THE UNCROWNED KING- OF CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8449, 23 March 1889, Page 6

THE UNCROWNED KING- OF CHINA.

LI HUNG CHANG INTERVIEWED,

(Melbourne Argua Commissioner.)

The Emperor of China is invisible to any barbarian eye, and if he were not he is still but a boy and probably knows less about his country than the least of his officials. The real Emperor is the Empress—his aunt, and her proud and determined personality is kuown to the outside world chiefly through Li Hung Chang. Between the Empress and the Great Viceroy there is a close political partnership and an offensive and defensive alliance. Therefore the presence of the Viceroy is the nearest possible approach for a foreigner to the throne of China. And all the world knows that he is one of the most interesting and powerful men in it. Viceroy of the province of Chihli, hence ex ofjicio the guardian of the gate of China, senior of the four Grand Secretaries of State, formerly Grand Guardian of the Heir-Apparent, President of the Board of War, Superintendent of the North Sea Trade, Count Shiuu-ki of the first rank, special plenipotentiary times without number; practical owner of an army of 75,000 men and a fleet which, so far as wood and iron go, is second to none in the East; immensely wealthy, preternaturally astute, utterly ur. scrupulous, having at last overcome all his enemies, and even able to laugh calmly at the dreaded Censors themselves, Li Hung Chang may be fairly looked upon as the ruler of these 350,000,000 of shaven heads and plaited tails, at least so far as the outside world is concerned. If I had a chief object in my journey roucd the world, it was to interview Li Hung Chang. And I have just talked with Mm for nearly two hours.

The commissioner then gives the questions and answers, which were at first of a personal nature, and then dealt with Thibet, Corea, and afterwards Vladivostok. Here it became interesting. "Do you know what are the biggest guns the Eussians have at Vladivostok 1 " " Yes." " What are they ? " " Twelve inch, 35 tons." "Is Vladivostok impregnable 2 " " No." I determined that since I was thus cornered with a fire of questions 1 would not waste a word. " Could the English fleet take it?" "Yes—the Chinese Pei-Yang squadron could at present." (1 thought perhaps a compliment might be useful.) "Why do you say lat present l'" " Because it will be impregnable before long." "You say you take photographs—did you photograph Vladivostok ?" " Can you reproduce those photographs." "Yes." "His Excellency says, .Will you be kind enough to make him a present of a set of them 1" "If his Excellency will do me the honour to accept them." (Mental reservation— " Don't you wish you may get them !" As the Americans say, "It's a durned poor man that can't promise a pup.") At this point—and I have not given the conversation in half its wearisome details my patience gave way. I had seen Li Hung Chang, I had talked with him, I had examined his surroundings, and if he was not going to tell me anything, it was not worth while for me to sit there any longer to be pumped. So I replied, "My opinions upon such a matter can have no value whatever for his Excellency, whereas if he would

favour me with an authoritative statement

concerning the relations of China, Corea, and Russia, it would have the greatest possible value for the rest of the world." And I

emphasised the request by taking up my hat and drinking the glass of wine, for I had been instructed previously that when either host or guest in China wishes to give the signal for departure he empties his cup or glass. When Mr Lo had translated my remark there was a moment's silence. Then, speaking very distinctly, the Viceroy said, " The relations referred to in your question are as follows:—There is a distinct understanding between China and llussia that any action by the latter in Oorea will bo regarded by the former as a casus belli." In reply to a second question, the Viceroy said : " At present the relations be-

tween China and Russia are simple. Upon the long Kussian-Chinese frontier China is strong, Russia is weak. Vladivostok is very far from real Kussia. It is alone. Russia

and China had better be good friends." "But when the trans-Siberian railway is finished, Excellency 2 " " Yes, then the relations of China and Russia will be revised. When will it be finished 1" "I am informed that there will be rail and water communication in four years." "Then you must repeat your question to me after four years. As regards Corea, it is a country unable to stand by itself; any talk of its 'independence' is waste of words. The relation of China to it is the same as it has always been, and you may be prepared shortly to see events which will make this relation quite clear to all the world."

When he had once started the Viceroy was willing to go on. Of course I asked him about the question of Chinese immigration to the United States. " I understand," he said, as nearly as I remember, "that the newspapers have a great deal of influence in America. Well, tell them from me that I ask them to refer the matter to their sense of justice. They make professions of dealing justly with all the world. How have they dealt with China 1 They refuse us citizenship, they suffer our people to be murdered or expelled by armed mobs; they shut us out of their country, except under certain severe restrictions, and then when we agree to these they break them off and exclude us altogether, China has never clone so false and unjust an act as that. Yes, we have agreed to a good many of these restrictions, but we shall not agree to any more. China is able now to tate her own position among western nations, and she will do. Shall we retaliate? I cannot say. We are perfectly able, and the temptation is great. We shall not submit in silence to outrage and treaty breaking, but I hope and believe Americans will see how wrong they are, and alter their recent laws for themselves. If not, the United States and China will not be friends. Now tell me about your colonies. Has the Queen the right or not to order her colonies to act justly, to cancel un-

just laws that, they have made, and to punish them if they do not ?" . I explaiued that the right doubtless rested in theory with the

Imperial Government, but that in practice it could hardly be exercised. " Then why call them colonies and subjects cf the Queen ?" returned the Viceroy; " why not say at once that they are independent, and let us deal directly with them?" "But is it a fact or not," I asked him, "that the Chinese Government views the emigration of its people with disapproval, considering that their periodical religious and family duties render it imperative for them to remain in China?" "The Chinese Government," was the severe and diplomatic reply. " demands for its subjects the rights that, are accorded to them by a solemn treaty, and the same favours that it accords to' the subjects of other friendly Powers." " And with regard to Australia ?" "At present we are at the stage of protest." "And afterwards 2" " I cannot say."

private court yard, and*Mr Lo politely sa me into my chair. Li Hung Chang is a pure Chinaman—ni Mauchu, like the dynasty he serves. He very tall for a Chinese—sft llin, I shou guess—and must have been a powerful m: in his youth. His face is the most strong moulded I have seen in China—not flat, they usually are, but with all the featui distinctly marked, and the lines broad a

deep—a face that would hold its own comparison with any foreign face. A tl grey moustache and " chin-beard" did i conceal his mouth and chin at all, but w) the general expression of his face may bi have no idea, as he wore an enormous r. of round tortoise-shell goggles. The Vice was dressed simply, riot to say shabb in the ordinary Chinese still round 1 a thickly padded upper garment of sc kind of yellow silk, and an under j ment of grey silk. His hands were tuc into his wide sleeves, and only came twice during our conversation—when he startled by a little piece of news. Yet smoked a pipe sft long. An attendant st with pipe, smoking materials, and fire at back of the reception room, and every minutes he walked solemnly forward, fi the pipe, blew the fire-stick into a flame; Viceroy opened one corner of his mo the attendant inserted the stem and app the light to the bowl; the great man absoi the smoke and opened his mouth again, w the pipe-bearer withdrew as he had c< This occurred a score times at least, never a muscle did the Viceroy move, ex just to open the corner of his mouth i enough to admit the pipe stem. As soon as we were seated, an attenc brought tea and champagne, and pi them on a little table beside each of us, the interview began, Mr Lo translatiu perfectly and so promptly that it wa though we were both speaking the same gnage. My own idea, of course, was tl was about to interview the Viceroy, thing was further from his intention, \i was clearly to interview me. Question question fell from his lips for one n hour, and as Mr Lo apparently die translate the feeble attempts I made time to time to stern the interrogator; rent, I was as helpless as a man in a der chair.