'Cbc Conservative.
fanaticism , according to the way it af
fects us , is exceedingly strong. In the
south of China the people grow rich
through trade or service with foreign
devils and they have learned the toler
ance which commerce always brings. In
the north bigotry has freer sway. In
view of this a prominent American in
Peking said last winter that "anything
might happen in Okiim and it might
come at any time. " The time seems to
be now.
More potent toward immediate has
been the invasion of railway and mining
engineers , who wander about the coun
try , often reckless of native customs or
prejudices , asking nobody's leave and
heeding nobody's objections. The Chi
nese do not want railroads. Still less
will they consent to have them run
through their grandfathers' graves , and
almost every foot of land is somebody's
graveyard. They do not like mines ,
least of all those conducted by foreign
devils in sacred hills , and they are in
censed when samples of ore are knocked
off from their tombs or their temples.
Everywhere are found agents of syndi
cates eager to secure concessions , often
doing nothing with them save to hold
them for future speculation. This view
of the matter may be an unjust one , and
many of these men I know to be doing
honest work in the interests of the Chi
nese people. Still public opinion awards
them a large share in the disturbance of
Chinese good feeling. It is , of course ,
only through mines and railroads that
the foreign element can make money
out of China , and these represent the
sole returns which any sort of European
jurisdiction could give. Father Pius
Trovarelli , a very intelligent Italian
missionary , says :
"There will be no partition of China
except as regards the coast ports. No
foreign nation could afford to conquer
or to administer any Chinese province.
There would be great loss and no possi
ble profit. All the land above ground
belongs to the Chinese and they cannot
be ignored or displaced. "
In other words , all that Europe can
ever get in China is mines and roads.
In general , railways or other enterprises
on a large scale cannot be made to pay
in China. The nature of the people is
such that things have to move slowly.
A little at a time China demands pro
gress , but not at any breakneck pace ,
and not all the Occident can force her to
quicken her steps. The movement in
the Orient must come from within.
Even in progressive Japan , European
influence counts for little ; European
pressure for next to nothing. The Japanese , -
anese see something they want a bioy
ole , a lamp , a brand of cigarettes or a
social custom and forthwith they take
it. Nobody can force it on them.
The European nations forget some
times that jurisdiction and ownership
are two different things. Jurisdiction
is costly and unless it is in full accord
with the will and the customs of the
people over whom it is exercised it is in
effective and unprofitable.
This touches the third and most direct
cause of the present outbreak. The
"breaking up" of China , its partition
among European nations , has been
freely discussed throughout the civilized
world , not to the pleasure or the edifica
tion of the Chinese. "Spheres of influ
ence" have been freely laid out on paper
by men who do not know that the true
meaning of "sphere of influence" is
simply "center of trouble. " In com
merce and manufacture the Chinese will
hold their own in any competition.
They lenrn to make what they want.
They bring in skilled workmen from the
rest of the world as teachers. They are
apt pupils and soon learn to avoid the
outside shipment of raw material. Even
in British Hongkong , as well as in Sing
apore and Manila , it is said that all trade
is falling into the hands of Chinese mer
chants , who displace the foreigners by
greater attention to business. Chinese
workmen supply most Chinese demands
more cheaply than any one else can do
it. China is weak , but Chinamen are
strong , and the future of the tropical
Orient lies in their hands. Even in Si
beria the Chinese gain foothold faster
than Russian influence spreuds in China.
China cannot be conquered nor divided
nor retained by outside powers if it is
once awakened and united. Some men
foresee the formation of two strong na
tions Manchuria and China instead of
the one now as a nation headless and
irresponsible. Some concede Tartar
Manchuria to Russia , in which case
Japan will take Korea , which she does
not want save as part of the strategy of
nations. This Japanese gentlemen
freely concede , but it is felt Japan will
have to do it , as they have already taken
the fractious and unprofitable island of
Formosa. The Japan Mail thus sums
up in striking fashion the political griev
ances of China :
"China has been undergoing a process
of vivisection. Her territories have been
seized on ridiculously flimsy pretexts ;
her ports have been rented virtually by
force ; concessions for building railways
and working mines have been wrested
from her whether she would or not.
She has been divided up into spheres of
influence by western states as though
she were jelly or a cheese. She has
been compelled to open her doors wide
to foreigners of all complexions , while
foreign nations on their side close their
own in the face of her people for reasons
as insulting as the fact is irksome. We
have watched her suffering all this
tamely and timidly and we have
flaunted her for cowardice and ridiculed
her for helplessness. "
I may sum up public opinion as it
reaches me in these propositions :
First The foreign powers must pro
tect their own legations and citizens
against official weakness and local
fanaticism. This they are doing shoul
der to shoulder a fact of which the
people of Japan seoin very proud.
Second The foreign powers must not
make this an excuse for the partition of
China. This is a thing impossible , and
China once roused not all Europe could
furnish the men to conquer the country
or to hold it in check. No foreign
power can maintain an army in the in
terior of North China through a Chinese
winter. If China falls apart it will be
through the diverging interests of north
and south. This is not likely to happen.
Sooner or later , it is believed , the mod
erate leaders of the north will come to
terms with the viceroys of the south.
Third The European powers , as Lord
Salisbury has distinctly pointed out ,
cannot guarantee the interests of syndi
cates doing business under Chinese
jurisdiction. They can protect their
citizens under ordinary conditions , but
they cannot foster foreign enterprises by
a show of force.
Fourth It is for the general interest
of the world to hold China together to
strengthen her government so that it
can maintain order at home and dignity
abroad , and to treat Chinese people
wherever they go just as similar people
of other nations should be treated. It
does not , for example , help our own
trade or relations with China to subject
her people to statutes which apply to
immigrants or travelers from no other
nation. To apply similar statutes to
people of Japan would be regarded as a
national insult , not to be forgiven or
forgotten , as it would be if France or
Germany or Italy were expressly singled
out by name. The anti-Japanese agita
tion in San Francisco is regarded with
great surprise and greater favor in Ja
pan.
pan.There
There is no desire in Japan for war
with Russia or any other nation. There
is a feeiing that Japan will not again be
made a catspaw for any European com
bination. If Russia seizes Manchuria
Japan will feel it her duty to take Ko
rea , a weak , irresponsible and badly
governed neighbor. Every one hopes
that the flames of war will be confined
to the region where they have been kin
dled. The powers cannot be too quick
to act in defense of their official repre
sentatives. They cannot be too careful
as to giving fresh cause for fanatical
outbreaks. It is well that the United
States should take an active part in the
defense of her unoffending citizens at
tacked by an uncontrolled mob. It is
also well to hold aloof from any Euro
pean concert looking toward political
action. For our notions of treating na
tions and people differ somewhat from
those current in Europe. San Francisco
Call.
Admiral Remey refuses to allow Hobson -
son to go to China ; perhaps he feels
that the empress dowager is entitled to
protection even after all she has done.
Chicago Record.