Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20


| in quantity
China Is essentially agricultural. Land
\ Is all freehold. held by families on payment
| OF tax to government. The work animals
| are oxen and buffalo and the farm imple-
| ments primitive. Wheat. barley, maize and
| miilet with pease and beans. are grown in
| the north cotton. indigo sugar and rice in
| the south: opium and silk in all sections
The mulberry tree grows everywhere Tea
| Is cultivated in the west and south.
An important feature in the development
or Chinese industries is the erection Of cot
ton mills IN Shanghai and failures for
| winding silk from cocoons in Shanrr,i
Canton and Chifu
All the eighteen provinces contain coal
/ ana emma may be regarded one OF the
greatest coal countries of the world The
Ia-fet Iron mines, in consideration of n
ioah OF 3.UO,O0o yens at 6 per cent has
oeen mortgaged to Japanese syndicate
engaging to buy from 10000 to 100 oo tons
OF ore annually during that period Mt
pIiccs already fixed till 1915. Copper ore is
p.eh.iiuI IN Yunnam. Tin and gold are
"nmeo IN Hainan and Fukien.
Inc want of a fixed monetary unit in
nina is manifested in the financial crisis
whcn Is now threatened. The copper cash
h mas noatins value of LOGO to / dollar or
naikwan tael. silver bullion or syace. being
the usual medium OF exchange
Railways like mining enterprises. are
under the control OF the board of commerce
and railway companies and UNDERTAKINGS
are subject to their regula lions.
The China American Development Com
pany' OF which Mr.. J. p Morgan controls
p.,,, the majority of stock, holds
concession for the con-
concession. struction of the Canton
Hankow railway. for the
surrender OF which China has offered the
American Company $7.O00.OOO Mr.. Morgan
desires to sell, but King Leopold. a stock
holder, Is opposed. The Chinese are re-
ported as anxious to buy 1t back in order
to complete it themselves. An article in
the New York Journal of Commerce of
August IL. entitled American Prestige in
.he gar East. warns the State Department
in the following language: I've confess
our inability to see how the prestige Of the
United States In the far east or elsewhere
Is to be advanced by keeping this question
open. So far as American influence In
China Is concerned the mischief was done
when controlling majority Of the stock
or the American-China Development Com
pany was sold to the avowed agent Of the
syndicate headed by the King of the Bel
gians. The attitude OF the Chinese toward
the corporation will remain one of fixed
suspicion and distrust, and il can hardly
be to the advantage of American prestige
In the far east to have such company
build a railway for China against the ex-
press desire and proved readiness of the
Chinese to do 1t for themselves
Like Caesars wife. Americas good name
in China must be held high and above sus-
piston.
The lesson of the Boxer rebellion was
cruel. China. May %, 1901, agreed to pay
20 the powers 4oo,ooo,ooo taels for injuries
Inflicted. the powers consisting of Austria
Hungary. Belgium, France, Germany. Great
| Britain. Italy, Japan. the Netherlands.
Russia and the United States
On the other hand the lesson of that re-
bellion brought about a much needed re-
form in the matter of the military or
| ganization. inspired indeed by Ii Hung
Chang but executed by his SUCCESSOR Gen.
Yuan Lie Kwal actually the riccroy OF
Pechili. The nominal central authority
| for the military organiza ton of the empire
| Is the newly established Lien Ping Chu or
army organization office. The historic
longer as an army. The bannermen are
recruited for service in or other
of the newly founded corps. but there IS
no obligatory service for them in these
ranks. The Lu Yung or army OF the Green
Standard" Che Chinese are opposed TO the
Manche or Banner troops) has similarly
no further existence as a lighting force.
\ X
Both these forces are in process of for
nation. The Pei Yang morthern army.
composed of the troops In
Military the province of Pechill
Development. and including those of
Shantuns, numbers 10000
The Nam Yang, or southern army, under
the viceroys at Nan kung and WI Chang.
does not possess the degree of cohesion
visible in the northern forces, and its num-
bers are difficult TO gauge with any pre-
cisfon. They possibly reach 5000.
Progress is undoubtedly being made in
creating a fighting force. but there is a
complete dearth of officers, and vast sums
of money are misappropriated IN the pur-
chase of materials.
Japan destroyed or captured the Chinese
navy In 1894. The Chen Hal and the Kang
Chi alone remained. A French engineer
has reorganiZed the arsenal at Fuchou and
| a torpedo gunboat is actually III hand there.
The Chinese government has of late years
established naval and military colleges and
torpedo schools. with foreign instruction. in
connection with the different arseTals at
Teintsin, Marking, Shanghai and Fuchou.
The Manchus enjoy considerable privileges
above those allowed the Chinese The vice
roys of the provinces have no command or
authority over Manchu armies commanded
by Manchu generals.
A general who commanded in Picking in
formed a European officer that he COM
manded l0oC0 men, but the European dis
covered that he actually commanded but
800! His method was common to China.
He received the money TO pay. feed and
cothe 10000 men. If his army was to be
inspected he hired coolies at 200 cash. about
| to cents day to appear on parade. This
was perfectly well known to the inspecting
port that he had inspected the army and
found it in perfect order.
Gen. Yuan Sic Kwa the vceroy, is a
marked exception to this class. The writer
! knew him intimately during the two years
| of his official residence in Seoul, Korea
| OSST-s9). when Yuan then H. l. NJ. Chi
nese resident.
Yuan was returned to China in 1898, and
after serving with gailantry as division
commander he was appointed viceroy of
Pechili, to succeed Ii Hung Chang In No
vember, 1901. Pechili, with its population
OF u 900 inha bitants, is an important post
1t includes the ports of Tong-ku and Tien-
tsn, and thus guards the gateways to the
capital and the avenues TO the throne
China found man and master in the la te
Ii Hung Chang, who, devoted to the old
order of things controlled the destinies of
his country with wonderful ability The
moment is approaching when China in
process of evolution, will require a leader a
patriot and a soldier. When that hour ar
rives Gen. Yuan Sic kwai may have occa-
sion to take the part to which destiny may
have assigned him IN the consolidation of
the forces of his country under the cry of
China for the Chinese which is not pre-
cisely the present program of the mikado.
CHI. CHAILI- E-LONG.