Whatever room for anxiety may still exist in regard to the situation in China, the progress of events from day to day has settled some points of the situation in a fairly satisfactory manner. There is, for example, the position of the United States toward its responsibilities in the Far East. It is barely a fortnight since the world was assured from official quar-
a part of the Philippine army to China ters in isshintios. that the detaching of would mean an invasion of that Empire, and that this would not be done under any circumstances. At that time the main consideration was said to be the determination of the United States not to aid in the dismemberment of the Chinese Empire, and the resolution was consequently reached that the American forces in China would consist only of marines and sailors. The connection of the two ideas was not quite obvious to the nonofficial mind. But the general purport of such a policy of evasion was only too manifest. Fortunately, it seems to have been abandoned almost as soon as it was decided on, and it is happily plain to all the world to-day that the whole naval and military force at the disposal of the United States will be used to protect the lives and property of its citizens in China, as well as to take the part which prop. ly belongs to the greatest of the Pacific Powers in the reorganisation of the Chinese Empire. That this more aggressive policy of the Administration is not likely to lend itself to campaign attack, has already been made clear by certain prominent members of the Texas delegation to the National Democratic Convention. Being informed that Mr. Bryan is in favour of a plank in the platform con-dernning the action of the Administration in sending troops and ships of war to protect American interests in a, these Democratic leaders said that the adoption of stich a declaration by the party would mean the loss of thousands of votes in every Southern State, because the opening up of China was synonymous with the industrial development of the South. This view was anticipated about a year ago by the South Carolina Senator, who said that while he was unalterably opposed to expansion in all its forms, he was ready to vote men and money to keep the open door for American commerce in China.
It is also becoming plain, as the Chinese drama unfolds itself, that all the commercial powers are bent on the enforcement of 2 more vigorous and less Gilatory policy than that with which they have heretofore been content. The gaging offer of Li Hung-chang to const tute himself an emissary of Western civilisation and bring the Empress Dowager to terms has, fortunately, not been accepted. Li is quite progressive when it suits his own purposes, but he is decidedly reactionary when his personal interests are affected. The first signs of trouble that appeared when the Emperor had embarked on his notable campaign of reform was after the edict had been issued dismissing two presidents and four vice-presidents of certain superfluous boards. On the day following this, Li Hung-chang and Chang Hsin. were removed from the Tsungli Yamen. The dismissed officials went in a body, and, kneeling before the Empress Dowager, asked for her assistance, saying that if she allowed the Emperor to go on in this way the whole of the old officials would soon be dismissed and the fabric of gorernment would fall to pieces. Li may be somewhat of a patriot when compared with the corrupt and ignorant clique who hare the ear of the Empress Dowager, but as one who knows the official world of China has remarked: "That corruption on the hugest and most unblushing scale prevails among the friends and relatives who form his social entourage and political supporters, even his admirers do not deny; and it is difficult to believe that his own hands are clean when he is known to have amassed in the course of a long official career a colossal fortune reputed to be the largest possessed by any single individual in the whole, world."
Whatever may be the true character and motives of the redoubtable Li, it is ebrious that he stands for the mainten. ance of a great deal in China which must be swept away, and the less prominent a part such a man as he is asked to pay in The reorganisation of the Empire the better will be the prospect of a successful result. It is satisfactory to hear from London that Lord Salisbury's view of the situation does not differ a point from that taken by the United States Government, always assuming that the view of our Government has adapted itself in the course of the last fow weeks to the imperative demands of the situation. Neither England nor the United States has much to be proud of in the results of its Chinese diplomacy, in so far as that diplomacy has been an aid to the establishment of progressive ideas in China. Neither the British nor the Americ: Minister did anything to stand between the friends of reform and the wrath of the Empress Dowager, and neither appears to have been aware of the imm nonce of the blow which fell with such crushing force in September, 1898. It is the fruits of that triumph of the forces of reaction which are now being reaped. The Empress Dowager and her reactionary advisers seem to have conceived the idea of opposing the reform movement by encouraging "an anti-reform movement. Holding foreigners responsible for the ideas which Kang Vu-wei impressed on the mind of the Emperor, they gave their movement an anti-foreign as well as an anti-reform direction. That is one reason why the Government at Peking has been compelled to regard the anti-foreign rioters as its friends and allies, and why it is impossible not to attribute the present reign of disorder to the active connivance and sympathy of the Government with the Boxer movement. There is manifestly but one way to restore responsibility to the central government of China, and that is to replace the Emperor in the position which his aunt has usurped, to resume the career of progress which he began, and once more to place foreign interests in China under the protection of a government in sympathy with foreign ideas. If Great Britain and the United States are agreed on such a line of policy an this, there is no probability of any other nation or group of nations making any serious opposition to it. As it is difficult to understand on what other line of practical policy they can be agreed, it may be safe to assume that the perfect accord between Mr. Choate and Lord Salisbury points to the only natural and satisfactory solution of the problem of pacifying China.—"New York Journal of "For me Boop s tie Lirr."—If the blood is Inden with impurities it spreads disease as it iucreseatl through the organs of the human body—Lungs, Heart, Stomach, Kidneys, Brain. Clarke's. World-famed Blood Mixture is warranted to cleanse the blood from all impurities from whatever cause arising. For Scrofula, Scurvy, Eczema, Bad Legs, Skin and Blood Diseases, Pimples, and. Sores of all kinds its effects are marvellous, Thousands of wonderful cures have been effected by it. Sold everywhere at 25. 9d. Beware of worthless imitations and substitutes, tait
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.