Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-18
Clear, CRISP AND CLEAN
MoNGoLIAN UNREST

* 0 intense has been the interest OF
Americans in local affairs during
~ the past month or so that many
of us have lost sight of the internal
troubles which have been rending the
Chinese empire. For some time past
conditions in that country have been
ominous. The brief occasional news
dispatches emphasize the imminence OF
q revolutionary uprising of great pro-
portions. Throughout the entire do
main there is a growing spirit of un-
rest. The people do not quite under
stand what they want nor do they ap-
pear to recognize the motive that is i'm
pelIing them to demand some change in
the existing form of government. But
that. the regime will be overturned in
the course of time practically all COM
petent observers agree. Whether that
time is near or remote none can tell.
The influence of Japan, whose des-
tinies are on the ascendant, undoubt-
edly has been potential in bringing the
Chinese people to their political senses
Within a short period the Chinese have
seen their eastern neighbors arise and
drive from northern China people
hitherto believed to be possessed of
tremendous power as nation. Man
churia, once a part of the empire of
China, stealthily taken from her by
Russia, fell into the hands of Japan
through the fortunes of war. One great
Chinese problem now appears to be
1,
lost as the result of first century
methods of warfare and first century
diplomacy.
China, somnolent for centuries, is be-
ginning to take account of her tremen-
dous latent strength. If Japan can be
reincarnated in so brief a space of time
as half century, argues the vast Mon
golian empire why can not China, with
her teeming millions. her resources
unbounded. prove to the world that her
spirit of progress is not dead?
For the first time in Chinese history
a new word has crept into her vocabu-
larry. 1t is the term constitution" 1t
has unfolded itself like great guerdon
uplifting itself just beyond the possi-
bility of immediate attainment, but not
unattainable nevertheless. The great
ness of the American commonwealth,
with it's constitution is the model which
thousands of enlightened Chinese de-
sire to emulate The throne has vir-
tua1ly promised constitutional form of
government, but the mere promise does
not appease the multitude. They want
a constitution, not a promise of con-
stitution
For the first time in her long and
drowsy history China is now giving
some evidence of being an impetuous
nation. Propinquity may have some-
thing to do with it. At any rate the
three-eyed peacock feather has been set
trembling; the mandarin has visions of
an innocuous existence in a tea arbor;
the soi-disant author of the "open
door Is gazing across the Japan sea
listening for'the crash that viii notify
him and the rest of the world that the
door has been torn from it's hinges, that
the Great Wall has been razed, that
China has become free.
China may not be ready for repre-
sentative government, as many OBJ
servers declare. A constitution-at
least the first constitution-may be as
mysterious and inoomprehensible a
thing to the average Chinese as the
referendum is to the absolutists of
America, But on one point most men
who have watched the progress of
events in the empire for the past few
months are agreed: Nothing short of
the overturning of the Manchu dynasty
will satisfy the great mass of the sub
jects of the dowager empress.
Revolution is in the air. 1t may be
arrested from day to day and from
month to month, but the inevitable
must happen. The Chinese people have
taken their own measure and they
know their own strength.