The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1912. CHINA'S OUTLOOK.

Southland Times, Issue 17010, 6 April 1912, Page 5

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1912. CHINA'S OUTLOOK.

“Think of all the things which In your opinion can possibly happen, and decide that' none of them will, and that something quite unexpected and unthought of is what will arrive.” This is what an old resident had to say recently when questioned regarding China’s outlook. It looks to-day as if the Cantonese oligarchy which assumes the name of the Republican ■ Government of China will come out on top. The Manchu Emperor is a child of five years, born and bred in seclusion, and although he has the prestige of being the descendant of great men and the nominee of a great woman, he has been unfortunate in being called upon to follow on his throne three successive nonentities. Such a sovereign could hardly be expected to inspire the enthusiasm of the fighting man in his cause, either , in the fields of politics or of war. i The dynasty fell on evil times. The Regency had been a failure, largely < because the Regent had been unable to keep discipline even in his own i family, which is the strongest evidence i of character weakness the Chinese ■ mind can conceive. To say that the growing corruption of Manchuism has been an affair of a year or two would j be misstating the case, though it may be fairly said that its worst stage of I political putrefaction, with all its ■ malodorousness, has been reached ( only at a recent date. In the earlier f days of the Imperial decadence, every selfish politician, every place-hunting 1 toady, Chinese or Manchu, had his • chance of ousting the more capable [ and honest man and acquiring his share of the spoils of office if he could pay for his chance of laying hold of them. The spoils were not entirely a Manchu perquisite, and, although that i clan got more than Its share, there were enough Chinese beneficiaries under the system to make a solid bunch which, on the principle of Benjamin Franklin, hung together to avoid hanging—or decapitation—separately. The debacle of the dynasty has been coming since the plums of office have been inordinately appropriated by a greedy and extravagant coterie of princes, nrincesses, dowagers, and satollfties.

There was nothing then left for. the clever young Chinese, who are in a hurry to see their American and Japanese education and Treaty Port experience bear golden fruit, but to change the regime, not only that, but to get rid of the old school, and the old men. Hence the cry, “The Manchus must go.” If they had said that Manchuism must go, one could entirely sympathise with them. Manchu autocracy—probably all legitimist autocracy—in China is gone for ever. The chance of a Republic being able to keep hold on a nation, once an Empire, is, however, extremely unlikely. The Government will no doubt endeavour to establish and maintain itself under difficulties with limited enthusiastic support and probably much passive indifference not far removed from opposition. To got out ot this uncertainty there is but one policy—wait and see. China must be left to herself to do her own business in her own way, so long as she plays the game, even if she plays it unskilfully. It might become another question if she tried to play it unfairly. One thing, however, is absolutely certain to call for consideration at a very early date, and that is the financial prospect in China. The New Government has had to face empty treasuries, national and provincial, and one of its first necessities will be to replenish the empty treasuries with funds, almost of necessity borrowed, to carry on till a stable fiscal and a proper currency system are established. That it ■will be its duty to immediately set to work to establish both goes without saying.