THE WORLD-PROBLEM

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 24, 1900

THE WORLD-PROBLEM

still grows more complicated. The governors of three provinces in central China have openly joined Prince Tuan, the leader of the Boxer movement, and marched with their armies to Peking. Prince Tuan has now an army of nearly a million. They have attacked the Russians in Manchuria, and even on the border of Siberia; and have posted placards announcing their purpose to march from Peking to Nanking,—about six hundred miles southward along the Grand Canal,—as they go “to burn and destroy churches and chapels, and then telegraph and post-offices, telegraph stations, colleges, and schools,” and “to drive away foreigners, so as to keep the empire in peace and comfort.” Up to July 17 only the German and the Russian ministers were known to be killed: on that day a dispatch was sent to Washington by the American minister.

On the part of “the allied Powers,” Tientsin has been taken after hard fighting by seven thousand troops, of whom seven hundred were killed or wounded, two hundred and fifteen of these being Americans. The American forces now in China, or else on the way there, amount to sixteen thousand; and several States have offered to the national government, troops for war on China, and other States declare themselves ready to do so. The other Powers are sending troops also. Britain is landing her forces on the Yang-tse-Kiang to insure order there, and also to guard her interests in the Yang-tse-Kiang valley—the British “sphere of influence.” Jealousy among “the allied Powers” is very plainly showing itself—just now over the question of who shall be commander-in-chief of the “allied troops:” Germany objects to a British commander-in-chief, and further says, on authority, that the “Russians would not fight under either a British or a Japanese commander.” Thus Russia, Japan, and Britain are excluded from naming him; and it is thought the choice may fall to France. This jealousy, however, may possibly cause such a deadlock that each Power will go its own way with its own commander; and if that shall be, then it is understood to be inevitable that China will be partitioned at once. And if that shall come, then the danger is that there will be war among the Powers themselves.

Thus in any aspect that may be considered, the China crisis presents not only the world-problem, but also the greatest tangle that this world has ever seen.

Some of our ministers holding tent-meetings are reporting that the presidential campaign and the trouble in China are so occupying the attention of the people that “it is hard to get them to listen to the Third Angel’s Message.” This is a sad showing; for of all things just now, these are the things of the Third Angel’s Message. To preach to the people the soon coming of the Lord and preparation to meet him in peace, is the Third Angel’s Message. And this trouble among the nations—the United States among them—that centers in China, is itself one of the plainest signs—more than once given in the Bible—of the Lord’s soon coming. Instead of being in any sense hindrances, these things are mighty helps in getting the people to listen to the Third Angel’s Message in all its fullness. Preach the message, and the people will listen.