Show TROUBLE IN CHINA IV The The The- Progress of ot Reform BY FREDERIO J. J HASKIN I I NATIONAL assembly to ta draft a n. for China Chinn will assemble assem assem- A ble bhe In Pekin on October 2 3 A lit little little lit lit- tle tie more moro than four years ago the son of or heaven through the empress dowager promised tho the Chinese Chine so people a constitution although h thero there was no demand demand de demand de- de mand for such a great reform Commissioners Commis rs were sent abroad to study forms of or government In various foreign nations na nit- Then provin provincial t cial assemblies were called Into being 4 They met last year ear earin In all but butone one of or the Chinese provinces And now the first 4 national assembly n In the history of or r China Is to meet meat Its six ninety members mem mom bers havo have been 4 called by tho the prince regent from among all classes of or tho Chinese people They will write a a. which shall Frederic Haskin fix Great concrete reforms Into the Chinese system October 3 3 1910 will be bethe bethe bethe the natal day of or the great new China The Tho history of or civilization testifies that great reforms are not accomplished ex except ox- ox as tho the result of or great sacrifices generally gen gen- Mal orally sacrifices of ot blood The Tho disquietIng disquiet disquiet- Ing reports of or Impending foreign anti-foreign and dynastic anti outbreaks In China must not be bo Interpreted t to mean th that t China Is reverting to barbarism or even that the tho Chinese are arc refusing to adopt western I civilization Such troubles have accompanied I II pan led constitutional reform even In western lands hands The history of ot reform In China I Is of peculiar Interest In the l ht of ot the present present pres pros ent agitation and of ot Chinas China's increasing Importance as a factor In world politics The Immense superiority of or the Chinese over all aU of or the neighboring peoples people's of or orAsia Asia the success s of ot Chinese Im Imperial rIal ex expansion expansion ex- ex and tho the hugeness of or Chinese so territory ter contributed to the formulation of or a Well d well defined ned t Chinese idea Mea that the son of or heaven emperor at Pekin was the thc ruler of ot the tho universe and that all other nations were vere subject to him and all other rulers bound to acknowledge hi his over- over lordship For a long time the Chinese government paid little little- attention to the tho Euro European an m merchants who ho dealt with the people of or Canton For three centuries the tho white man was a Ita barbarian and the ministers of ot the occidental nations were tribute The real beginning of or reform In China reform meaning the Introduction of oC western civilization and the adaptation of or modern progress to Chinese ne needs dg dates from the celebrated opium war The spread of or the opium smoking habit created alarm alum In the in-the the Chinese government and It was as resolved to put a stop top to the practice The Importation of opium was forbidden Most of the opium came camo from India and the traffic was ar very ery profitable to the high highly civilized and most estimable British gentlemen who controlled It Whereupon Christian England went to tovar towar towar war var to force forre upon heathen China Chinn continuation continuation continuation con con- of or a damning and degrading habit which the heathen Chinese wished to abolish The result was as not only onh the continuation of or the opium trade trad but the cession of or the tho Island of or to the British and tho the o opening of several treat treaty ports In China Then came the lon lons long longs s series ries of disastrous quarrels with European European European Euro Euro- nations which resulted in giving all of the principal powers except the tho United States a foothold In Chinese territory But still stilt the tho Chinese bellev believed d i In their own superiority and still they were vere unwilling unwilling un un- un willing to admit that the white man mon was superior In anything but bruto force Finally the time came came- when whon the Chinese statesmen realized that they must roust compete com corn pete poto with the other nations In both war and Industry Under the leadership of the great reat LI Hung Chang China began to build Its Its' own railways and did construct construct construct con con- a modern navy Japan at that time was bus busily II engaged In projecting Its adaptation of or western manners of government government govern overn- ment And Industry and the tho Chinese be believed be- be that the they were making progress as 18 rapidly as the Japanese Then camo came the war between China and Japan In which the Chinese were InglorIously defeated and In which the Chinese navy na navas was vas completely com corn destro destroyed ed Results of or that war proved pro to a few clear clar headed and progressive Chinese thinkers that tha l the possession of or a modern navy and the tho on paper of a amod mod modern m arm army would not make malco up to fo for the tho fact that Chinas China's Internal affairs w ware rp be being being be- be ing Int conducted on an ancient plan which made thi success of oC a modern military arm absolutely Impossible le They saw that tha Japan had adopted western forms and western methods of oC government CO l before before- rOre- rOre attempting to wage war or do ss after atter the occidental fashion They organized or or- d a definite and ambitious pro pro- gr gre sl e movement movement- This new reform party became very powerful and soon had tho the support o othe or of the emperor gorm edicts began to pour forth from the forbidden city at a arale arate rate rare unprecedented in history It was vas Utterly ut utterly utterly ut- ut terly Impossible o of if cour course e for Cor or the fat fat fat- reaching and radical reforms promulgated from Pekin to be placed In effect Immediately immediately Immedi- Immedi As a matter of or f tact ct china v was a. a not ready to be revolutionized from th the throne overnight The powerful conservative con con- forces awoke to the tho danger danser o othe or of orthe the situation and under the tha leadership of or the empress dow dowager r In 1898 1595 overthrew overthrew