Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-03-05
CHINA NEARING
GREAT CRISIS
EMPIRE NOW ON THE VERGE
OF REVOLUTION
News of Degradation and Imprison.
ment of Favorite of Dowager En-
press Fraught With Utmost
Significance


Captain A. w. Best of this city, for
merly of the Chinese navy, and for
many years connected with the GUS
toms service, speaking Of conditions
in China at present said yesterday:
"About week ago one of the local
papers published a cable dispatch from
Pekin which presaged the death of the
empress dowager, but one which prob
ably passed under the notice of all the
public as an item of little import.
"If the public here failed to grasp
the Importance Of the news referred to,
it is not to be blamed, as probably
rot one foreigner in China knew what
1T meant. And that is the reason why
one at a distance from that seething
empire and holding the secret code can
readily read the course Of events and
certain consequent developments. The
code referred to is a knowledge of the
factors controlling Chinese intrigue and
the Chinese character.
Significance of Report
"The news item was that the favorite
palace eunuch had been degraded and
imprisoned on an island IN the lake in
the forbidden city.
"If correct, this was tantamount to
the announcement of the death of the
empress dowager and revolution in
China, involving the massacre of hum
dreds of thousands of Chinese and the
necessity of the withdrawal of all for
eigners from the interior during the
chaotic interval which must ensue UNI
til some form of order is restored.
The question is: Was the above news
item correct? Subsequent events have
given confirmation of the message, for
it has been followed by reports of the
death of the empress dowager.
rryilI n
the reading of this particular news
paragraph by the use of the code.
1.-THE eunuch referred to is not
eunuch at all and has for many years
been virtually the dictator of Chinese
affairs. no appointment being made to
any of the higher offices without his
approval and consent.
Virtually Dictator
'The empress dowager, from being
one of the inferior concubines of pre-
vious emperor, has by virtue o. in
trigue and her consummate ability, sue
ceeded in raising herself to absolute
control of the government of China; in
like manner the alleged eunuch has
risen to a position which enabled him
to dictate through her.
'"This man, when a boy, was intro
duced into the palace as one OF the
male attendants, and since that date
the empress dowager and has been
protected by her great influence. Hence
It was that every Chinese official seek
ing high office purchased the good will
of this man preparatory to obtaining
the office sought, and continued to pay
from time to time huge sums into his
private treasury, which he again
shared with the empress, his paramour.
Means Revolution
Tyn1II6
consent to his being degraded and i'm
prisoned, consequently the story, if
true, meant the downfall of the en-
press from control over the govern
ment. Her fall means her death, her
death means a revolution and revolu-
ton means chaos, in view of the multi
plicity of candidates for supreme
power and the lack of one sufficiently
strong to at once step into the vacant
seat of absolute control.
"The son of Prince Tuan was selected
as future emperor on previous occa-
sion, and steps were being taken to
remove the present emperor by slow
poison. Through foreign influence the
operation was prevented just in time
to save his life. Hence the bitter en-
nifty of Prince Tuan. one of the leaders
in the Boxer outbreak of 1900, to all
foreigners and everything foreign.
Prince Tuan boasted that he would
of the tanned skins of foreign devils.
He did not succeed in 1900 in carrying
out his purpose. Since then his son
has been, through foreign influence, set
on one side as future emperor of China.
prince Tuan would have been the
real emperor, as his son is a minor,
and it may be realized that consequent
~ Prince Tuan is not converted into
an advocate for foreign influences.
typical of Chinese Conditions
what is happening now to the
Chinese commission in this country
and which is embarrassing the railway
and other officials charged with their
care, namely, their falling out with
each other, so that they have already
split into two parties and are reported
to be about to divide up into four or
more, is typical of what is happening
in China.
',rhe danger of the situation in China
is united foreign action, though COM
mon action is wanted to keep the
Chinese struggle within bounds, and
to hasten the final settlement of the
affairs of that large and important
portion of the world.
GAS the above paragraph may appear
ambiguous, or contradictory, will try
to explain.
'If the foreign powers attempt a
repetition of their course in 1900, and
send forces to be united under one
command and operate together, it will
result in European conflict and total
failure to coerce China into order. In
fact, it will render the situation
worse.
"What is required is a common I'M
Outstanding among the foreign powers
as to the area in which each will oper-
ate with it's forces, and what action