The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-28
CoREA, CHINA AND JAPAN.

The almost certain prospect of war
between China and Japan marks an
era in Oriental affairs, where, after
thousands of years of crystaIzed' con-
servatism, the Monaghan hive is taking
on the energies of modern Europe and
adopting the resources of modern civili-
cation. Few comprehend the far-reach-
ing consequences certain to ensue from
such awakening, when the reserve
power of four hundreds of millions be-
comes conscious of its latent strength,
as it is certain to become in a pro-
tracted war in which the tactics and
armament of the civilized powers will
be employed, in connection with I'M
limited resources of capital and equal
ly limitless resources in men.
The Chinese have been conscious and
fearful of the inevitable conflict GER
tain to occur when two such diverse
civilizations as the Monaghan and
Christian were to come in contact. But
the resistless march of Russia across
the Asiatic continent has at last
brought them into conflict, and the war
between Japan and China is but the
elimination of the far-sighted and
willy diplomacy directed from st. Pc
tersburg which has been the policy of
the Russian government since the
Crimean war assured her that Russian
development westward was impractic-
able
How far the jealousysof England may
be depended upon to thwart the
schemes of Russia in this direction is
not clear, beyond the fact that since
| the projection of the trans-continental
railway between st. Petersburg and
| Valdivistock, which latter is the Pacific
terminus of the railway, and lies just
north Of the Corean border, it is certain
that she has let no opportunity pass
! to prevent Chinese opposition to Russian
schemes. But the efforts of England
have done little more than cement the
! friendship between France and Russia
and the Tonquin war demonstrated
! that this understanding on oriental af-
| fairs was too close to admit of success
/ full Intervention by England
In the diplomatic correspondence be-
tween the powers on Chinese affairs the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of China has been a
/ favorite argument of the Russian gov
eminent, on grounds. that the enormous
/ latent strength of China was a menace
! to civilization itself, were Europe to
permit it's unified development; and it
must be admitted that however selfish
/ this inspiration by Russia may be, it is
a fact that China is the only power
yet remaining in the world whose de-
J
cation or be capable of repeating those
disasters which have repeatedly swept
over the civilized nations from the
Asiatic hive.
| 1t is not China nor Japan whose in
terests in Corea have seemingly led to
a war between them, but it is a practi-
cal result of Russian interests that
renders Corean independence fncompat IL
/ Bile with the interests Russia has ac-
quired in the region through her neces-
sity for a stronger base ON the Pacific
/ ocean, and which her vast schemes of
railroad development in Siberia have
now made imperative. 1t is this that
gives TO the prospect of war between
IChina and Japan its gravity as a source
| of International complications that are
likely to lead to a general war, unless
the European powers may compose
their interests by some plan of recipro-
city in the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Oriental
nations.
, The acquisition of Tonquin by France,
| led to the practical acquisition of the
Shan states by England, and it is pro-
bable that this acquiescence carried
{ with it the practical control of Corea
/ by Russia. England's position of ac-
| quiescence is forced upon her by her
possessions in India, and Russia may
force her acquiescence in the north, by
a diplomatic demonstration on the
Himalayas.
/ However, is seems certain that
France is cooperating with Russia and
that England would be powerless to
meet the results of the alliance without
the assistance of Germany or the
United States, and it is not likely that
either of these would interfere except
to maintain the integrity of Japan,
which, in the efforts of Europe to main
tain balance of power in Asia, is
likely to be the most benefited by the
/ impending conflict.