THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1894. CHINA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2745, 1 December 1894, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1894. CHINA.

Australians who during the past few years have been working themselves into a nervous state of excitement through fear of a Chinese invasion will, we think, breathe easier now that they witness the result of the China-Japan war. Judging by what has so far occurred, vast as China is, and great as are her resources, we doubt if she could conquer one Australian colony. For several years theorists have told us that China could send an army to Australia that would completely swamp us. It would be, they said, a case of 400.000. against 4,000,000, and the numbers would win. In the same way another set of theorists hold that eventually the white men will be completely annihilated by the darker Eastern races, •but the Coreau war will, we think, upset these calculations. If a smaller nation like Japan, who*a population is under 40.000. 000, can send au iuy.ading army into China with its popnlafcipp of 400.000. and conquer all along the Uno, the question arises What would British troops do? And what could a combination of western powers do to resist the incursions of the eastern powers '( Japan is undoubtedly a progressive nation, and has advanced wonderfully during the past 20 J6HVS, but she is 100 years behind yet, and would in pyont of war be greatly at a disadwM'tftge. Put though so much inferior to European SQmP GO3, she is able to defeat China on hep .own soil, and this shows how backward is. There is something extraodinary fp this, for the Chinese in a recent war with Prance gave an excellent account of themselves. I.fc lias also been said that they have bean adopting Jthe arms and training themselves after the manner of western nations, and they were getting up the estimation of experts as a repsectable ilitar y » a^ n - , Their defeat, therefore, is uu ,-oected,jmd gjves coloring to the charges made a " aiu3t iA [lung Chang, who is accused of treachery. Li Hung Chang has of late years been spoken of as a very enlightened statesman, who sympathised with western ideas, and was endeavouring to introduce them into his own country as much as possible. In the Taiping rebellion the same gentleman figured conspicuously, but not always to advantage. This was the war in which General Gordon was engaged, and earned the soubriquet of « Chinese Gordon.” Li Hung Chang had thou a narrow escape from being shot down like a dog by General Gordon. The circumstances were as follow :—Gordon, of course, desired to conduct the war according to western ideas, and opposed vehemently the Chinese system of slaughtering prisoners. When Soochow fell, the Chinese General, Clung, told Gordon that Li Hung Chang, the Governor, had given orders that the prisoners should be treated mercifully. Learning afterwards that deceit was practised on him, and the prisoners were cruelly butchered by the order of Li, Gordon armed himself with a revolver, and spent several days searching for him.

The Governor hid himself, and after an unsuccessful search Gordon decided to resign the command of the ever-victorious army. Li, too, was guilty of another mean act. He took to himself credit for having won the battle of Soochow, and obtained the yellow jacket, of which he has been recently stripped. Gordon’s services were also recognised with a medal and £250, but, regarding this as an insult, he seized his cane and flogged the Emperor’s messengers from his presence. Gordon having resigned, Li took command, and shortly afterwards the evervictorious army was defeated, with the result that Li was very glad to gei| Gordon to assist him again. The’ end was that Li found he could not do without Gordon, and henceforward was prepared to do him justice. This led to a better understanding between them, and in one of hie letters Gordon wrote of Li as follows : only man in China I have seen worth anythingjis Li. That the execution of the Wangs at Soochow was a breach of faith, there is no doubt, but there are many reasons for his action, which is not at all a bad act in the eyes of the Chinese. In my opinion Li Hung Chang is the best man in the Empire; has correct ideas of his position, and, for a Chinaman, has most Liberal tendencies.” This is the man whom Gordon wanted to shoot, and the man who is now threatened with being executed for treachery. Li Hung Chang, however, is not likely to lie down quietly and let his head be cut off. He is called the “ Bismarck of China, a man of blood and iron,” and, for a Chinaman, is a great reformer. He has, according to the cablegrams, a very large following, and if he were to -lead a rebellion in the present condition of the country who knows what the result may be ? As for the indictment of the 120 high officials, who accuse him of treachery, there never yet has risen a reformer in a country governed on the Chinese system who did not make enemies of the highest officials. We, therefore, cannot believe the charges made against Li, but it is possible that the whole thing may lead to a rebellion, and consequently to the crippling of China. At any rate, we in these colonies need not be afraid of the yellow plague.