over over- threw th Ut part party banished tho le reformers re- re formers and practically mads mada a it prisoner one of the emperor Tw years liter later th the I empress dowager then I became violently reactionary converted a a. small dy antl agitation Into Inlo a general for anti olga uprising known as us tho the boxer re re re- With black hearted and barbaric treachery she ordered the murder of or a nil all foreigners In China and besieged b the accredited accredited accredited ac ac- ac- ac credited representatives of or too tro friendly nations of or the world In In the tho legation buildings In her capital Tho allied d troops troop of the pow powers rs Invaded China marched t to Pekin relieved ed tho the legations legation drove th the empress and her court into exile and yu yuan put lut lutan an end once for all to the tho Chinese doctrine due doc trine trifle of Imperial supremacy It was no not until white soldiers violated the sanctity sane sane- of the forbidden city that China re re- re the truth that It cannot remain isolated lo iso- from the world orld even If IC It would Then came another era of or reform Unlike Unlike Unlike Un Un- like the first when China thought t to keep off oft the world by b the ownership c ca cr cf cra a few naval vessels and equally unlike the second when the th young oung emperor empero thought to upset the foundations of years by writing his edict this third re reform reform reform re- re form movement seemingly was waa base based ed upon the tho experience of ot Japan A conati- conati form of or government was promIsed promIsed prom prom- by the throne steps w were re taken fo for forthe or orthe the gradual and practical education of or th lh the people for the duties and responsibility responsibilities of or citizenship In a constitutional nation schemes for railway building on a a. large larg scale were were- announced d. d a modern arm army was organized and placed d In command o oa of oC ofa a a. progressive soldier newspapers were established h d all aIt over the postoffice Ice flee communication was as extended and th the tho telegraph system greatly increased cd In Increased Increased In- In creased facilities for ha had the desired effect of creating for tor th the first time a public opinion on en national questions The empress dowager er retained her power but bul to so o far as co coald ld Vs iso fee seen een she really was converted to a a. con conservative conserva conserva- Uvo tive reform program pros Something less Jess than two wo years arg a ago o th the empress dowager and tho the puppet emperor cm em- died almost simultaneously A baby was placed on the throne and th the brother of or tho the lato late emperor was made mad prInce regent Almost the first act of or th the prince regent was to dismiss and degrade Yuan kal Shih the commander of ot th the arm army and according to the foreign point of view the ablest and most progressIve man mart In China Twelve Twel months lat latar r h he dismissed and degraded Tuan F Feng ing viceroy viceroy vice Ice roy of or the province pro of ot Pe Pc wh who vho ranked second only to Yuan k Shih-kei l In Inability 1 inability ability and progressiveness TUlln Tuan Fan Fani had be been n n a successful viceroy In th the tho Yang tao valley he was wn promoted promote to Pe He had traveled all over ove the world and was familiar with western wester Institutions at first hand lIe He occupied a place In tho the government of commanding Influence and was regarded as is the captaIn captain cap cap- tain tam of the progressive forces orce He permitted permit permit- ted teel a n moving picture camera to be 00 sta where it could make pictures o othe or of orthe the funeral procession of or the tho empress dowager For that breach of etiquette ho he was sas degraded and sent Into 1 retire retire- meat Yuan kal Shihkai was dismissed os os 08 because ho had rheumatism i In ie his leg These are the contradictory things which make it difficult to believe bellev In tho the progress of or true reform in China During the same Iame year car when these tw twi great leaders were dismissed d two other othe ml mighty hl men In Chinese affairs were ero re removed removed re- re moved by d death ath One was Wi Grand Grand' Counsellor Coun Coun- IH Chang Chih the grand eld eldman man mon of or China Ileac head of or the railway de development devol devel- I- I nt and financial affairs of or the tho em em- pire The Tho other othel was Grand Secretary Sun Chia one of ot the ablest scholars connected con con- with Ith the government The elimination nation of or these four men left tho the government gov SO largely in the the- hands of men o of whom foreigners are unable to form torm any very cry definite opinions Apparently the young oung prince regent t Is himself the actual ruler of or tho the empire It Is yet too soon oon to Jud Judge e of his ability but It seems certain that he 1 I is committed commit commit- ted to true reform His greatest realest weakness weakness weak weak- ness lies Ues In the fact that he i Is It a Manchu and not a Chinese If the present anti anil dynastic agitation should result In open reb rebellion there Is grave grave- reason to fear that the princes prince's sense of or self lion would cause cuso him to become a a. re toa to- to a Cl i Meanwhile administrative T reforms forms are arc b being Introduced grafting of officials Ucla Is ar are being dismissed from high offices arrangement ar ar- ar- ar are being made for rapid in industrial In in- development and the tho nar nary steps In constitutional reform hive hwe been taken with apparent success Tho The very nry fact that China Is being deluged with progressive reforms poured upon the people from Pekin is larg largely ly responsible sible for the agitation an ami unrest unreal In China today China Chinn always has been topsy luny land and now It Is reversing revers- revers Ing the exp experience of oC w western nations where reforms have havo been boen forced upon the throne b by ih the s people and Is engaged h In comp compelling the tho people to accept r reforms form for which they nave hav not asked and the nature of or which thoy they do not understand I Tomorrow Trouble Tomorrow Trouble In China V. V The V.-The The American Interest |