Sir Robert Hart on China.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11660, 21 January 1901, Page 1

Sir Robert Hart on China.

AN UNPLEASANT FORECAST (London Spectator.)

We can see no reason for the suspicion, or even contempt, with which Sir Robert Hart's paper in the Fortnightly Review for November on the explosion in China appears to be regarded. It is the firat consistent and intelligible account of that extraordinary movement which has reached Europe from the spot. Sir Robert is admitted to be one of the ablest administrators in the world, and he has been forced by bis position as Chief Commissioner of Chinese Customs into an unequalled knowledge of all classes of Chinamen, from the great mandarins who advise, and perhaps sometimes control, the Throne, and the great merchants who stand between the European importers and the people, to the smugglers who try to evade the internal transit duties. If only from his tmrivalled experience, his opinion when frankly expressed — and in this paper he is unexpectedly frank — would be of the highest value; and there is another reason for paying to it careful attention. Sir Robert regards himself as a great 1 Chinese joificial, perhaps has become, as The Times intimates, a Chinaman in feeling; and the opinion of a sane Chinaman who understands European ways of thinking, yet stands close to the actual centre of Chinese affairs, is precisely what Europe wishes, and needs, to know. There is. at all events, no mistaking what that opinion is. Sir Robert Hart affirms that the people tof China, stung by their recent humiliations, alarmed by the never ceasing efforts to revoluntionise their special civilisation, and convinced that partition will ultimately be attempted, have risen upon Europe in self-defence. The explosion is one of " patriotic" feeling. The Court, which shared the popular impulses in their keenest form, resolved tp give them military expression, but influenced by advice from their ambassadors abroad, rejected the' plan constantly pressed them by Europeans — e.g., Lord C. Beresfor.d — of forming a strong and disciplined artny, and resolved to rely upon armed volunteers, with the' distinct object of resisting further foreign dictation, if not of driving foreigners out of the country. Some sort of hint was giveh throughout the provinces, and the response was instantaneous. Everywhere armed asso-' ciations — the Boxers — arose, a superstitious idea spread fast that the {volunteer* could not be defeated, and with the assent of the dynasty, though probably not of every individual Manchu noble, the massacres began. All Europeans were ■threatened — even, as appears from his 'actions, Sir Robert Hart himself — many were murdered, all Chinese who had be- ! come Christians were extirpated as renegade adherents of the foreigner, and even ! the residences of the European, American, and Japanese ambassadors were bombarded. There was some hesitation about this crowning act of defiance, due, Sir Robert thinks, to an impression in some powerful quarter that this outrage would be resented as other outrages would not — an idea, it will be remembered, repeatedly expressed by Li. Hung ■Chang— but still the bombardment- went on, and the ambassadors owed their lives to the courage of the defence and the slow but successful aid of Europe. The movement therefore, was not the rfesult of any «cidett^ or any plot, or any burst of rage^from {he fierce Empress, but of a sentiment on the part of all Chinamen which in other countries would be as patriotic, and in Sir Robert Hart's judgment it will go on., The patriotic impulse, he affirms, has fired the popular heart, and the flame will burn steadily, all Chinese— and they are four hundred millions— -having one dominant feeling, "China for the Chinese; out with the foreigner." . "The Boxer movement," says Sir Robert, "ig, doubtlees the project of official inspiration, but it has taken hold of the popular imagination, and will spread 'like wildfire all over the length and breadth of the country; it is, in short, a purely patriotic volunteer move-: ment, and its object is to strengthen China — and for a Chinese programme. Its first experience has not been alto gether a success as regards the attainment through strength of proposed ends— the rooting up of foreign cults and the ejection of foreigners, but it is not a failure in respect of the feeler it put out — will volunteering work? —or as an experiment that would test the ways and means and guide future choice; it has proved how to a man the people will respond to the call, and it has further demonstrated that the twords and spears to which the prudent official mind confined the initiated will not suffice, but must be supplemented or replaced by Mauser rifles and Krupp guns; the Boxer patriot of the future will possess the best weapons money can buy, and then the 'Yellow Peril ' will be beyond ignoring. . • . Twenty millions or more of Boxers, armed, drilled, disciplined, and animated by patriotic — if mistaken — motives, will make residence } in China impossible for foreigners, will take back from foreigners everything foreigners have taken from China, will pay off old grudges with interest, and will carry the Chinese flag and Chinese arms into many a place that even fancy will not suggest to-day, thus preparing { for the future upheavals and disasters j never even dreamt of. In 50 years' time there will be millions of Boxers in serried ranks and war's panoply at the call of the Chinese Government — there is not the slightest doubt of that !" That is a pleasing prospect for Europe to consider, painted by the manr who knows China best, and whose interest, had he been insincere, would have induced him to write iv a verjr different description, one representing the movement as a passing rebellion for which the Manchu dynasty was irresponsible, the description, in fact, given by Li Hung Chang. It is not the more pleasing because.it accords with all known facts, with the ever-spreading area of the movement, with the transfer of the capital to a secure spot, with the instant sway of remittances and volunteers towards the spot, and with the latest telegram which summons China to call out fresh bodies of volunteers.

But has Sir Robert Hart, with his vast experience, no remedy to suggest ? None, or at least none which he ventures openly to defend. He does, indeed, say that if China becomes Christian, the calamities he foresees will be averted, but that is only saying that if God in his mercy works a miracle— for it took 300 years to convert the far more accessible Rouian Empire— everything will go right. We all believe that, but then very few of us expect the miracle. He also says that it will be wise of the Powers to support the Manohu dynasty, because there is no other available, and, therefore, to "save the face " of the dynasty by " oondoning the lawlessness of the present outbreak"; but that is clearly only his functional opinion as a paid servant of the dynasty. It is a little too absurd to describe with such force the danger of a method of Chinese organisation, devised and sane* tioned by the present Government, and then to speak of protecting that Government as the best preventive of the danger. Europe may be compelled by irresistible ciroumstanoes to tolerate the dynasty; but if it is, the great danger on which Sir Robert Hart's eyes are fixed will clearly go on increasing ;and increasing until the next explosion. That cannot be the real conviction of Sir Robert'i mind, wbioh we greatly fear it

4 IIHIWMMM— il »ul.lll IHI ■•Xi- .... -_»^ W< k ~ ~ to be sought in a siigpcstioa which lie, with a lilt r.n \ lulroifiioss :irul skill porefptihlc in .s(_\-xt;il portions of his paper, put. in Hi'> fallow, i;g fenn:- — ■If Ih<- j\fA\ ers could ajn'- •■' among ti'>-!jiv^lv< «. nil («.;rtmon China at once, arnl, Ilit'ivutvVi-. vith a common undeit I'ulinj.'. yive fullest ofp vt in Iho old .'I.. :k <.' al a. and di^-omvyt? nnlihinsni — 11. 'ke it a law <lrii notiv.* of their new bubject-; could drill, enlist, or carry anna — prohibit their own and other nations from there tnjpiging in any kind of trade iti arm*. — ami employ only their own race for military and police work there, it is possible that the peaco-Joving, lawabiding, industrious Chinaman might be kept in leading-strings until the lapse of centuries had given other civilising influences time to work through successive generations, and so change the composition and tendency of the national thought and feeling of the future as to carry it into 'that sphere of international life where friendly relations, common interests, and international comity take the place of dictation, jealousy, 'and racehatred, and thus blot out the 'Yellow Peril ' from the future of humanity." If that is the best suggestion, we can only say bad is the best. We greatly doubt if Europe is strong enough to bear China on her shoulders, and certainly, if she is, China would be the heaviest " burden " the white man has ever vet lifted. J