The Alaska citizen., 1911-01-30
REFORM MOVEMENT
 IN CHINA
LONDON TIMES CORRESPONDENT POINTS TO CRITICAL ST.
 LAYTON EXISTING.

SHANGHAI, Dec. 9. - If ever a country n -eded a strCng man, China needs one today. With an admins uration utterly distrusted at home and enjoy ing no prestige abroad; with an empty treasury, public clamor- ing for reforms that il will cost millions to carry out, and the na- Jional credit impaired by reckless borrowing and corrupt spl nding; with an army that as yet. steadily improving though it is, would scarce ly count in a serious warfare, and powerful and ambitious neighbors already entrenched in privileged position in her three eastern prov inces, waiting to profit by her mis- fortunes; with forbidden city in her capital inhabited by women and cunuChs - and thus a hOtbed of in trigue and corruption of every kind; with a dynasty that in the popular b. lief has already reigned it's allot ted span and exhausted it's man date; with an infant emperor and regent who, though of high CharaC- ter and the best intentions, is young and inexperienced, and whose authority is weakened by palace in trigues against him; with popula ton that, with all its fine qualities, is ignorant and credulous and easily swayed by agitators who know how to appeal to the prejudices, and smOuldering underground a revolu tionary movement that, negligible as it s ems at present, may in favora- ble circumstances, gather strength f.ll, .ii .l S.tt years ago, CT the Taipings before them; with conditions such as these it needs statesmanship of the high est order to grapple successfully. Unless the reform movement pro duCes some man or men worthy of the task of saving a great empire, the outlook for China is black in deed.
 Some Brighter Features.
 For such a leader or leaders the task, difficult as it is, is far from hopeless. Not only is the old self contented stagnation fast disappear ing; not only is everybody convinced f the necessity of change, and of drastic change; changes are actu- ally taking place, and good work is b, ing done in all manner of direc- tiOns, not only or even especially in the capital. Old residents of Mukden, for example, tell one that five years ago they would have laugh ed at any one who told them how much would be accomplished in so short a time; streets, schools, pris- ons, police, and soldiers are all so incredibly better than they were before the late viceroy Hsu Shih- chang and his lieutenant Tang ohao-yi began their work of re- form, which is being continued by as in Mukden so in other places; wherever there is an energetic vice roy, governor, or Taotai real pro- gress is being made.
 Social Changes.
 But 1t is perhaps in the break down of the old social exclusiveness that the most rapid changes are taking place. Whereas, except in the case of missionaries and their con- verts, the relations between for eigners and Chinese were seldom more than purely official or purely commercial, social intercourse is now becoming more and more com mon. Many of the members of the imperial family are on terms of more or less intimate acquaintance with the diplomatic corps, especially the British legation; and Mrs Max Muller's drawing room has become quite center of attraction for Manchu princesses. Chinese women are now beginning to follow the example of their husbands and to mix in foreign society.
 Whatever the results of the re- form movement may be, whether it finds efficient leadership and sue ceeds in transforming China into a well-organized state capable of developing its vast resources and of defending itself against foreign az gression, or whether, failing proper guidance, it's immediate effect will be to destroy such organization as now exists and to precipitate ca- tastrophe, it is a movement worthy of respect and sympathy and of all the support that foreigners can give.