The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 232, 8 January 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1898.

The Chinese Question is that of the hour, it is significant that Li Hung Chang, the cx-Yiceroy, has been recalled and has stated that it was desired to open Chinese ports to all the Powers. lie is far-seeing enough to recognise that the day has passed when China can maintain the state cf isolation which she has insisted upon for so many centuries. Japan has pricked the bubble. France, Germany and Russia have each nude the attempt to secure special trade advantages over specified districts, but Lord Salisbury has put in the claim of Great Britain under the most favoured nation clause of the existing treaty, to equal concessions to those granted to any other Power, and is not in the least likely to swerve from the demand. The complete opening up of the country to the trade of the world appears to bo the readiest way of tiding over present difficulties, to attempt a division of (he Empire between European states at the present time is apparently recognised on all hands as being too risky an

experiment-. In this respect Turkey and China are in very much the same position, except that the former is much more capible than China of resisting the process of dismemberment. The European nations ?.re not prepared to fight over these matters, nnd a clear-headed diplomatist like Li Hung Chang is not likely to voluntarily bring such a result about. China would stand to lose no matter what the consequences to the belligerent Powers. Free access to the country and freo scope to tho capital, energy and business capacity of tho western nations would for a time at any rate keep the Empire intact, and at the same time add enormously to the happiness and prosperity of the people. There are large tracts of this very ancient country, such as parts of Manchuria, Mongolia and Northern Korea, which are well suited for the settlement of white men, unexplored by the engineer and the railway contractor ; in fact the same may be snid of the whole of China. Britain by the treaty of 185 S acquired tho right for Europeans to reside in and trade at several places on the sea coast or large rivers. A tariff of duty on tho basis at five per cent, was agreed upon, and on a further payment of half that rate all inland ami transit dues were commuted. British goods have in consequence penetrated throughout the whole of China and the volume of trade is not considered by our merchauts as capable of much expansion, unless the nation progresses. As to how this is to be brought about India furnishes the answer—railways, freedom of inland traffic, the working of mines and reform generally in the administration of affairs. It is to bo presumed that these will follow on tho opening of the country to Europeans. The narrow and selfish policy of France, Russia and Germany will be thwarted, nnd tho whole world will start fairly in the race for tho Celestial trade. There now appears to be little chance of hostilities over the business. If all get equal concessions the cause of the quarrel should vanish.