The Washington times., 1909-01-12
Dismissal of Yuan Regarded
as Setting Country on
Backward Course.
SLEEPING NATION
NOT TO WAKE YET
Plans for Development Must Await
New Leader, Who May
Come Too Late.
BY / c. WELRIVER-

IT is not generally known how seri-
Gus the chanceUeries OF the Western
world regard the situation in China
which has been precipitated by the
passing of the Emperor and DOwagsr
impress and the retirement of Yuan
Snih hal, grand chancellor Of the en-
pre-. Yuan is looked upon as & Bis
narek come perhaps a generation ahead
OF his time.
Possibly another decades lease OF
power would have been sufficient to
enable him TO perfect his plans. But
Ae is an old man. ana the chance that
IKE Ia Hung Chang, he viii be able
10 come back from retirement and dis
grace and carry further the great work
slight.
Yuan is cut of just at the time when.
oflentallsts believe, a few years meant
everything 10 him. Without doubr he
aimed at the restoration of empire TO
Inc chinese people, as against the old
-Manch9 dynasty that has long been
imposed on the empire. 1t is no secret
ln Washington that William W. Rock
mn, the American minister to Pekins
and this cOuntry's foremost OTientalist,
IS discouraged about the prospect of
success with the great plans which ne
has had in mind for the far East.
Hope Centered in Yuan.
Mr.. Rockhul has believed that the
time was fast ripening, for the Chinese
people 20 awaken TO a sense OF nation
atty q realization OF their possibilities.
= desire Tor progress and Occidental civ
lliAallon- In the work OF Yuan he sa
Inc immediate prospect for realization
or this aspiration, and believed that
great Things were impending
But the situation in China has latter
]! been dtscOuraglng. The people on
me ground at Pekin, like Mr. RorkhiiI-
realized long before the event. that at
lars were shaping themselves 10 re-
store the era OF reaction whenever the
lyoWager should pass on. They autici-
Pdieu- not indeed IN It's tragic details,
hut in al its essential features. the yerv
Thing that has taken place. The Do
wager Is gone, the puppet Emperor has
ieiI the scene and with them Yuan
has been sent TO retirement. and China
IT IS felt, has fairly started on the back
track.
Without doubt the Manchu b,use in
unloading Yuan, did the very thing
which self-interest would have dictated
10 any Ike interest In a similar situa-
non Yuan was not playing q cir game,
ana they knew II. lie was carrying on
q program which contemplated practf-
cal education OF his people. He was fast
peTfecting the organization OF an i'm
perial army Whi>h, taking the place OF
the provincial forces, would have fur
nished cement to hold the empire TO
gether and given IL a solidarity OF now
er which is impossible otherwise lie
was or the liberal cast OF mind. and
HAT was his onense against the Naa-
ChuS.
Uncertainty Ahead.
The turning out OF Yuan is construed
10 mean that there VIII be long
period OF waiting and hesitation; an in
terval during which the efforts Of Japan
10 secure commercial domination Of
CHINA VIII make rapid progress The
special embassy which recently came
here, ostensibly 70 thank the Govern
ment for renting the Pekfn inden-
nifty really came. 81 is wei know
among diplomats, for the purpose Of in
terceding with this country to do some
thing TO protect China from JaUan
Not from any effort OF the japanese AT
esta bllslmeHt or governmental author
lty IN China, but against uhe Japanese
EFFORT TO engrOss the commercial on
poTtunlties or the empire, to establish
themselves as the guides and directors
Of the newer and better order Of things
and 70 Nipponize the country.
The Chinese idea-the Yuan idea-vvas
that II il could be protected for an
other generation or two, while Il de
NelOped within Itself China would then
be strong enough in the new ideas 10
stand alone, and 70 shake on the jap
anese influence and develop along its
own lineE
But the Mauchue are again in control.
Unless the western world can find pre-
text FOR interfering iu China and dis
possessing them-aud nobody SUSPECTS
that such thing will be seriously pro-
posed, much less undertakeu-thev will
'biitluNN 10 Nlr 14l4-ds ueE VIII keen
IN in a condition OF lethargy while
Japan Is most active. They win hold
II In a sort OF hypnotic trance while
the Tokyo government works it's viii
with IL. In the end, japanese douf-
nation viii have been so thoroughly
established that when a new Bismarck
OF China arises he viii find that he is
too late, Just as Yuan was too early
Between the two, Japan viii come to
be the dominatOr OF the East
View Of Germans.
Germany has perhaps made a closer
study OF the far Eastern problem in re-
cent time than any other country. aud
wherever they are found. German 6fpIo-
mate are nov convinced that China
must wait a long time for it's awaken
ing. and then awaken to find itself
Japanned- III viii possibly have ex-
changed a ManChu control for a Jan
anese. The Mapchus have always ruled
China as the strongest foreign infu-
ence directed. That paramount foreign
influence is going TO be japan ana
Japan Will work through the Manchus
II VIII allow just such measure OF de-
veIopment and enterprise and intel
Iectgal expansion as Ii deems safe and