Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-13
/. Central Government Will Do All it Can to
Protect Foreigners.
PRESENT SrUA1lo1 is NOT PLEASANT
Matters Must Change in Reference TO
Administration Of Laws,
BRITISH CARTOONS CAUSE SOME FRICTION
CamDaiGn Arguments over Chinese In
TransvaaI Create Excitement when
They Are Reproduced In
Celestial Empire.

PEKINo, May I2-(special Cablesram to
The Bee)-Tsen Chun Shuan, the viceroy'
saws he can and no reason for the exag-
gerated fears with which the world has
Deen regarding China for some time past.
In this vast empire, with its crude meth
DDS of police it's deplorable administration
OF justice, it's national Ignorance and the
creduIity of its people. local disturbances
may occur at any time, but there is no
reason for apprehension that the position Of
foreigners In China is more insecure than
at any time during the last fifty years
In each of the four disturbances occurring
IN the last year at LAen Chau, Chand Pu,
Shanghai and Nan Chang the causes were
purely local. In the first case e1nity had
existed for years, and the district Is no
toriously unfriendiy and infested with
smuRRlera and bandits. In Chang Pu the
cause was an indiscreet action on the part
of two Spanish priests. No lives were lost'
and the officials, both military and civil,
acted we'll and have since been thanked
by the British authorities. while full repa-
ration has already been made In the
Nan Chang case the governor OF the prov
lnce was dismissed from office and the pro-
vinoiaI Judge was suspended Immediately
on the receipt by the throne of the report
of IAand Tun Yen, the customs taotai at
Tien Tsin, who was sent to investigate the
circumstances OF the outbreak.
The general condition of the country IS
not unsatisfactory. Kwang 81 province
which formerly was the seat of perennial
rebellion is more peaceful and prosperous
than Il has been for many years; trade Is
satisfactory. the customs revenue last year
was by far the largest on record, whether
,.it be estimated in silver or gold. ana the
postal service is working uninterruptedly
throughout the entire empire.
European papers condemn the CRY OF
"China for the Chinese" but surely be-
tokening as 1t does the awakening OF
nationality. the movement is one requiring
guidance and announcement and not un-
measured condemnation. One need only re-
cali the severity with which the foreign
powers devastated this province in 1900
10 arinR onas Judgment 10 a more cor
rect balance, and one need only remember
the Eross injustice OF 30 many or the
indemnity claims which China is now pay
ing, especially the outrageous claims for
railway damage, 10 consider II not un-
reasonable that China should desire to
purchase its own railways.
There is no point of comparison be-
tween the present situation in China and
that proceeding the Boxer outbreak. for
the Chinese government cannot conoeivaely
have any sympathy with the anti-foreign
vnovement. China has everything TO gain
by keeping at peace with foreigners. and
this n knows The slightest disturbance
Causes IL profound embarrassment and
alarm A whole army OF missionaries and
travellers Is on the watch for the smallest
syrnptom premonitory Of danger. Before
the Boxer trouble the tendency was 70 dis
regard evidence and to minimize insecur-
ity: now the tendency, quite natural, is
% sxagEorats suspicion Travellers are
moving sll over the empire with a sense
of security that disproves the stories about
unrest in the interior. The agents OF the
American and British Bible societies and
missionaries of the China Inland mission
ali send favorable reports. Colonel Win
gate the able director OF our excellent In
tellixence department, has just concluded
an extensive journey Of some months dur
alton In Honan and Hupot. and has every
where been we'll treated. Most favorable
also are the reports from the postal cour
fers, who conduct now a wonderfully oele
brated service throughout even the mos
distant provinces
While the attitude of the government
shows no sympathy with any anti-toreigI
movement. It would be idle to deny tina
some features Of the present situation ar
bradlad nature OF the newborn nativ'
press the journals OF which are mostl!
published In the treaty posts and guide'
largely by ths students with a smatterini
OF education from Japan, assisted by ir
responsible japanese. Several Of the wors
ihnammatory papers are registered unde
japanese protection There Is an urgen
necessity that the powers should ooneer
with Japan to assist China to draft an
enforce press laws. Not all the papers
however. are had. Some Of them are goo
and have had a beneficial effect in con
trIbutinE TO the growth OF a TeasOnabl
public opinion. but the general tone is anti
foreign and even the best are remarkabl
iunccurate.
= -lts publication In the native papers OF tn
Y ant-slaVsry South African election charge
has had a deplorable effect, while the pub
iieatiOn OF English cartoons. showing Chi
mesa driven with whips in chains TO labor
EnGiishmen shooting in sport. and English
men torturing Chinese at the mines ca
only make Englishmen living in Chin
Eondar why retaliation Is infreauent.
Another unsatisfactory feature. due
the weakness OF the control government
a. tts failure 20 forbid the holding q If
nannmatory meetings In the central an
southern provinces. Control is enforce
bv the viceroy In this province. Anothe
failure OF the government TO punish loc'
nOtAblss implicated In promoting sue
meetings. Yet another is the frequent IN
tarefsrence OF Catholic missionaries In Il
interior IN native law suits. leading soon'
or later 20 breaches Of the peace aud a
taokS uDon the innocent
However, the position OF aiairs IN Il
mixed court. the reconstruction of whiC
since the December riots has been In Il
hands Of the diplomatic body al Peking.
gradually becoming untenable. and the a.
Tninistration OF the settlement is serious
pretucidiced. The only satisfactory soil
ton, IN accordance with precedence.
that the powers concerned should entru
the question in the FIRST instance 20
eommittes OF the consuls, who are familii
with the local news In practice. In Il
existing conditions the Chinese oficials a
CONTINUED on Second PAse)