Evening star., 1905-08-20
THE EVOLUTION OF CHINA.

The signs that China is awakening to the
| responsibilities that are crowding upon her
are manifold. That she no
| Cn1na longer refuses ITO take up
Awakening. the white mans burden" is
manifested by the treaty
| concluded at Shanghai with the United
| States on the sth of October. 1903. "to ex-
| tend further commercial relations and
! otherwise promote the interests OF the peo-
| ples OF the two countries In view of the pro-
visions Of the flrst paragraph of article Nj
| of TIE final protocol signed at Pekins on the
| 7th day of September. 1901
Article VII of the treaty declares: THE
Chinese government. recognizing that 1t is
| advantageous for the country to develop its
mineral resources and that 1t is desirable to
attract foreign as well as Chinese capital.
will permit citizens Of the United States to
carry on In Chinese territory mining opera
tions and other necessary business relating
thereto. provided they comply with the new
regulations and conditions which will be
imposed by China on its subjects and for
eigners alike relating to the opening OF
mines"
China, thus aroused from the sleep Of
ages, now prepares for the struggle for Hfe
The United States manifestly must have
and hold a particular interest in China.
whilst Japan dominating Korea and Man
churia. will aspire TO extend her sphere
OF influence" to China. Japan will attract
and endeavor to control European and
American capital. to exploit not her own re-
sources, which are meager. but those OF
China. which are vast and almost limitiess.
To maintain and develop her newly found
power. Japan aims to dominate China and
thus becomes the natural rival OF the occi-
dent of the United States particularly. SELL
Ing us everything. buying from US nothing.
The maintenance Of the territorial integ
Tity Of China may be declared in the proto-
col Of peace at Portsmouth
AoIfatoflaA II there may be such peace
Integrity. but the letter OF the treaty
counts for little IL the spirit
Is wanting. fact amply illustrated by the
violation of the treaty of Shimonoseki.
executed by Russia and Japan in 1895. by
which the Independence and autonomy OF
Korea were solemnly guaranteed. guar
antee which Korea at this moment is asking
the United States In vain to assure.
On the other hand. we are told that Japan
Is in favor OF the "Open door, in the orient
lin China What fools we mortals be- -
The open door, forsooth 1t appears that
the futility of an open door has never oc-
CURED to the occidental, for when Japan
shall have fairly begun the exploitation OF
the far east with occidental capital. which
she may obtain at will, the exploitation OF
the varied industries OF Korea. Manchuria
and China will be effected with labor at 10
cents day. How, may it not be asked,
can the occidental utilize an open door un-
der such manifest disparity OF conditions?
The boycott, which has been widely
cepted as directed solely against American
commerce in China, appears to be waged
likewise against European commerce. and,
it should be added cyncaily. against British
commerce, heretofore cited in the pro-
test OF the seventy or more directors of
British trading houses in Chinas to Lord
LansdOWne, the importance OF which has
since been accentuated by the information
that the boycott has extended to Nagasax
fact which must have been the subject of
curious consideration and reflection by the
British minister for foreign affairs
The present Chinese dynasty. Ta-ching-
cho-great pure dynasty-dates from
16l4. The famous and
enina powerful Empress Dow
Government. ager Tzu-hsi is the ma
ternal aunt of the EN-
peror kuang-tisu. Tzu-hsi by some mys-
terious influence not yet explained by
those who affect familiarity with Chinese
puzzles still controls the destinies of
China.
The supreme direction of affairs of the
empire is vested in the chun Chi chu. the
privy or grand council. The administra
ton IS under the QlTecllOn OF the nel-RO,
or cabinet, comprising four members, two
Chinese and two Manchu. There are also
two assistants from the Han-Gn, or great
college. whose duties are to that
there Is no infraction of the civil and re-
Ngious laws of the empire as contained
in the Ia ing hwei-tien and the sa
cred books of Confucius. These are the
ministers of state, the ia -hsio-s shin. Under
them are placed the eight boards known
as papu, thus: Civil affairs revenue,
rites. military, public works justice, for
eign affairs and commerce.
Besides the aforegOing there is the tu-
h'a-yuen, or board of public censors, com
posed of forty to fifty members with two
presidents. the one Manchu, the other Chi
nese.
The tungli yamen. or foreign office,
created in 1851. was superseded in 1900 by
foreign affairs office now called wal
wu-pu. with Prince Ching as president
and four secretaries-office which takes
precedence over all others.
Each Of the eighteen provinces which
constitute China proper Is ruled by
governor, or governor general. who Is re-
sponsible to the emperor The governor
general is assisted by council and each
province is subdivided into departments.
and each department into districts.
The Statesmans Year Book for 1905
gives the following table Of the partici-
patton OF trade with China during 1903.
Id LmpS5ts JSs =. y asports, 1ss os5
Hong Kong ........ 1876 $40 45a SAFES. eos
Ind,a, E"Tor. ssssSsSs s s4.s1s s7s G4s
United States.....-.--., 2osI,S!S ls'o&s.i iio
Japan .-.-'...-.'- % sss sss 81 sa1 ,o777 ss7
The United States imports into China and
exports from that country during the years
ended June go according to United States
statistics, In United States dollars, were
as follows:
Year. TO Z y From O s.