THE CHINESE CRISIS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3014, 7 November 1891, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE CHINESE CRISIS.

The Allgemeine Zeitung, in an editorial on a despatch from China published on September 3rd, to the effect that tho situation in China is exceedingly grave, says : The disturbances in Central China and the anxiety that has been produced in all treaty ports have come as an unpleasant awakener from the sense of security into which we had allowed ourselves to sink through a mistakeu belief that China had become a thoroughly civilised country, and that tho Chinese peoplo entertained only friendly feelings for foreigners. The weakness of the central Government is tho most disturbing fact, for we looked mainly to its influence and example to remove the popular hostility. So long as tho Pokiu authorities were supremo and tho writ of the Emperor ran unquestioned throughout the provinces there was little or no ground for anxiety, as discreet diplomatic pressure was always sufficient to obtain the needed redress. But there are waves of hostile opinion passing through the millions of Chinese which they cannot control, and which threaten to ombarrass and destroy them. Tho grave facts in the situation are the youth of the Emperor, the absence of any persons with supreme influence and weight with the throne since the death of Prince Chun, and the unfriendly suspicions that unmistakably prevail among the court faotion and Li Hung Chang. The centr.il Government has no better chance of escaping from the difficulties which surround it than to place its interest unreservedly in the hands of Li Hung Chang, who, notwithstanding many temptations and harsh treatment, Ims proved himself tho loyal servant of the Imperial house during the Inst thirty years. If the duty of tho Chines•> Governmont is to take prompt action, tho duty of the foreign Powers to protect the in« tnrests of their subjects, and to maintain the hard-earned position of neutrality whioh has been acquired, is not lese 01ea ,, . It is gratifying to rind that the Govern« ments of France, America, England, and Rua.-ua are completely in agreement with ourselves as to the necessity of upholding thti rights of foreigners in China, and providing for their general security by force.

It is thought that tho outbreak was caused by tho general relaxations in the last five years or more of the pressure kept applied to Cliineso officials, local and imperial, by foreign Ministers and Consuls to " keep them up to tho mark," in regard to treaty obligations and their general duties to Europeans. This relaxa* tion is due to the desire of every European Govorument, for reasons of one sort or another, to stand woll with tho Pokin Government, and tho coufequence was that the pressure on the petty local officials abated in a like manner, and also the pressure by the latter on the mobs and on their leaders, the literati and the ge»try, who aru consumed with hatred of foreigners. It is pointed out also by persons in authority to speak on the matter that the places where all those outrages have taken plaee are precisely those into which European charity wm poured duriug the recent famine. Pork.—The prejudice against pork as a wholesome article of food is as old as the Mosaic dispensation, if not as old as the Jewish religion. The objootion, so far as any reason is given for it, is based on the fact that the hog does not chew the cud. The construction of the stomach, of course, prevents rumination and does away with the necessity for it. The longer intestinal canal of tho hog soeras to bo given it in placo of a series of stomaohs. A more reasonable physiological objection would be the_ fact that tho hog does not perspire: neither does tho ox. At the first excess of heat the ox begins an extra use of tho lunge, opens his mouth, and runs out his tongee. The sweat ducts are Tory important organs of the hog, and their stoppage is at once followed by sicknese. The waste matter which is thrown off in perspiration by somo animals is hft for other organs of of secretion to carry out of the system of the hog. Yet thp skin of the hog is not ■without performing its depurating office, as is readily seen by the scurf that is often excreted. The kidneys have to do the work of gottiug rid of eurplus in the porcine system. But just how much the passage of a portion of this water through the pores of the skin would aid in cleansing the body is not precisely known. It must do something towards clearit.g out the ducts, but it docs~moro in carrying off surplus heat, which is verv oppressive to animals that do not perspire. Tho evaporation caused by sweating kelps very much to redu;e the temporature. Tho character of tho meat furnished by tho hog depends muck upon its surroundings.