CHINA, A REPUBLIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1912, Page 11

CHINA, A REPUBLIC.

WHAT HAS BEEN GAINED. ESSENTIALS Of" DEMOCRATIC / LD3ERTY. Even an informed observer of things Chinese like Mr. Archibald Colquhoun frankly admits that the rapid progress of the Ohinese revolution has greatly surprised him, but, to judge from an article which he contributes to the Fortnightly Review, he is^ still in doubt as ' to the results which the revolution will i achieve. He holds that, as the Chinese have now certainly gained the essentials of democratic liberty, they need not be | too much concerned with the actual label attached to their future government. ( What, in bis opinion, is above all things necessary . is that the reformers should establish a strong central government, \ capable of plaaing the army.' navy, -and | finances of the country on a modern and efficient basis. He admits that a genvine public opinion has actually begun, to make 'itself felt in China, but points out that, after- all, the proportion of foreign trained and educated is a mere drop in the bucket in a pobulatioto' ■ of : four hundred millions. Jfi the empire is not to break up or' fall into a state df anarchy, the four hundred millions must have some powerful central control to replace the semi-divine monarch, who has hitherto been the focua of social, religious, and political life. At first sight a federal republic, such as Sun Vat Ben advocates, would seem to be the only model for Chinese reformers, to follow. Already the several provinces have local assemblies and all the machinery for local self-government. Like the States of the AmetiQan Union, they enjoy tl^e right to recruit j local militiaa, and they are fiscally independent. China might eoisily be split up into autonompus States, but the real difficulty for the reformers begins' when they try to provide the connecting link to ■ federate the Statep. POLITICAL DEMOCRACY. , Until now the provinces have, heeji held together by the unity of the mandarinate and the tradition of allegiance to the occupant of the Dragon Throne, no matter what the dynasty, to n whiah he belonged. Mr. Colquhoun thinks that the Chinese, though remarkably democratic in a social sense, .have not yet been educated up -to the idea of democracy in a political sense. He fears that any. attenjpt , to establish a thoroughly democratic system woujd throw political power, into the hands of group*, such as the seoret societies, the commercial guilds, or the clans in country district*. Hitherto these groups have been Kept in chock by the Central Administration, and if genuine reforms are to be carried out' very large and real powers: must be wielded by the National Executive. The danger is lest the Government should fall into the hands of an oligarchy, as in Mexico— a change which, according to; Mr." Colquhoun, would probably oe no .improvement on the present Chinese system, ajnd would not, be tolerated fpr.long by .a. people who have already enjoyed*, a very, large. measure of political freedom, Mr. Colquhoun tftates that he has had an> opportunity of 'learning at first hand the theories of some of the more advanced reformer*. They contemplate a republic as the only means of getting rid of tne Manchusj who stand for reaction, but they intend to set up ,a strong central authority, and, following the. precedent, of, the Turkish revolution, that autho-' rity will,' to begin with, be a militanr one. # They look, in short, to a military domination to last for a term of years, upon whioh will follow a transition period leading up to full constitutional government. Whether a republican form of government, with a sufficiently strong central pewer, .can be inaugurated I* very largely a question .of personalities, and Mr.* Colquhoun suggests thatdt is no disparagement, of an earnest and a.etf -sacrificing' apostle of reform to say that Dr. Sun is neither a Garibaldi nor a Cavoar. ,