
from the complete breakdown OF the REM
e1les proposed by legislators whose only
Enowledge of the world was represented
nv thousands OF secondhand maxlms
memorlzed parrot fashion from the So
called classics, isi
one must have lived In China to APP
nraciate the huge task that this, little
Ismnrass has accompllshed-the task OF
holdine the country together, of holding
a. bay the nations of Europe who have
baen persistently urging upon her reforms
that might endanger her throne by pre-
dcipltating civil war
IN 1873, when kwang Stu was 9years old.
the Emperor Tung Chi ascended the
throne, and Immediately was made to feel
he force az the lady's ham. For In 1874
he proposed to restore the famous Sum
a. u. T. 4 h|xr, H. str,Nr ral la