Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-07
SAYS CHINA IS
IN DEFIANT MOOD
FORMER RESIDENT OF EMPIRE
TELLS OF CONDITIONS
Asserts Russias Influence over chi-
nese Has Been Shattered by Vic.
tory Of Jspanese--Aooepts
Japan's Advances

"Russia's influence over China has
been shattered by her defeat at the
hands of Japan and China is in a de-
fant mood, accepting Japan's adj
vances, but only as temporary meas
ure to enable her to acquire knowl-
edge to be used against the hated white
races first and then to be turned
mining and financial editor of the
Transvaal Critic of johannesburg,
South Africa, yesterday when asked
about the situation in China at the
present day. Mr.. Best was for two
years 81 special correspondent for the
European press in China and in addi-
ton was for many years in the service
of the Chinese government. For the
present Mr.. Best is located in Los An
geles. His statements in regard to
present day conditions in China fol-
lows:
''Although China was severely de-
feated by japan in 1895. they attribute
their defeat to their lack of knowledge
of modern methods of warfare, and in
truth, in my opinion. there are many
sound grounds for this view.
&. Ruled by Foreigners
"It is mainly due to foreigners in
China that 1t still remains a despotic
form of government. China is at pres
ent ruled by foreign dynasty, the
Manchu The great Taeping rebellion
of the sixties which was so successful
until crushed by Chinese armies under
foreign officers was one of the many
attempts made by the Chinese to free
themselves from their Manchu rulers.
There have been number of abortive
attempts since, all promptly suppressed,
due, as the Chinese reform party be-
lieves, to the opposition of foreigners
to their cause. They have now turned
to Japan for support and are getting it,
although the Japanese government
would doubtless repudiate fostering
sedition to the Chinese government.
with reference to the Taeping re-
bellion, an American named Ward Or
ganized the Chinese Ever Victorious
army, as it was called, and who led it
to victory until he lost his life in the
work and was succeeded by Gordon. 1t
is most unfair that all the credit was
given to General Gordon, who only
finished what General Ward began.
''As to the reason for the opposition
to the Chinese reform party by foreigh-
ers in China, the secret is this: AS a
reform party they receive the SYM
rathy and support of the foreigners,
but the foreigners wish to see the re-
forms brought about through the
agency of the Chinese government so
that there may be no disturbance of
trade.
Might Endanger Loans
Further, a change of government in
china would not only involve a period
of chaos there similar to that which
Russia is now passing through, but
would also endanger the payment of
foreign loans, which now amount to
many millions of dollars.
The Chinese reform party, however,
whose leaders are the best educated
men of the empire and who occupy
many of the highest positions in the
government keeping their affiliations
with the reform party a secret, see no
hope of real reform with the Manchu
in office and would sweep them away.
"It would be extremely easy for the
United States to demand and get salts
faction for the deaths of the United
States citizens who were murdered re-
Gently by insurrectionists. A large
cash indemnity could be demanded and
obtained, which might be paid to the
relatives of the murdered persons, or
in the event they refused the money
it might be given to the missions to
which the slain missionaries belonged.
Collect Customs Money
'To enforce collection the United
States government could place men at
all of the custom houses of the prov
ince and as fast as customs money
was collected it would be handed over
to the United States.
China is bound to break up into the
individual provinces. When the gov
ernment is finally overthrown, as event.
ually 1t must be. the provinces, the peo-
pie of which all speak different Ian
guages, and have nothing in common
whatever, will form small separate
Kingdoms.
People of each province in China
have nothing in common with their
neighbors in the next province, and
they all hate and detest one another.
With the fall of the imperial govern
ment there will be nothing to cement
the various provinces together and
they must split into tiny principalities.
ut is extremely difficult to gain an
insight into the real disposition of the
Chinese mind. The natural impulse of
a Chinese is to dissemble in regard to
his real views on the subject of the
government. and it is only after long
and intimate acquaintance that he will
open his heart and tell you exactly
what his opinions are.
During the course of the 81 years
/ was in China / made many friends
upon whom l could rely for accurate
ibApi Ht IlpDt VI the
party is to drive the hated foreigner
out of China. and the general belief is
that If this were done the overthrow of
the reigning dynasty would be compar-
atively easy This is, no doubt, true as
the foreign element I'm China has al
ways supported the imperial govern
ment for selfish reasons.
Chinese Ambitious
"The Chinese people believe. since
the subjugation of Russia by Japan,
that they could conquer all Europe, for
Russia has always been regarded as
the strongest power on earth. In view
of the attempted massacres in Peking
in 1900, 1t behooves the European ma
tions and the United States to look well
to the safety of their subjects in China.
THE attempted boycott of American
products by China was farce, and at
no time did 1t possess any real mean
ing. The American trade with China
is enormously on the increase, and the
market which is as yet undeveloped,
is tremendous possibility for Ameri-
can products"