Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-13
REFORM PARTY
WINS IN CHINA
GREAT CHANGES TO BE MADE
IN GOVERNMENT
Celestial Worshlpers Of the Past De-
eide to Try Modern Methods Of
Governing and Council
Will BE Appointed
lsv Associated Press.

BY ASSOClateu ITeBS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. ia cumpre-
hensive review of the remarkable
change that is taking place I'm China
as a result of the promulgation of the
recent decree reorganizing the Chinese
government Is supplied to the state de-
partment by Edward T. Williams,
Chinese secretary to the American lega-
ton at Pellin.
Reciting the orders for the forma-
ton of the two commissions which
were to deal with reform projects, Mr.
Williams says that for over month
past these commissions have been
holding daily sessions wherein two
strong parties have been struggling
for leadership. one bent on securing
a liberal government on modern lines
and the other determined that there
shall be no departure from the tradi-
tions of the fathers.
So far as 1t has gone their report is a
compromise, but many valuable feat
ures are retained.
Particularly worthy of note are the
abandonment of the scheme for a cab
met and the proposed consolidation of
the council of customs affairs with the
new board of finance, probably because
of foreign opposition to further in
terference with the customs adminis-
tration.
Dead Hand weighs Heavily
The edct itself says that the great
difficulty which has been encountered
lin the reform movement is worship
of the past" for nowhere does the dead
hand weigh more heavily upon the liv-
ing than in China, and the first essen
tial to success in any new movement
is to show either that 1t is not an in
novation or at least that it is not hos
tile to the spirit of the fathers.
The chief feature in the edict is the
manifest endeavor to approach the ideal
of lone man, one office" Equally i'm
portant is the abolition of the useless
multiplication of officers, and with the
exception of the board of foreign re-
lations, whose composition cannot be
changed without permission from the
powers, there will henceforth be only
one head to each of the governing
boards. Some of the old designations
are quite obsolete and the titles have
been modernized. The board of punish
ments was never fully described in the
title. 1t will now be called the board of
law, corresponding with our depart
ment of justice.
While the time is not ripe for the es-
tablishment of a parliament, a par
tial substitute is afforded by the ap-
pointment of a council "to assist in
government" which is to become the
mouthpiece of the people though they
are not permitted to nominate or elect
it's members. The censorate is retained
as terror to corrupt incompetent Of
ficials. The press is yet in its infancy
in China and is said to be characterized
by such venality as to make it unwise
to give 1t a full measure of liberty.
Some obsolete institutions have been
abolished or incorporated with other
boards such as the court of sacrificial
worship" "the court of imperial en-
tertainment," "the court of state cere-
monial," all of whose functions have
been taken over by the board of
rights" and the court of the imperial
stud" which has been taken over by
the board of the army.
Reform Work Being Continued
Mr.. Williams calls attention to the
fact that the commissioners are con-
tinuing their work of reform and the
report forming the basis of the edict
already issued is but partial. The pro-
vincial civil service is now receiving at
tention, and this is said to be a greater
task than that already completed.
In conclusion Mr.. Williams says:
ION the whole the edict must be re-
garded as marking one of the most
important epochS in the history of
China, and while the sanguine will un-
doubtedly be disappointed in the re-
suit there seems no reason to doubt
that the desire of the throne and of