The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-13


 q sensation of heat"
 The Reform Movement.
 Tue reform movement carried oi during the rule of the late Empress Dowapger has now reached It's hour o crisis. For the moment, the passing of the old rulers has enormousl. strengthened the hands of the reform CTS. but their light is not yet over. Tn immediate danger is not that the re aetionaries should obtain control. bu that there may come revolutionar. uprising against the Manchu dynasty an upriisng that will afford excuse fol foreign intervention.
 Since the Boxer rebellion of 19ot China has systematically Attempted tc adopt the best of Western ways. Int education of officials has been changed modern learning largely taking th' place of Confucian classics. School, for Western teaching. started by tht Government, are springing up every where, and in many cities idols are be. ing bundled out of the temples to make room for maps and biaclxboards Rail. ways are being planned and built or larger scale than in any other land outside of America. Life in the cities is being revolutionized. modern police methods adopted, and prisons reform ed. The consumption of opium is be- ing fought. A new army drilled on Western lines. has sprung into being powerful newspaper press has ap. peared. almost in a night.
 Much, of course, remains to be done Many abuses survive. and the corrup- ton or weakness of local officials of- tenN wrecks admirable schemes. But the amount that has been accomplish cd is amazing. The one man who has led the new reform movement is Yuan Shi Kai. until recently viceroy of Pe- chih-li, and now a member of the Gov ernment at Pekin and the man behind the throne. Yuan started reform be- cause he realized that unless China changed her ways she could not hold together. He gathered around him 6 group of young officials who had been trained abroad. and organized a strong fighting force under his personal con- troll He has naturally had to face bitter opposition, especially from offi- cials robbed of their perquisites and disturbed in their ancient ways. This opposition has been led by two pow erful tmen--Tien Liang. Grand Coun- cillor and President of the Board of War. and viceroy Chang Chih Tung. But Chang. great and influential as he is. Is old. and Yuan. despite many struggles. has never lost his dominant power.
 Tuan has two great sources of strength. He is the hero of the new army. and his policy has made it pos- sible for China to obtain large loans abroad. These loans, spent on raii- ways and internal works. have yielded much profit to provincial officials If the situation during the next few months mainly centred around the Government in Pekin there. would be little cause for alarm. Everything there promises well for reform. Even Chang Chih Tung is said to have set- tied his differences with Yuan, and the late Dowager Empress tried to bring them together by inter-marriage In their families. The mercantile classes-which can do sGore than some are willing to admit--are strongly in favor of advance along Western lines Save for a revolution. a serious fam inc, a foreign quarrel. or the unexpect- cd success of some palace plot, the reformers will win.
 The Dowager's Death.
 The words, The best thing that could happen" express bluntly, but clearly. the views of those best quali- fled to express an opinion on what has recently happened. What was widely feared was the appointment of an in- fant prince under the continued re- genoy of the Dowager- Empress would be fraught with serious danger to the 1 dynasty. So long as the DowaEer- Empress remained there was no hope of palace reform. and no hope of mod erniaIng the court and removing the methods of barbarian that chung to the court under her control. Now there are hopes. The best men in China re- alixe that there must be reform at the head, that the country can never take place among civilized nations so long as the palace Ss polluted by the presence of eunuchS corruptin6 the sovereign from infancy to man. hood. Confidence is expressed that. under the Prince Regent, who has seen something of foreign courts, has knowl- edge of foreign civilization. and is sup ported by Yuan Shih-kRi, there will be genuine attempt at reform, At the present moment the question of palace reform is under consideration, Foreign influences are urging that advantage be taken of this opportunity to begin anew and put an end to the reaction aries.
 If disturbances fomented by the Chinese revolutionarIes abroad. occur. they will not be anti-foreign. like the Boxer movement Chinese feeling to- wards foreigners is now In most parts decidedly friendly. But they will give some excuse for foreign intervention. This is the real danger, It is not to the interest Of some Great Powers that China should be too strong. and China Is daily renewing her youth. If up- risings come. they will possibly be ac- compsnied by unfortunate incidents. and outside powers may philanthropi- cally offer to step In to restore order. If this takes place. then China will be transferred from the greatest poten- tial market of the world to, the sphere of influence of certain favored nations. Whatever may be the purpose of oth CT powers, the intention of England and America is plain. For them a strong China and a reformed China means fresh forces for world peace. and greater world prosperity.