CHINA.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume III, 1 October 1900, Page 81

CHINA.

The muddle in China appears to be no nearer a satisfactory conclusion than it was a month ago. Utterly ridiculous and infeasible attempts at peace negotiations bearing throughout a strong sense of injured innocence peculiar to the heathen Chinee have been made. These have received the natural reply that they cannot be entertained until those responsible have been sufficiently punished for the enormities they have caused to be perpetrated. And herein liea tho difficulty. From the actions' of tho Chinese Government — a title which one has to give that body out of courtesy — it would appear that it is not disposed to take the responsibility of either pleading guilty itself, or producing those on whom it casts the blame, and delivering them up to just punishment. Such dilly-dallying, however harmless it might be, if long-suffering Britain was the only nation with which it had to deal, must necessarily be suicidal to the interests of a country which has for its enemies the Powers of Europe, who, although they are operating under the name of Allies, each have their own projects to work out, and their own methods of operation. The gruesome detailed accounts of the massacre and mutilation of missionaries and converts which are constantly coming to hand make one very impatient of the delay in the final retribution, although one cannot but regard with horror the manner in which Russia is re. taliating in Manchuria,