CHINA'S WARNING,

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9099, 6 July 1888, Page 5

CHINA'S WARNING,

PREPARING FOR WAR. AN EXTRAORDINARY PROCLAMATION. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. The Post to-night publishes an article in which it states that a Chinese Imperial proclamation and edict have been received by some leading Chinese merchants in Dunedin from a high official at Pekin. After stating that copies of the edict have been circulated amongst the principal Chinese in the colony, the Post goes on to say: " The preamble of the proclamation is somewhat lengthy, but to put it as tersely as possible, it sets forth that whereas Great Britain entered into treaties with China from time to time, which conferred special privileges on Englishmen, merchants, traders and others, who were thereby permitted to carry on business throughout the greater portion of the Chinese Empire, and whereas these treaties were entered into, so far as China was concerned, very reluctantly, and only through the superiority of the British army, the Imperial Government of China regard the recent treatment of its subjects throughout the Australian Colonies as illegal, and as a breach of the treaty. " Then follows what may be regarded as a threat hurled against the British nation. The proclamation goes on to say that the Chinese Imperial army numbers 13,000,000 soldiers, who, however, at present are not armed with such effective or modern weapons, nor are they so well drilled as are the armies of western nations. The Chinese navy,, the despatch goes on to say, although much larger than it was a few years ago, is not so sufficiently large as to warrant the Empire in taking the aggressive at present. The Government, however, intends immediately to build arsenals and erect large ordnance and small arms factories, and at four of the most suitable seaports war steamers of the most modern and efficient type are to be constructed as rapidly as possible. This work of re-arming and thoroughly drilling the army and building warships sufficiently powerful to enable the Chinese Empire to cope with the soldiers and navy of Great Britain will, the despatch states, take three years. " Then comes the edict. The Government of China command all their subjects in the colonies to wind up their respective businesses and affairs within the next three years, and to return to China by the expiration of that period.''