The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-09-05
MATTERS
THREATEN CHINA
Conditions There Are Chaot-
ic and Present Government
is in Jeopardy.

I PICKING, Aug. 31.-Not only be-
tween China proper and her depen-
denotes. hut also among the Chinese
provinces themselves, conditions
which threaten disintegration become
more and more. serious as the leaders
of the Republican movement fail Il
reorganize the government and delay
in re-establishing central authority
The chaotic condition OF China is al
present such as would cause wide,
spread dangers. international az vel
as domestic, IL the country were not
so favorably isolated from the rest OF
the world and II the people were not
of an exceedingly peaceful tempera-
ment. Their conflicts are primarily
struggles with amoney and not with
arms. mn
In the fate revolution there were nc
battles in which more than few
thousand men were engaged and the
lighting was generally of a feeble
character. Bartering usually took
place of fighting and some of tho
surrenders of imperialist commanders
we're the result Of monetary pay
ments. while,athelr loyalty might
have been retained had the 'Manchus
been able or willing to provide a
greater number OF silver taels.
The same means today. it is gen.
orally believed, would save China
from her officials. who. with very few
exceptions, are men who at one time
or another also hehId office under the
lManchus. Among these officials those
who are honest suffer from the racial
failing-lack of moral courage-and
fear to accept the six-nation's loan
with the requirement of foreign con-
troll. and the others are working ap
the national opposition because they
desire no supervisor over their sys-
tenn OF "squeczcs."
Meantime japanese consuls IN
southern Mauchuria and Russian con-
suls in northern Manchura and in the
vast territories beyond the Cobb Des-
ert may impose their authority as
they will, and the Chinese officials in
those border countries can obtain but
poor advice and little support from
the Cabinet in Picking. whose attention
is concentrated on maintaining its
precarlous political position,
In Thibct. to whose sacred city the
British have shown their ability to
penetrate with few hundred men,
many of the Chinese garrIsons have
been defeated and driven out, even
from Lhasa itself, though the soldiers
of the Lamas are little more than an
lll-armed rabble.
The deep-rooted prejudice against
the foreigner and the fear of him
seems to be the greatest factor con-
tinulng to hold together the provinces
of China proper which are jealous OF
one another and sectionally unfrlend-I
ly. The national government, being
afraid to contract foreign loan and
afraid to impose taxes or even in some
provinces 10 collect those instituted
by the Manchus. is unable to purchase
authority beyond the walls of the cap
ltal. Such order as exists is main
tanned locally and is due chiefly to the
peacefulness of the people.
But there is, apparently. no organ
lied party with secession or counter
revolution in mind; nor is there any
foreign pressure on the nation except
in the so-called dependencies, over
which the Chinese have held but nom
innl control for many years. Condl-
tons In these dependencies affect
only few idealsts and not the great
uncomprehendlng Chinese masses.