New-York tribune., 1911-11-12
THE CHLNESE COLLAPSE.

THE CHINESE COLLAPSE.
The present helplessness, panic ana
confusion Of the Chinese Empire and It's
imminent danger Of cQllapsing into
chaos are not IN the least surprising.
They are regrettable and they may be-
come disastrous. but they are the natu-
raj, logical and almost inevitable results
of long existing conditions and proc
esses. There are laws in the constr'lc-
ton of states as well as Of buildings,
and they are bound in time to exact a
penalty for their violation. A building
without secure foundation and with
out conference among its structural ele-
ments may stand for time with an
aspect of integrity, but when II re-
ceives a sufficient shock 1t will crumble
into ruin. The same is true Of a state.
China Is in precisely that plight. we
have already spoken Of her fatal lack
of military means of self-defence. There
has been a similar lack of constitutional
foundation and Of political conference
among its parts. The imperial govern
ment has meant nothing to the prov
inces but power for squeezing" The
provincial governments have, with the
same exception, meant nothing to the
cities and towns. and we might say al
most the same of the relations Of the
municipal governments to the individ-
ual. China has in many respects been
one of the purest demOcracies IN the
world. but 1t has been conspicuously
and singularly lacking i'll realization OF
the general good of government.
Yet of all countries it is perhaps most
in need Of the conference and the regard
for the common veal which 1t so omi-
nously lacks. We are told that number
Of separate republics are being pro-
claimed. The practicability Of a general
Chinese republic at this time might be
doubted. There can be no doubt OF the
fatuous folly of dividing the empire into
a number Of separate, diverse and poten-
TALLY antagonistic republics. The DIM
Guilty in such circumstances OF equitably
disposing Of the international obliga-
tions which now rest upon the whole
empire would be enormous, II not insu-
perable. Protection against alien aggres-
sion would be made far more difficult, II
not impossible. The danger of conflicts
among the states would be great. The
power Of progress and Of development
of resources would probably be greatly
reduced. There would be constant dan
ger, which ultimately might be easily
realized, Of a repetition Of the fate Of
the states Of India. Maintained as a
unit China might duplicate the awaken
ing Of Japan and become one Of the
most powerful nations in the world.
Broken into fragments, it could scarce
Iy escape becoming mere "geographi-
cal expression"
1t is in such a dissolution Of the en-
pire that the most serious danger OF for
eign intervention would be presented.
For undoubtedly foreign interests would
then be gravely imperilled, If not imme-
diately sacrificed The empire as a
whole is now under treaty obligations
to other powers and is also under some
considerable financial obligations. If it
should be, divided into several indepen-
dent republics, what would become Of
them? Would each Of the states con-
slider itself bound by the treaties, and
would each assume proportionate
share of the national debt? And could
such arrangements be made satisfactory
to the powers? These are questions Of
ominous gravity, which the statesmen
Of China will do well to consider care
fully before taking the radical steps
which have been foreshadowed.