THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 67

THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

The war in South Africa and the present outbreak in China are making many study their maps and are the means of making known geographical names either previously unheard of, or very indefinitely located. Tientsin is not on the coast, but perhaps 50 miles Tip the river ; Taku, where the forts are, is at the mouth of the Pei-ho. Shanghai isn't on the Yang-tse, but on the Wangpoo, which joins the Yang-tse when it is entering the sea. The town at the motith is called Woosung, and it is here that one of our cruisers is stationed. The Woosung bar is 4, great hindrance to trade ; and passengers and cargo have often to be transhipped for Shanghai, which according to Lord Beresford is about 50 miles up the river but perhaps this should read 15 miles. And here we may just as well notice that the British Government in ordeiing cruisers to'the treaty towns and gunboats to the river ports on the Yang-tse is doing just what Beresford advises in his book.

RAILWAYS.

The Chinese have a decided antipathy to anything savouring of outside civilisation, and one of their aversions is the railway. China is gridironed with railway concessions ; bjft the lines completed, or in course of. construction, are few, and, viewing -China as a whole, comparatively unimportant. The line damaged "by the Boxers extends from Pao-ting north-east to Pekin, then south-east to Tientsin, and from there strikes north-east to_ Shan-hai-Kwan, and will soon be open for traffic further on to Kinchow. 'This, and a short line between Woosung and Shanghai, are the only ones open for traffic in the whole of the Empire, though Russia will soon have her road biiilfc through Manchuria co Port Arthur.

NEWCHWANG has been mentioned- once or twice. It is the chief port for Manchuria and Eastern Mongolia. In 1897 its trade was estimated at £3,700,000, and of the shipping entered and cleared, 731,000t0n5, the British owned 364,000 tons. Twenty steamers and 2000 junks were lying at anchor when Lord Beresford was there. British and other merchants at Newchwang are alarmed for the future, seeing that Northern China is so. rapidly falling under Russian domination. -

TONGSHAN.

In an article reviewing the present situation in China, I saw it stated that Russia, in- case of war with Great Britain or Japan wouldn't be able to manoeuvre her warships for want of coal. But in the break-up ot China, I see it stated that in addition lo the railway workshop's at Tongshan giving employment to 1000 hands, there is a coal mine with an average output of 2000 tons a day ; and it is also stated that the known coal deposits within reasonable distance of Pekin are among the largest in the world, and in quality quite equal to the very best Japan coal. If this is true, and if, as is said, there is an abundance of iron ore, the statement that Northern China will be a great manufacturing area is by no means an exaggerated one. A cable tells us that it is reported that Russian troops have been ordered to enter Maimatchin and Urga. These lie on the trade route connecting Lake Baikal with Pekin ; and if the part of Mongolia lying east of this route supplies the whole of China with horses, the Russian move is a good one. It would seem that the grain, cattle, horses, iron, coal, beans, bean cake, bean oil, skins, gold, pigs' bristles, wild raw silk, and so on, will be of very material advantage lo Rus&ia in the event of the Powers dividing China into spheres of influence.

HATRED OF FOREIGNERS

-Right through Lord Beresford's bo-jx' one can see the intense unreasoning hatred that exists for "foreign devils." Missionaries, merchants, miners — anybody and eveiybody connected with the civilised races of tha Occident, meet with the antipathy of the ignorant masses, and of those' of "the rulingclasses who fatten on corruption. There seems lo be a number of viceroys, generals, and others of those in authority who foresee the break-up of the Empire unless some reform takes place in the immediate future * and these appear to be willing to welcome any system of control which may be putforward by Great Britain, the" United States, and Japan, providing the Empire be left intact.

THE ARMY.

Perhaps no, part of the break-up of China more clearly shows the utter corruption and helplessness of China than the state of her army. It numbers anything conceivable. The armies of the North, supposed to be 170,000 strong, are made up of Manchus commanded by Manclu princes. Every soldier of the Empire is supposed to receive 9s a month, but supposition is the most certain thing about the payment. There^ is no recognised system of drill, of payment, or of maintenance." Lord Beresford was granted every facility to review armies and inspect arsenals, and his criticisms are often rather remarkable and pungent. He visited one of the generals at Pekin who was in charge, of 10,000 men — that is, he received money to pay, feed, and clothe the&e ; but his actual command was 800 ! When inspection day is coming round he hires coolies at 200 cash a day (s^d). The inspecting officer knows, of course, all about the deception practised, but as he gets a share of the spoil, the army of 10,000 is returned as in perfect order! Only hi oi>o case did Beresford review an army anything like complete in detail according to European ideas. In one place he <■ uv the soldiers practising with bows and atrov>.~. &nd eyea then, ho said, it seemed as if

striking an attitude and not hitting the target was the main object.. The arsenals he found in some instances to be well equipped with the best British and German machinery ; but often enough the guns and ammunition turned out were faulty, obsolete, or made for forts and ships not in existence. One curious* gun made is called a gingal. This is carried on the shoulders of two men, while a third fires it. The artillery was good, bad, and indifferent ; but in no case does it seem that any provision is made for keeping a supply of shot and shell in the field with the gun, excepting what the men carry themselves ! Lord Beresford, from what he saw and heard, concluded that the Chinese would make splendid soldiers if properly trained, fed, paid, and clothed. They have all the characteristics necessary to make the soldier, being sober, obedient, easily managed, quick at learning, and brave. Mongolia, too, under British or any western control, could easily put into the field 100,000 Mongolian cavalry. If Russia annexes this province, and the cables say that Urga is to be occupied, this splendid force will be used by her to advantage. With coal, a good naval station, fertile provinces, a good army, and splendid cavalry, Russia will soon become a decided power in North China and on the Pacific.

IN JAPAN

After touring China, Beresford went to Japan, where he found a startling and agreeable contrast. At Nagasaki two ship yards were in full swing turning out steamers, one 6000 tons displacement, and a sister ship had just been launched. Over 4000 men were employed by one company. At Osaka the military arsenal was turning out a new quick-firing gun for field and horse artillery. The patent was a Japanese one, and the principle second to none. A magazine rifle, too, of Jap. design, and perfect in construction, was also being made. In Osaka, in addition to the dockyards and arsenal, there were cotton mills employing 5000, match factories employing 1500, and large steel and iron mills. Kyo£b he found lit up by electricity, which was also used in 60 industries and in piinvping for the waterworks. Telephones and telegraphs were everywhere. I haven't space to give anything like a detailed account of Lord Beresford's impressions of Japan, but he was fully convinced that as an ally against the sphere of influence doctrine, Japan will give invaluable aid.