Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-07
FRANCE DRIFTINGTOW WAR
CHINA SHOWS BUTLITTLE FEAR
OF THE RESULT.

The French to Blockade the Ports of
Canton and Seaker Unless Chinese
Troops are Withdrawn from the Ton
quin FrOntier-China VIII Not Sane
tiOn the Hue Treaty
LONDON, Sept. Ga private letter from
Pekin says Ii Hung Ching is really in ia
vor of peaceable solution OF the diff
Guilty with France, while the intriguers.
who surround the court, are urgent in
their cry for war. Prime Kung. one of
the conservative members Of the govern
ment, expresses the opinion that war
will be the signal for number of out
breaks in the empire. The Empress is
reported to be even fearful for the perma-
nency of the dynasty, and is inclined TO
favor such measures as shall secure
peace.
The Standards Hong Kong dispatch
says that the people of China seem 10
have little fear of the result of a war with
France, and believe that with their new
armament and the vastly improved dis
cipline of their forces, the nation is far
better able to cope with a foreign enemy
now than 1t was in the war of 1860. A
Chinese paper urges immediate action to
prevent the annexation by the French
of any portion of the Chinese territory.
and expresses Indignation that such at
tempts should have been made at time
Wnen emma was at peace with France
"A large number of Chinese who have been
employed on board French vessels have
deserted and the Captains find great diff
Guilty in obtaining hands.
The Times prints n dispatch from Hong
Kong which says that adyices received
there from Haiphong announce that the
French will blockade the ports of Canton
and Seaker unless the Chinese trOODs are
withdrawn from the Tonquin frontier. 1t
is stated that Chinese merchants are
learning caution because their letters are
opened and they distrust Canton.
The Times, in an editorial to-day. saws
that France is steadily drifting into war
with China. The latter is vulnerable
only in those ports which occupy a quasi
international position, and any blow
struck there would be felt throughout
Europe. The shock to the English trade
in the East Indies would be most disas-
trous, and the relations between
England and France would be serious
ly embittered thereby. a dislocatiOn
of the cotton trade would put
out of employment thousands of opera
tlves in the Lancashire factories and the
revenue to the British Crown from India
would show a serious deficit. The Times
points out that in the event of war Ameri-
cans, Germans, Japanese, and even
Chinese themselves would secure more of
the foreign and cOasting trade in the East
than France.
\ correspondent at Hong Kong tele-
graphs that he has had an interview with
Nlceroy Chang Shiee Sine, who had lust
arrived to take charge of Southern China.
The NicerOy admitted that consider
able number Of troops were massiDg
ON the frontier of Tonquin, but said
that none had been ordered to
cross the frontier, although many
deserted to the black flags everyday.
He declared that China would not sane
ton the Hue treaty, and thought the
french must make a proper arrangement
with Marquis Iseng, or war would be in
evitable. lie thought that the French
seizure of the Chinese customs would not
seriously hurt Chiaa, as they are mostly
hypOthecated to English bankers.
a dispatch from Paris to the Exchange
Telegraph Company saws that MARQUIS
Tseng, the Chinese Ambassador. under
Instructions from his government, has
demanded the withdrawal OF France from
the Hue treaty. NJ. Ferry, the French
Prime Minister, refused to comply with
the demand, but assured the MARQUIS
that France was willing to give China the
necessary guarantee for the integrity of
her frontier.
PARIS, Sept. Ga dispatch from Hong
Kong, dated to-day, says that no Chinese
men-ol-War have arrived there from the
north. Three Chinese transports reached
Hakol fortnight ago, with $50 regulars
ana l,I5O militia, and they arrived at
canton on Saturday last on board a mer-
chant steamer. Large quantities of sup
plies and provisions are being collected
and stored at Canton.