A CHINESE QUESTION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 851, 9 August 1878, Page 3

A CHINESE QUESTION.

A London apodal says that Count Schouvalofl brought up at the Congress the questions of employing Indian troops in Europe in warfare and of selling arms to Asiatic tribes, especially to Chinese. Ho wished, he said, to invito the Congress to oiok upon this subject without passion, and regard it as affecting the interests and the very’ existence of European civilisation. Ho cited the opinion of eminent savans who had lately pointed out that liad the ancient G recks possessed even the rudest of our modem arms they could have rolled back the barbarian hordes who swept them away, but the experience of the late campaign had shown that war was no longer a contest in which superior physical strength and moral purpose would win the victory. Turkey, armed with the rilles made in the United States and entrenched in positions chosen and fortified by military skill, had been able to hold at bay for weeks the llower of the.Russian army, and the best, bravest, and most ardent of her soldiers. If the countless hordes of China and India were to be permitted to arm themselves wdth modern weapons and acquire a practical knowledge of the art of modem vyarfare there would be nothing to prov'eut them, from rolling forth into Europe and crushing Christian civilisation out of existence. ■ Especially were the Mongolians to he studied from this point of. view, and he.iuvitcd Congress to take the matter into serious consideration anil deliberate upon the practicability of a league of the European Powers, binding, them to abstain from employing Asiatic troops in Europe, and to prevent, as far as possible, the importation of arms of precision into Asia. Lord Beaconsfield is said to have made a rather light reply to this appeal. He said that,. at all events, the subject was not at all german to the objects of the Congress, and not now be discussed ; but SchouvalofTs remarks made a strong impression upou Prince Bismarck and Mr Waddington, and subsequently in private conversation he suggested that the subject was worthy of consideration by the Congress called expressly for that purpose.