Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-03
THE REFORM IN CHINA
Causes Assigned for the En-
press Dowager's Change.
OLD POLICY REVERSED
EDICTs FORMERLY REVOKED ARE
AGAIN ISSUED.
The Throne Surrounded by Intelligent,
Progressive and Patriotic
Viceroys.
OLD POLICY REVERSED
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and Chicago Record
Herald.
1t is the opinion of many people in China
that the remarkable change that has re-
Gently taken place in the character and the
policy of the empress dowager is due to
Mrs. Edwin H. Conger, wife of the United
States minister, and the gossips tell strange
stories of the manner in which that good
lady has acquired her influence and exer-
cised it. Mrs. Conger is Christian Scien-
fist, and very Jealous in good works. l was
told in China that for two years she has
been trying to convert the empress to that
faith, and that. with the assistance of her
sister and niece from Iowa, she has sue
ceeded in doing so. l do not know that this
is true.
Mrs. Conger and the members of her fam
lily will not discuss the subject for obvious
reasons, which, in a measure, corroborates
the story. Everybody in China knows that
Mrs. Conger is a frequent visitor at the inn
perial palace, and that she is always well
come. She calls there two or three times a
week, and remains two or three hours at
q time and is SingularIy reticent on the
subject of her visits. Whenever the ladies
of the diplomatic corps at Picking visit the
palace, as they sometimes do the empress
never fails to show partially and affection
for the wife of the American minister Mrs.
Conger bears this distinction modestly and
gracefully. and takes no advantage of the
preference which is always shown for her.
A Remarkable Change.
These facts are well known to everybody
in Picking and have been the subject of
continual comment there; hence, it Is nat
ural that the change in the disposition and
policy of her imperial majesty should be
attributed to Mrs. Congers influence. 1t is
admitted that advancing age has mellowed
heart and made her more susceptible. She
will be seventy years old this month. 1t
is also said that. the death of Jung Lu and
other vicious old reactionarieS has re-
leased her from the domination of the con-
sentative element at court and enabled the
liberal and progressive faction to bring her
around to their views of her duty. I'm
doubtedly both of these theories are more
or less true 1t is probable that the revo-
luton has been brought about by a COM
bination of the forces named and also by
realization on her part that China must
yield to the inevitable and adopt foreign
methods.
The change has certainly been very great.
The old lady has absolutely reversed herself
in her treatment of foreigners and of her
subjects who have advocated the adoption
OF foreign methods. Twenty-Five men were
beheaded or banished a few years ago by
her orders for advocating the very policy
she has recently adopted, and the edicts OF
the emperor regarding the education and
the examination of candidates for offices IN
modern sciences, which We're revoked by
her in 1898. have been reissued by her COM
mand.
One year from the first of next January
a new oToer of things goes into effect, much
more radical than any proposed by the
young emperor. All candidates for office
or promotion in office must submit to eX-
animation in what they call foreign learn
ing instead of Chinese classics. Hitherto,
if candidate was well grounded in the
moral philosophy CT Confucius, and the
yiT of ancient
been considered competent to hold any po-
sition, civil, naval or military, and TO eX-
ercise any authority. A knowledge OF navl-
cation on the part of sailor has been con-
sidered of secondary Importance, and Tor
centuries examinations of "eXpectants 1or
all branches of the imperial, provincial ana
municipal service have been conhhed 10 the
classics.
The Emperor's Attempted Reforms.
In 1898 the emperor, under the influence
of Kang Yu Wei and other progressive ao-
yfsers ordered a reform in this system A
tremendous sensation was created; the EN-
neror was accused of sacrilege, of revolu-
ton, of overturning the sacred customs Oh
ages Kang Yu Wei was sentenced to
DEATH and since February IA, 1899, re-
ward of 100000 has been offered for him,
dead or alive. AS l wrote you from Hong
Kong last summer, after an interview with
him he is a homeless, hopeless helpless
Wanderer over the face of the earth.
1t NAV not be due to Mrs. Conger and
Christian Science. 1t may not be true, as
reported. that that good lady has been go
ing to tie imperial palace twice week 10
nray with the venerable sinner who con-
trolls the lives and destinies of over 4ooooo,-
600 of people but, under some influence or
another, she has herself ADOPTED the po n,,g
an extraordinary revolution Is now going on
in THE Long-Lived Empire.
Che has also surrounded herself by In
telligent, progressive and patriotlc viceross -
a better class Of men, from our standard OF
Judgment than were ever in power IN emma
before. The following is list of them:
Chih-li-Yuan Shih-kal
Hupeh-Chang Chih-tung.
Kwang-tung (Canton)-Tsen Chun-hsuen.
Kwang-si-Wei Kuang-tsao.
Hunan-Tuan Fang.
Fukien-L Hsing-kui
Shansi-Sung Fan.
Szechuen-Hsi Liang.
'Yunan-Ting Chen To.
Hukiang-Chang Kung Pao.
The condition of the country and the dls-
position Of the people are beginning to show
the consequences of enlightened and pro-
gressive government.
The Viceroy of Chilli.
Many people consider Yuan Shih-kai the
successor of Lii Hung Chang as viceroy of
Chih-li, the metropolitan province, with his
headquarters at Tien-Tsin) as the most
promising of all the new men that have
risen in power since the Boxer troubles, and
the prediction is generally made that If the
venerable woman who now presides over the
destiny of the celestial empire outlives
Prince Ching, and continues her present
policy, Yuan will be the next prime min
lister. Yuan Is not entirely a new man, al
though he is the youngest of the viceroys
and has only recently come into promi-
nence. He belongs to one of the oldest and
most influential families in China. His IA
Their and grandfather before him were vice.