REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 181 



Empress Dowager were really sincere and had clean hands, and 

 endeavoured to carry on the government with some measure of fidelity 

 to the principles they so honoured with lip service China would be in 

 a very different condition now. If the present corrupt leaders could 

 and would but read this betrayal of the country's interest at many 

 critical times, and if these present leaders had a speck of conscience 

 and could rise above the lust of gain, possibly there would be a chance 

 of arresting the headlong plunge that Chinese leaders are now making 

 towards ruin. But it may be that it is too late, and that in any case 

 it is hopeless to expect these perverted leaders to mend their ways, 

 and consider the consequences of their present acts. Li's life should 

 be a warning to them. 



It would be well if Mr. Bland had given us in some matters shorter 

 disquisitions and more of a narrative based on solid fact. As it is, much 

 of the book is in the journalistic style ; that is to say much of the 

 writing is simply an evolution of the writer's rather than a narrative 

 of fact. Thus it is composed of too many deductions evolved out of 

 Mr. Bland's mind : and the reader feels that he is dealing with a 

 cobweb's network of assumptions and journalistic deductions rather 

 than with solid history. This too must account for much repetition 

 and reiteration in the volume. 



It is questionable for instance whether we have the history and 

 fact of the Korean affairs adequately recorded. Li's connections with 

 this was vital and any judgment of his life must be made from the real 

 facts of his policy. Yuan Shih K'ai was very young when he was 

 appointed to Korea. Yuan's own relative who knew Korea well strongly 

 opposed it : in his mind Yuan had not the qualification, temperament 

 and experience to deal with such a delicate situation. Yet Li persisted 

 in the appointment. What his motives were, what object he had in 

 view is uncertain. We can only make surmises. But it would have been 

 well if the author had probed these questions more deeply. He does 

 not even hint at them. The journalistic narrative of events are of 

 little educative value to the historian. Mr. Bland's treatment of the 

 Tonquin affairs is equally superficial. It is only a summary of what 

 the newspaper correspondents supplied. 



To justify these strictures on the lack of presentation of important 

 factors in the recorded history we challenge Mr. Bland to explain the 

 attitude of Li towards England and Russia before the Korean affair 

 and subsequently. We maintain that Li wholly favoured British 

 power before the Korean war, and did not depend so much on his own 

 navy to withstand Japan, as upon the whole hearted support of Great 

 Britain in his diplomatic relations with Japan over Korea. He was 

 fully convinced that Great Britain in her own interest would fully 



