The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-23
DEFENSE, NOT DEFIANCE
AMERICAN WHO HOLDS A HIGH PO- SETON IN CHINESE FOR-
 EIGN SERVICE
Says the Chinese Army and Navy are Being Put Into Condition to Pro- tect the Country, but no Fear Need be Entertained of Any
 Agsressive Policy.

Agsressive Policy. Victoria. B. C., Special to The Times Democrat.
 W. A. F. Martin. D. D. LIA D.. lately President of the Imperial Norwegian College at Picking and confidential ad- wiser to the Tsung u Yamen of Chinese Foreign Office upon foreign and inter national law, arrived in this city few days ago from China en route to his home at Audubon, N. Y. While here he spoke at length upon Chinese affairs. If the Japanese faithfully carry out their pledge and return Manchuria to China" he said. Tit is highly unlikely that China will ever again allow en- croachment upon her territory without recourse to war. It is doubtful. indeed, if any power will again be permitted to take Chinese territory as 1t has been taken fin the past.
 Tt is only in Chintung, where Ger man influence is growing rapidly, that a covert danger of this kind exists. The Germans are running a network of railways through the province and are developing it's rich resources. German influence is very strong, the subjects of William the Sudden always referring to the district as German China But if Germany were to assert claim to the province trouble would undoubtedly arise forthwith.
 The Germans in China appear to be especially antagonistic to the British but It Is to be hoped that Great Britain will maintain the sphere on the Yangtse | and continue the open door policy that | now prevails there.
 By the advice of Chang Chi Tung. | China was on the point of Joining Japan | against Russia after the first successes | of Japanese arms, and would certainly have done so but for foreign insistence upon the maintenance by China of strict neutrality. There are few people who know how very near China was to throwing her lot with Japan shortly after the initiation of the present war
 Tn fact. If Chang Chi Tang could have had his way China would have at once mobilized what soldiers could be raised. Indeed. this was done. Gen. erai Ma, as will be remembered, hav- ing been sent to the vicinity of the great wall. just without the William paIisade bordering Manchuria. ready
 for any eventuality. But Chang Chi
 Tang was overruied. Foreign infiuenct
 was brought to bear upon China, with
 Great Britain and America leading tho
 movement, to force China to maintain
 neutrality,
 Chang Chi Tung since then has been
 constantly engaged with military
 tors are actively transforming the na
 tive troops. All the soldiers of Chang Chi Tung have been clad in new uni forms, and the police even of the prov
 ince have been garbed in military uni
 forms after the manner of the police o
 Japan.
 "Yuan shin Kai in Pechili agrees witt
 the work Chang Chi Tung is doing ir
 the two Kuang provinces on tn, Yangtse, and when the work being car
 ried on by these Viceroys is complet,
 China will have an army and a navy
 that will be quite capable of defending China.
 "A large number of Japanese drill in
 structors have been engaged. arms ar,
 being secured. arsenals founded, new
 guns of modern styles are being pur
 chased abroad. while hundreds of can.
 non are being cast in the arsenal estab
 llshed by Chang Chi Tung--at first foi the purpose of molding steel raiis--a
 Hanyang, on the Yangtse. near FIanka
 "A board for the formation of a nav,
 modelled on the Japanese naval system has been formed. Prince Pu Tun, whC
 represented China at the St. Louis Ex position. is said to have been tn,
 originator of the scheme to make a new
 navy for China, but it is all a part o
 Chang Chi Tung's grand scheme tt
 make China once again a power in tn,
 East.
 "The modernization of China's arm,
 and navy Is already we'll begun, and |
 will ever remain an agency of defense not defiance.' The expansion idea fnd , no lodgment in the Chinese mind. Tn,
 yellow peril in this connection is a mer, , chimera.
 China Is not an aggressive nation , It's forces will defend the country, bu there Is no danger of them attemptinl
 to invade another land at any time"