--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - J. M. Tanner collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 12 published: 1900-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. M. Tanner, "The Revolution in China III," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 12 (October 1900): 927–931.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera312unse start_page: 927 end_page: 931 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Revolution in China III THE REVOLUTION IN CHINA. BY DR. J. M. TANNER. m. Again the unexpected has happened. After the liberation of the foreign legations in Pekin, the capital of China, Russia comes forward with a proposal that all foreign countries withdraw both their armies and ministers from the city of Pekin, and allow the Chinese to there re-establish their government preparatory to those negotiations which must be carried on between China and those countries which have claims for damages and which will seek reparation at the hands of the Chinese. This, of course, is a distinct announcement on the part of Russia that she has no intention to make any partition of China. China also further proposes to withdraw her vast armies, numbering, some say, more than two hundred thousand, from the northern province of Manchuria. Of course, throughout Europe there is universal scepticism over this announcement, and speculations are rife as to the motives which are actuating Russia at this time. This is particularly so because it was believed that Russia would be foremost in her demands for general partition. However, Russia might have very reasonably supposed that if China is not to be divided among the European nations at this time, that nation which first secures friendship and influence among the leading Chinese will be the first to reap the advantages that will come through the adjustments in the affairs of China, at an early date. 928 IMPROVEMENT ERA. America felt, and so expressed herself, in reply to Russia, thair all should remain at Pekin, or all should withdraw. Harmony, it was felt in this country, was the most desirable in order to prevent those dangers which not only threaten the leading countries of the world with political disturbances, but may be with war. It would, of course, be difficult for other European nations to arrange a treaty in the absence of an understanding with America and Russia. Germany and England feel as though they were defeated, because, as a piece of diplomacy, Russia has really made an excellent coup d' etat. England seems unusually suspicious, and has attributed all sorts of designs and schemes to the Russians. But what is perhaps most objectionable at this time is the particulg,r advantages which Russia may gain from becoming the confidential adviser of the Chinese government. The needs of other European nations must, it is thought, be relegated to the rear. Russia has an army sufficiently large in China to give her a high and respectable standing among China's diplomats and to make her the guardian of China's interests. What motives, it may be asked, can reasonably be attributed to China in the present movement? In the first place, it is thought that Russia is not sincere in this matter; that although its army may be drawn from the capital city, when the other armies have been disbanded, Russia will under one excuse or another retain its large army in different parts of Manchuria and possess virtually all that it could have held under a partition of that country in an understanding with the different powers. It is not likely, at any rate, that Russia's soldiers will be withdrawn at a very early date from the northern provinces. There still exists more or less confusion, and there will be ample pretext to retain the Russian army under the claim that it is necessary to establish order in the most distracted region of the celestial empire. It is further believed that the celebrated viceroy, to whom are entrusted questions of negotiation with the powers, is altogether too friendly with Russia. At any rate, the great Li Hung Chang must see that Russia is in, a position to render him in his negotiations the most assistance at the present time. After order has been restored, the emperor recalled or a new one initiated, there will then begin a system of oriental diplomacy which means intrigue and a play for commer- THE REVOLUTION IN CHINA. 92^ cial advantages. Russia will stand first in directing the affairs of the Chinese government.- The great contest will then lie between Russia and Great Britain. England's commercial interests overshadow those of all other nations. These interests will be hampered, it is believed, more or less, by the ruling powers at Pekin, and the English suspect that the Chinese authorities will be instigated to place in England's way all the obstacles that can be contrived for the hindrance of England's commercial interest. China is unlike European countries. There are governments within governments. Interests within interests. Taxation does not cease at the great commercial harbors. Each province may set up its own tariffs, rebates may be given, preferences shown, and one nation enjoy from the government vast advantages over its competitors. In this country and in Europe, when goods are once landed, they stand on an equal footing. Not so in China. To American and European interests there may be great delays. These delays are always exasperating and frequently disastrous to business advantages. If Russian interests are expedited and English and American interests retarded, it can be readily seen how business men may be so harassed that they will be disposed to withdraw all enterprise from the Chinese empire. At present, England commands the leading ports. Her interests are paramount in