The War Against China by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 1, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 31.

The War Against China

By Editor

No words can describe the awful, heartrending scenes of the opening of the great world war against China. Many have looked upon it as tho the carving up of China by the great Powers were only a day's diversion. So England looked upon the subjugation of South Africa. And now the best-informed men on Chinese matters, tell us that we know nothing about it. For instance, one of the best-informed journalists of the world, Mr. W. T. Stead, publishes in the Examiner-Journal, an article on the subject, from which we take the following excerpts:—

"The gravity of the crisis in China hitherto has never been realized, even faintly, in Europe, otherwise England would have long ago patched up any kind of truce in South Africa, which would have enabled her to have used her army for the defense of the present outposts of Western civilization. Even now, when the massacre of the Legations has sent a thrill through the world, few dream of the immensity and hopelessness of the struggle upon which they are invited to embark with such loud cries of vengeance.

"If the southern and western provinces remain impassive, the situation created by the killing of the Legationees is one which can be grappled with by the international allies; but if, as the news to-day seems to indicate, all China is up in arms, then the West can do nothing except singe the beard and inflict pin-pricks on the hide of the great Chinese dragon.

"One of the ablest ambassadors in London, who has made a life-long study of the Chinese question, expressed himself quite freely on this point. He said:

" 'If China really rises, the whole of Europe, with the addition of Japan and the United States, can do nothing except to put a girdle of iron around the Chinese frontier, and leave the Chinese to stew in their own juice for eighty years.' "

But isolation is what China desires. But, O, the awful cost of it all!