The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-06-09
THE CHINESE SITUATION.


missed. that = number OF provinces
have rcvolted aud that there were
signs ~ much trouble ahead.
Il may have been the idea Of the
average person that this was the on.-
come Of a clear-cui issue brought
about by the premier. with his con-
~servaiive cabinet. desiring an immc-
dlate entrance into the war. n that
the radical parliament successfully
standing ous for peace. This. how
ever. IL not the case. In china. rs IN
other countries that have until recent
~ preserved their n%a,uransy. part
lines have been almost entirely wiped
ont by tho issues Of the war. There
are conservatives against the war
and conservatives for Il: on the other
hand there are liberals and there arc
radlcais eu both sides Of the question.
A substantial majority Of feeling
among all parties Is that war should
ne declared the moment adequate
guarantees are settled upon which ae-
cord TO China the generous treatment
which she thinks she deserves.
The premier, though he was dis
trusted By the younger and more radi.
cal factions. seems 10 ave kept an
49,. u.s.a 1. ~. ...1 .A,..s-o -,
China. Al first. he wanted To follow
the lead of Japan. n Join the allies,
under her tuteiaEe. IL is said, without
consulting parliament. The presideu;
Induced him q take the more consti.
tutional course OF appearing before
parliament before he committed the
country. with the result hat china NJ
length hroke Off relations with Ger
many independently. and rose sub.
stantislly thereby In che credit u the
world.
The president, Ii Yuan-hune. all
though a maj Of character and great
ra,iye shrewdness, has for a lons time
been said 10 Believe that Germany. not
the allies, was winning and would
finally be victorious In the war. H's
conviction H. q natterine tribute 20
Germany's plausible Far Eastern press
service and 90 h exceptionally able
personal diplomacy Of Germany's late
minister in Peking. His confidence IN
Germany victory did not By any
means involve his approval Of II hat,
II has caused him to maintain "A cir
eumspection IN dealing with the allies
much against his natural i%nriinations
The Russian revolution. the entrance
drive In France have profoundly az.
fected him, 50 that he Is prepared to-
day to follow his true sympathies. and
So sign china's declaration ~ war.
AGAINST Germany whenever q parli'-
menisry majority convinces him tina;
the country really desires hat step
Parliament today l. hesitatinF tu.
make the final move and 1t II likely
that behind their apparent d%ilatory
n~nwiningness there are " substantial
80 First. they not unnatura.l5
want 10 see the guarantees from the
allies for which china, theoretically ~
any rate. IL riskiug her national life
These have not been published, since
the middle OF March. when China.
broke or relations with Germany they
have been hardly limited at. Most 81
those guarantees which were semi.
officially mentioned then are mere
acts 81 tardy Justice which the allie.
could not avoid offering 20 "a nation
whom they were receiving as nm equal
aud an ally. The cancellation ~ the
Boxer Indemnity during the Wal. the
right OF China TO levy q real tariff
duty as no herself sees 81. ana tho
removal OF the military humiliation
OF the foreign soldiers in Picking and
along the PekinF-Tientsin railway
ana OF the forced dismantiing of N
Taku forts-all these are absolutely
Indispensable concessions; the alter.
native would give China good reason
for suspecting that the allies regarded
with coniempt In Asia those principles
~ freedom and fair dealing win
small nations for which they profess
10 be riskinR their existence In Eau
China needs more than this She
needs a real guarantee toward her re-
Mobilization. she deserves not 'he
empty guarantee" ~ her autonomy
bot the actual aud honest restoration
Df her autonomy. None 81 IN" so-
rallied pacifists who are now STANDING
against war with Germany ar"
r o.German; there seem N be hardly
such people ~ china. They are
,niy rather %nnrr0wly, ana With rea'
IONS which In the past ave been Ia