the great Yangtse valley. She also owns the beautiful island of Hong Kong, and an Englishman is in charge of the tariff system of the empire. It can hardly be that England will submit to any intrigue at the capital on the part of Russia which would lead to the gradual squeezing out of British commerce. The great questions in China must be solved in a large manner in view of the conflicting interests that will arise between England and Russia. The unexpected proposal of the czar must have been a great disappointment to Germany. Her famous general, Waldersee, was to have been the commanding general of the allied forces. If these forces disband before he enters the country, his honor will be an empty one, and Germany will be thwarted in the ' prominent part she expected to play through the commanding position of her great general. But Germany is not prepared to withdraw her forces. Her minister was brutally killed in the streets of Pekin, and her 930 IMPROVEMENT ERA. rights to compensation and recognition were 'considered foremost among all the powers by Germany. The Chinese are a very peculiar people and highly superstitious. The retreat at this time from the capital to Tien Tsin will undoubtedly be regarded by many Chinese as a defeat of the purposes of the allies. There will be raised a general feeling to satisfy the multitudes that the hosts of the allies became alarmed and in the presence of their fears withdrew their armies to safer grounds. This was virtually the position taken by the Chinese in 1860, when the English and French marched to Pekin and destroyed the Summer Palace but did not enter the imperial or inner city. This was considered a great victory by the Chinese who promulgated the idea throughout the empire that no European army would venture upon so sacrilegious an undertaking. In order that the Chinese might no longer hug to their souls this notion, the allies entered the imperial palace and all the armies were permitted to march through the sacred precincts of the emperor's imperial home. The emperor and empress dowager fled to parts in the south-western division of the empire for safety, and will no doubt return when the city is vacated. No sooner had the legations in Pekin been relieved than there arose a strong fe sling, especially throughout America, that there was a Chinese side to all these difficulties, that the Chinaman had been wronged, that there was some justification for the uprising, and that there was a strong semblance of patriotism in the united action of the Boxers to expel foreigners from the country. Certain it is that China has not been treated very tenderly either by the European nations or by America. We slaughtered great numbers of Chinamen at Rock Springs, Wyoming, some years ago. We exclude Chinamen from our country; deny citizenship to those who are already here, and yet perhaps we have been the most humane of all countries in dealing with that peculiar people. In 1840, England forced her great opium trade upon the empire, which has done much to demoralize the most of the people in that country. The use of opium there has become all but universal. France has been somewhat insolent. She has not thought anything of entering Chinese harbors and of destroying the Chinese fleet together with three thousand seamen. England has been appropriating to THE REVOLUTION IN CHINA. 931 herself great spheres of influence. A few years ago a couple of Catholic missionaries, subjects of Germany, were killed in the province of Shantung. Germany was not satisfied with the assurances that the perpetrators of the deed should be brought to jusice. She demanded an indemnity, and, landing her sailors, she took control of the port of Kiaochau. France helped herself to Tonquin. And Russia's influence extends over the entire country of Manchuria. After all this had been done, the Chinese have been reading the discussions of the intention among European nations to dismember the empire. Spheres of influence were spoken of as territorial domains of the respective countries which claimed these spheres. Naturally enough the Chinaman has felt that the integrity and stability of the empire was threatened, that he was about to lose all rights of local and self government, and that he was to become a prey to foreign and ambitious nations. Not least among the difficulties in that country has been the differences in religious feeling and the aggressive policy of the Roman Catholic church. That church, step by step, has gained civil power. It settles controversies among disputants when one of those disputants happens to be a converted Catholic, and there are armies of that kind in China. The Chinese have felt that in these disputes the Catholic Christian was always given the advantage. The Protestant religious denominations have felt that in the matter of proselyting, the civil power which the Catholic Church exercises in China gave her an immense advantage over her Protestant competitors. These religious differences, sometimes quarrels, have led to disclosures on the part of missionaries, and they have been free to tell us the wrongs that the Chinese have suffered at the hands of their respective Christian brethren. Certainly China must not be treated as if she had been the aggressor, as if there had been no excuse whatever for the revolution that has been started in that country in defense of national interests. A mighty conflict is on in that vast empire. The forces at work cannot be stayed, but they may be wisely and justly directed. More universal discussion and a higher enlightenment regarding affairs which relate to China, will result in time in a greater justice to a misunderstood people. At this time, September 13, chaos prevails in the diplomatic movements of the rulers. America will