The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19
THE ANT|-FORE|GN
OUTBREAK IN CHINA
All World Powers Are Now
Considering Question
THE CAUSES OF UNREST
starvation Is Main Cause While Fail
ure of Rice Crop Seems to Fig
ure ConsiderabIy-Obstn
of Progress
THE CAUSES OF UNREST
By JONATHAN WINFIELD

washington, June 10 Especially is
there to be general foreign outbreak, a
repetition of the Boxer uprising in China
This is a question that not only the
United States but every world power Is
earnestly considering.
| Arrangements for the safety of for
eigners, mainly missionaries in China
have been made by the nations of the
world and these arrangements will prove
effective if the riotings do not assume
national Importance and break out SIM
ultaneously in all parts, especially In the
interior of China. On the coast and at
the inland missionary centers accessible
to warships of the United States and Eu-
ropean countries no fear is felt for the
safety of foreigners. That is, no fear Is
felt if the rioting Is only local at these
ports and the Chinese soldiery assists in
| the restoration of order and does not
follow the mobs as they did In the IA
nous Boxer troubles.
The causes of the unrest in China are
manifold. Starvation Is the main one.
The failure of the rice crops, the main
staple of life, or as Is the case at pres
ent, the cornering of the yearly rice out
put by those Chinese who have studied
and mastered European and United States
financial methods.
Then, again, there is the constant agi-
tation of the Chinese secret societies
against the imperial power. The Man.
chus for 260 years have ruled China.
There are about 100000 Manchus in the
country and every one-man, woman and
child-draws a pension from the Emperor.
The imperial army is made up principally
of Manchus. The population of China,
conservatively speaking is 4oo,0oo,0oo. The
| Chinese through their secret societies,
| have been trying for years to inaugurate
a successful revolution against the Man
| chus, seeking the reestablishment OF a
pure Chinese dynasty. The troubles at
Hawking, where the United States cruiser
New Orleans and the great gunboat Hell
| ena are now stationed to afford protect
| to foreigners, Is due to the efforts OF
their annual revolution. The govern
ment has garrsoned Marking with
strong army of loyal Manchus.
| There is another important disturbing
influence in the present situation. 1t is
the agitation of the Chinese rights party
| the cry of which is China for the
| Chinese This consists mainly of the
| less progressive element which objects to
| the foreign commercial invasion, particu-
| larly In the building of railroads and gov,
eminent works. 1t is of such powerful
| influence that the imperial government at
Picking Is unusually careful to antagonize
| It as little as possible Strenuous objec-
lions were made by the organization to the
Hukuang loan, the terms of which have
lust been agreed upon by the four nnan-
| cial groups of the powers-Great Britain
France. Germany and the United states
This loan calls for $50, 100000 for railroad
| extensions
This agitation naturally affects the ig-
lNorant classes of Chinese who have an
nnborn distrust of foreigners. In many
| cases, in constructing the railroads the
eght of way passes over the burial plots
! which are scattered broadcast In emma
/ and which are regarded as sacred by the
Chinese. For long time this apparent
ly unimportant obstacle held up the con-
struction of important roads, and it was
ionly by agreeing to remove the ancestral
remains from these numerous graves
! that the contractors were able TO con-
tinue their work at all. The chinese ac-
cepted this condition under protest ana
frequently trouble arose because the ma
lives believed that the remains Of their
forefathers were not handled with SUM-
Gent reverence.
In the SOUTH France especially, en-
countered extraordinary difficulty be-
cause of the ravages of malaria among
| the Chinese workmen. Deaths were SO
numerous that for a time the entire pro-
vince was on the verge of rising up ana
attacking the French settlements.
| There are one or two instances of the
successful building of railroads by the
| Chinese themselves. These are used In
| the Chinese rights party as the OASIS
for their argument, that the develop
ment of the empire should be left ex-
clusively to the Chinese themselves Ere
cuently, the chief agitators In this cause
are students lately returned lroH ior
| eign countries.
| Another source of great difficulty to
| the central government Is the movement
| for a constitutional government. A plan
was named out and adopted several years
ago providing for the gradual prepara-
ton of the people for the adoption OF
a constitution and the election of par
lament. Progress in this direction Is
necessarily very slow, and such impa-
tience has been manifested by certain
classes that there Is always Danger OIL
an oven clash between these and the
imperial government.
So serious Is the question of constitu-
tonal reforms taken by many Chineese
that a number have recently memorial
lied the throne for their hobby, declaring
TINT IL their petition for a constitution
al government is denied they would COM
NIT suicide.
The great obstacle In the way of prog
ress in China Is the lack OF a strong
central government and the poverty
which exists throughout the empire. Cur
rency Is debased. Each province has It's
own system of coinage, which fluctuates
with market conditions. The central gov
eminent is without sufficient financial re-
sources to undertake any serious re-
forms. the entire system of taxation Is
so involved that financial regeneration,
the beginning of all political improve
ments is we'll nigh Impossible.
The real government of China is In
the hands of the governors of the pro-
vinces each of which is practically an
independent state and manages ITS at
fairs with little consideration for the
orders from Picking. There Is little re-
straint upon government officials. VINO
have no uualms about using their ofri-
cial nosition to amass private fortunes,
hence the entire system is as permu-
lated with graft that 1t is the RUE
"a ther than the exception.
with respect to the granting OF con-
stitutional government in the near ru-
ture." said state department Official.
at is believed the Chinese government.
reaIizes that It cannot allow It's hand
10 he forced by the agitation on the
mart of the representatives of the pro-
rincial assemblies and will adhere to the
original programme of invoking parlia-
rnent and granting a constitution in 1876