Down with the Dynasty.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9824, 25 July 1900, Page 2

Down with the Dynasty.

" Fuel for a Great Rebellion."

Russia's Attitude.

" There is all the fuel fur a great rebellion in China at the preseut moment, and the people only need a few good leaders to rise in their thousands in every part of the counti y."

This is the frank opinion of the Rev. F. S. Joyce, of the China Inland Mission, who has juat returned to England after eight years in the interior, and gave his views recently to a representative of the Dai y Chronicle.

" The Bcxers," he explained, " are but part of the many seeiet, societies which now exist in China. 'lhe country is overrun with such societies, and there is no doubt that many of them are joining the Boxers. I can speak with confidence about, the native feeling, because [ have lived among the natives in the Hunan province of North Central China, far removed from official circles. The native Chinese at the present time are possessed by an ominous discontent. It is widespread/ It would not surprise me if t\e present disturbances swelled into a serious rebellion."

• What is the real object ot the agita tion?

' Personally I hold a somewhat different view from lhe one that has been generally put forward. It is said that the Boxers want to depose the Emperor and accept the Dowager Empress. It may be that the Dowager Empress is using them as a tool, but if they gain their enda they will use her as a tool. The fact is the native Chinese want to get rid entirely of the present dynasty, That is the main object of many of the secret societies. .

'Is is not a fact, too, that the Chinese people are suffering a great deal from official oppression ?' 'They are. Since the Japanese war they have been taxed to a ter ib!e pxtent. At that time the various ofrkials throughout the country were called upon for" a certain sum of money from each district They had to pay it, even though h cameout of tbeir own pockets. They,, therefore, imposed taxes right and left, very often»to an amount representi ing twice as much us the} , were asked for by the Government, keeping the difference for their own use. What is worse, they have continued to impose the taxes ever since. It is often said in China that the late war has been the very best thing for enriching the officials that has happened. Of course the people are groaning under all this oppression.' ' Do you find the Chinese dread the much-talked-of dismemberment '>f their Empire. 'There yeu touch another cause of their discontent. The action of foreign Powers since the war has rendered the people suspicious, and they are more than ever convinced that the present dynasty ia responsible for the threatened breakup of the Empire. British prestige sank very low, and Russia was hailed as the friend at the termination of the war. Now they fear that Russia has designs upon their country, and she is looked upon no longer as a friend. At the same time England's prestige has not £one up. "The secret societies are making lull use of this threatened break-up of China to inflame the people. The revolt is by no means the first. Just as I say that strong leaders could fan the whole country into an irresistible uprising, so do I affirm that or.c strong blow on the purt of the Government would demobilise the agitators.' Mr George W. Clarke, agent of the China Inlai.d Mission in Tientsin, who has been at work in China for 25 years, was also interviewed.

The Boxers he knew well aa a religious political sect, or g«ng, disguising their looting raids under a mask of religion and politics. The organisation had its origin some two years ago in Shan-tong, and, fostered by Chinese officialdom, it has gradually increased in power. The Mandarins, unable or unwilling to arrest them, have given them money in many cases to go to the next city, and have thus encouraged them in their depredations. For months, he said, this horde has been drilling ,in large camps near Tientsin. Iheir banner has upon it four characters :—" Protect China : Annihilate foreigners." It was very evident that the Empress-Dowager and the high officials sympathised with the Boxers, for those who had tried to check the mos T ement had been degraded for their trouble.

Willi regard to the position of Russia, Mr Clarke was convinced that she would

foment any trouble to formulate on excuse for sending troops to Pekin. The Russians, he declares, have secured for Port Arthur all the boat coal from Tatigshan and Sin-si, two mines which have raised 4000 tons of coal a day.