The sun., 1908-08-09
NOTES FROM THE FAR EAST.
Recent Observations by q IfaveiieF N0fti
Of tho Great wall.

, OF tho Great Wali.
. MUKDEN, July ia good deal Of surprise
4 and wondeTment have been excited In Pekin
| over Sir Walter Hilyers appointment 40 ex-
| pert adviser to the Chinese Government.
| Hilyer was born In Chins Of English parents
and u learned slnologue. Ii Hung Chang
once said that no spoke and wrote Chinese
| as well as the most highly ed unated Mandarin.
| On that account he 10 nanifestly suitable
| man for the Chinese. but no ono claims that
he has had any financial or legal experience.
and these are the branches In which China is
needing help. Unless she gets II Of first olass
quality all her efforts at reform and her striv-
ings at improvement will -be worse than
useless. ....
The Britain In Pekin pretend to know
nothing about the influences which secured
Sir Walters appointment. They also claim
to know nothing as to what he is supposed
to advise the Chinese about. and great interest
is therefore felt concerning what he may be
called upon to guide the Grand Council. the
meetings Of which he Is attending in the
palace precincts.
To many II appears that the Chinese have
az usual Just missed what thsy are aiming
at. and this is what they have been doing for
the last half century. No reform Is genuine
and no effort made by them 10 sustained OF
we'll directed. II is conceded by all who are
not English that the Chinese Government
could not have selected an adviser from any
nation more ensrossed In suokins out the
real life blood Of the country than is England.
The truth OF this win be recognised whom the
treaty between Japan and England IL taken
into consideration.
withal British mercantile Representatives
In China are by no means satisfied. There
10 much complaint among them. Some Of
AN,.h t>1i h~tn oNo
sacrifice to the treaty. and yet there are many
clearly marked indications that Great Britain
and japan are acting in perfect unison. which
indicates more or less clearly defined scheme
they are relentlessly pursuing for the future
development Of China. Nothing can frus-
trate this except q combination OF the other
great Powers'to maintain the open door in
fact as well 40 In principle.
IL 10 well understood that no local English
interests will be permitted to stand In the
way OF o larger British exploitation Of the
Chinese Empire. The two classes OF people
and interests which will be made to suffer
Germans and Americans. Their trade will
b restrained and supplanted throughout the
East by fair means or foul.
There are some Indications that the Ger
mans are alive to the situation and are seek-
ing Q sort Of rapproohemsnt with Russia
and France 40 well a. with the United States.
but 30 far there are no indioations Of the
Americans or their Government being at all
alive 10 the real situation. Jt 10 eenerally
understood that the American attitude IL
ors Of non-interfsrenos. non-aggressiveness
aud passive indifference.
It 10 well known that American manu-
facturere occurred Q largo order some time
ago for furnishing cars. engines and other
supplies to the South Msnohurian Railway.
These contracts were let by the now Japanese
management. which Of oourse wanted to get
things a. cheaply as possible and mako their
limited supply OF money 20 40 far as possible.
Il IL well known that tho contractors fur
nished cheap goods. utterly below American
standards. The day coaches were con-
structed Of cheap pine. poorly dried and
stuck together In the most inefhcient manner.
They were badly vsrnlshcd and II ID believed
They have already become reproach TO the
American name
The same railway bought few good Pull
man sleepers. but these were sent out %
poorly packed that practically all the slAss
was broken and many Of the interior fittings
90 twisted and mashed 40 to become useless.
The cars were unloaded at Dainy. but It viii
be several months before they can be put
into use for the simp2e reason that the broken
glass and fittinss viii have TO Be sent out
from the Pullman works and the cars regu-
larry repaired before they can be put into
service. These facts are gensrslly con-
sidered % In line with the American effort
to build the Canton and Hankow Railroad
and are quoted by every one to the discredlt t
OF the Americans. T..
Il ie hard for any one In China to under.
stand how IL is that the American manu-
81 that 40 al. a.
points OF business. They are fond Of claim.
ing thst Americans do not regard the form
but the substance OF things. but when 6it
comes TO Eastern business they generally
regad neither.
The Standard OIL and tobacco trusts are
credltable exceptions to this rule. a. they.
are about the only American enterprises In
the Orient that show life. energy. business
sense and capacity to get In on the ground
floor for their share OF the business In their
lines. Both are thought to be doing well.
and whatever may be their credit at home
II may be fairly assumed that they arc doing
q profitable business In this part OF the world
The distance overland from Pekin to
Mukden b about i.ioo miles. The trs yelled
route passes through Kalgan and Dolon Nor
and thence generally eastward through
southeastern Mongolia 10 the centre of south
ern Manchuria. The country b rolling to
about 100 miles north Of Jehol. but from that
point on It Is perfectly level. and for the most
part II 10 good grass land. occupied by Mon
Eoliaps and their nocks. There are no high
mountains. no wide rivers. no growing forests
and no indications OF mineral wealth. but
the country offers fine Agricultural and stock
raising possibilities.
There 10 at present q wave OF Chinese emf
grafton pushing up into and settling sosth-
eastern Mongolia. and this emigration is
surely and nslsntlessiy driving the nomadic
tribes to the wall. Some Of the Monaghan
princes have taken pote Of this movement
and have settled their people In villages and
are turning them into farmers. Thess of
course will continue to hold. live upon and
inherit the portion OF the land which has been
remitted to them by their ancestors: and others
must do the same or be swallowed up a. the
American indians were. The course OF the
movement 10 easy to follow. The Chinaman
10 overfowinG the borders and all the un-
occupied lands that can be brought into use
are sure to pass under his control.
The country on both sides Of this route
abounds In the Monaghan horse or pony,
which 10 hardy but undersissd animal with
out separate or distinct breeds except AZ
those Of one district differ eighty from those
Of another district There 10 no definite sys-
- - - L.