CHINA'S AWAKENING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13998, 3 September 1907, Page 5

CHINA'S AWAKENING

PROPOSED REFORMS,

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright,

PEKING, September 2,

(Received Sept-. 2, at 9.24 p.m.. The Dowager -Empress of China, wlios health is fust declining, lias convened , confcrence of notables'to prepare a Eclienu for removing racial distinctions amongst Cliiueso Manchus within a <lecade.

Tiio reforms are likely to include permission for the daughters of the upperclass Chinamen to many and the Imperial abolition of the binding of the feet of CMneso females.

The National Review some liltle time ago published an article which painted tlie character of Tzu-hsi, Empress of China, in perhaps blacker colours than over it had been previously pictured. Originally the daughter of j humble Manchu official, she was only brought to the Palace as pile of many concubines. She. was fortunate, however, in quickly becoming a favourite and in bearing an lioir whilst the Empress-wife remained childless. This circumstance laid tho train of all her actions, and in it is tho key to iier success.- Handsome, bold, and fearless, she. determined to uso her son as a stepping-slone to greatness. The writer proceeded to point out that by the murder of the Council of Regency she attained power, and has retained it by the most morcilcss persecution. If we. endeavour to find in the record of her, life a clue-to the Jieari and character of "the- EmpressDowager, our attention is at once arrested by two salient characteristics which distinguish her—namely her extraordinary force of will and her lovo of power, and wo realise that these have^mado-her what sho is—an opportunist. Our attention is also inevitably drawn to tho fact of 'her extreme unscnipulousness in attaining her ends, and_to her innate cruelty. Nothing comcc. amiss to her which can further her ambitions; sho stops* at nothing and is afraid of no one. This was proved boyond a doubt during tho troubles of 1900. It is evident that she rocognisod in the presence of foreigners in China an element of dangc-r to herself. Slio therefore determined to he rid of them. Whether the Boxer movement was actually originated by her to that end, or whether, detecting in it the seeds of a revolution against horself and her dynasty, she cleverly contrived to turn its anger against the foreigner, wilt never. bo clearly known. All' that seems certain is that slio ended by deliberately encouraging the dastardly attack made by them in defiance of all civilised notions upon liiivoys accredited to the Chinese Court by friendly Powers. When, however, she realised that tho game |iad f<3>d,' anil that the foreigner could not bo wiped out, slip began to see the folly*of her policy, and being equally comforta'blo on whichever side of the fence she sat, provided it .was on a throne, sho veered round and sent presents of rice and watermelons-to the very people ehe had sought to destroy. Good luck has attended her .always. Although when the Allies entered Peking sho waa obliged to flee, yet anon she returned, her position apparently undamaged, owing to the simple faot that her Foreign Ministers could not agree as to what was the best thing to do with her should she be deposed. A figure-head was wanted with whom they could treat: sh\ would servo as well a.s another. The KihpressDowagor accepted the situation as it was, Being teforo all things an opportunist, it came eaey to her to return to Peking and reopen relations with the hated foreigner. She simply bided 'her time. .

Meanwhile, she is outwardly kind and courteous to tho foreign ladioS whom she is forced to entertain, even to thoso who worn besieged by her orders; she sends them presents, and inquires after flfeiiy. health, she expresses surprise' and concern at the fact that, any wore wounded during that sad experience, and condoles with thorn, claiming also their sympathy for herself, for did she not suffer as'much as they did from the wickedness of the Boxers, who acted in opposition to" her direct orders, and whom she was quite powerless to control. Sho would nat-pr-aily prefer not to have any .intercourse with foreign ladies, but since she must receive them, she conl rives to get a pood deal of amu-oment and interest out of it. She throws herself into the spirit of the thing, and being a first-rate actress plays her part so well that she ends by forgetting that it is a part, and actually finds pleasure in it.

But there is another clangor which threatens her illegal possession of Die throne, a. danger even greater than that vrhich is to bi apprehended from the foreigner, ami that danger comes from the Reform party' in her own country. Reformers have always been systematically crushed and kept under l>v her. When the Emperor Hwang-Hsu, falling under the influence of Kang Yit Wei and others, sought to. introduce changes into. tJjp system of government, when he endeavoured to check bribery and corruption and to promote instruction, tho EmpressDowager saw ill his action a threat to her own (lower. Without an instant's hesitation her mind was made up. The Reformers should 1« sacrificed, and the Emperor, wlio had dared to oppose his will to hers, should bo made a prisoner and virtually depofed. .Not content with this, she caused the young Emperor to condone her action before tho world by publishing an edict in which ho announced that it was "l)y his request" that the EmpressDowager unseifis'niv resumed the burden of state in order that lie might Test. AYhilst lie fretted his soul away, imprisoned on an island in the Forbidden City, she sot to work to rid China of would-be Reformers, and one after another their heads fell under tho owwutioner's sword, Ka.ng Yu Wei, llieir leader, alone making good his escape.