The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-27
cHlNA's GLooMY o,rr,.ooK.

1
Apart from the complication over
the loan it is so vital she should Sc
cue the situation in China is far
| from being encoura gine. Most OF the
| official ana press news VIC receive as
TO conditions and the trend of events
ana influences at work bear upon mat
| ters connected with the ccntral gov
ernment. Tho run of this news more
recently has been distinctly d!scour-
aG'ns' Private letters which deal
moro particularly with the situation
in the provinces from which they
were written throw important ana
accentratinS sidelights upon the dis
heartening outlook.
These letters mako II plain that rs
the authority of the central govern
ment, that in most of them virtual
anarchy prevails. and that the pro-
vincial governors and other officials
pers '7tently act regardless of one
another They positively antagonizc
and discredit the optimistic reports
'ns"'red by the central order as to
the relations of the parts to the
whole. of the states to the national
regime. There is no co-opcrntion.
practically among the states them
selves, 40 separate or concerted move
ment to sustain the supreme powers
that be- and in the circumstances of
DISCRIMINATION the masses in the
several different provinces are fast
losing all semblance of homoseneity.
Even civil war in some OF the states
and wars between states arc apprc-
headed ana predicted.
Meanwhile, It is stated. the A!anchu
imperialists, taking advantage of the
opportunity. are plotting for restora-
ton, and 1t is charged that Russia
and Japan are secretly urging the
piotters on-not however. for the
love of restoration, but in the knowl-
edge that this new factor III the gen
erai complication must tend most |
potently 10 preciptatc universal |
chaos. and thus play into their hands |
in the matter of their designs re-
spect'ng Chinese territory. Color is !
given to this charge and TO the allie
cation that those two powers have a
3 de agreement touching their absorb
lion respectively of Mongolia and /
Chinese Turkestan and Manchur!n. by
their attitude in bringing to stand
still the negotiations for tho Chinese
loan.
One OF the private letters in ques-
ton, which, in tone and opinion and
warning. IS n fair sample OF all of
hem. says: China is very near
foreign intervention. So far as / can
see. there is no way of avoiding 1t.
There must come from somewhere a
force that can compel order by force
full means. The utmost distrust
prevails" Amid this the writer goes
on to tell us men are being pushed
up who have no more fitness for public
position than had the negro Office
holder in the reconstruction period
following our (--merican) Civil War.
The new title OF Tutuh. given
the ranking revolutionary officer in
each province, has been multiplied ad
lib. by the soldiers. There are from
TWO 10 ten Tutuhs in the various
provinces, each independent of any
one else III his province. and none of
them acknowledging full allegiance to
either Picking or Marking" Indeed
would China seem very near intcrven-
ton.
Moreover, what with Russ!a's es
pecial political interests in Western
China, which are recognized by Japan:
the natural feeling of the latter that
She is entitled 10 compensation" for
That recognition; Great Britains pre-
parat on in Thibet for emergencies;
French ambition for northern expan- !
sion. to say nothing of the fact that
Germany would not be averse to OK |
tending her Chinese strip of influence. .
also 1t would seem that China is very |
near partition-all things considered, |
indeed that she is nearer to it than |
ever before.