Renew of Revievii, 2'>i:i'ji:. 



The Awakening of Ghina. 



.^(>5 



tated trouble, and he urged strongly, though cour- 

 teously, that missionary boards should forbid sufh 

 interference. R<-frrring to national niisundtTstan : 

 ings between Chin.i and America, he spoke of tht-m 

 as quarrels which sometimes break out amongst 

 brothers, and urged his belief that by fair dealings, 

 justice and courtesy on both sides, these difficulties, 

 with their causes, might be drowned in the great 

 ocean which binds the two countries together. -A 

 lofty spirit this that we sigh in vain for among soni' 

 of the older countries. 



While upon this subject, another aspect of the 

 Chinese question, as given by the American Rcvicr 

 of Reviews, is worth quoting: — 



'• If China were not the last country in the worUi 

 to do the things which Europe and .America exjxrct 

 of her, the newspaper reports during the past few 

 weeks would make us believe that a tremendous 

 national movement, resembling the B(i\er rebellion 

 of six years ago, is about to take definite form, and 

 that its earliest manifestations are likely to be the 

 wholesale massacre of foreigners, particular! v 

 Americans. There is no doubt that a strong air, 

 foreign sentiment exists in many sections of the 

 Chinese Empire. Indeed, this has been freely ad- 

 mitted by their excellencies the special Imperial 

 Commissioners, who have recently terminated their 

 tour of this country. Travellers from the Orient 

 declare that the danger to all foreigners is increas- 

 ing, and that even Japan, by her policy in Korea, 

 has incurred the hatred of the Chinese. Dr. Mor- 

 rison, the best informed of Peking correspondents 

 (he represents the London Times at the (Chinese 

 capital) : Mr. Conger, formerly .\tnerican Minister 

 at Peking, and a number of other eminently 

 credible authorities declare that serious anti-foreign 

 demonstrations are inevitable during the coming 

 summer, if not before. Primarilv. it will be a 

 domestic trouble. Dr. Morrison believes — a revolt 

 of the people against Manchu rule. ' There is dan- 

 ger, however, that foreigners will be drawn into the 

 vortex and massacre<l if they do not leave the 

 countrv.' The boycott is probably behind the anti- 

 American feeling which the Imperial throne and a 

 number of the more enlightened Viceroys are try- 

 ing in vain to check. The visit of the Imperial 

 Chine.se special Commission to the United States 

 is onlv one of a number of important Chinese 

 official Commissions sent abroad, at the instigation 

 of the progressive Dowager-Empress, to study 

 Western civilisation. 



OHO A FOE THE CHINESE. 



' Vu.m-Shi-Kai, Viceroy of the Province of Pe- 

 chi-li, who is probably the most influential man in 

 China to-day. has succeeded in practically recreat- 

 ing a number of Chinese provincial armies, which 



cVs*.:^Stt8 



Yuan-Shi-Kai Viceroy of Pe chi-li 

 The most powerful man in Cliina. 



will be the nucleus of a tine imperial military 

 organisation. A Japanese naval aiiache, also, is now 

 in Peking consulting with the imperial authorities 

 as to the reorganisation of the Chinese navy. The 

 new treaty between China and Japan, called for by 

 the Portsmouth treat\, o[>ens t" international trade 

 sixteen cities in Manchuria, including the important 

 towns of Liao-Vang, Harbin .ind Kiriii. In opening 

 up these cities, as well as the port of Chi-Nan-Fu, 

 in Shantung, Viceroy Yuan-Shi-Kai has so drawn 

 the regulations that a predominance of foreign in- 

 fluence has been carefully guarded against. No 

 foreigner is to he allowed to buy land, nor to lease 

 for a period longer than thirty years — and then on 

 terms tixed by the Imperial Government. The taxa- 

 tion, police and postal service are to be in the hands 

 of the Chinese. The recent attack upon the Eng- 

 lish, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic missions at 

 Chang-pu, near Amoy, has recalled the attention of 

 the world to the danger of all foreign missionaries 

 in the Celestial Empire. It is reported that in con- 

 sequence of this anti-foreign ferment the powers 

 will decline to accede to Emperor William of Ger- 

 manv's proposal that they withdraw their troops 

 from China. Indeed, the St. Petersburg Govern- 

 ment has actually ceased its evacuation of Man- 

 churia, insisting that present conditions in China 

 demand a strong Russian force north of the Amur. ' 



