The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-29
BLOCKING NAVIGATION.
Secretary Herbert's Action Will
Prove to BE wise One.

Secretary Herbert's Action Will
Prove to BE a wise One.
Washington, Sept. 2S.-Mail advices
received here from China, from sour
ces especially entitled TO credit, of
date early in August, are almost pro-
phetic of what has occurred there
since that date, and if the predictions
for the future hold good, Secretary
Herbert's action in largely reinforcing
the United States warships in Chinese
waters will be proved to have been a
very wise move. The advices describe
the measures which have been adop-
ted by the Chinese to block the navi-
CATION Of their rivers and the result
ing effect upon commerce. For one
thing, in the Hing Pc district, the Ha-
satus rock buoy, the Sean Yu split
buoy and the Nemesis Rock and IL
gers Tail beacons have been temper
arily removed. Lights have also been
removed and distractions placed at
the mouth of the river Peiko. AL
though the discontinusnce of the
lights, the presence at night of float
ing boom, and the laying of torpedoes
are obviously hindrances to the coming
and going of vessels, nevertheless,
with the exception of The Chinese
lines. shipping is being carried on as
usual and there are no indications
that merchants are Withholding their
cargoes. Trade to ensue, however, is
being adversely affected, as cipher
kilograms are no longer accepted, al
though they can be sent from Shang-
hal. A feeling of timidity as to the
safety of the business ventures with
Tien Tsin is naturally pervading the
business world The Chinese them
selves will not block the port, but the
Japanese are likely to do so at any
time. An effort was made to insure
immunity from the capture Of Japan
csc and Chinese vessels plying respec-
lively between their own ports and
common to neutral ports, but the con-
sent of the Japanese had not
at the date of the advice, been received
There was, however, a great menace TO
trade from another quarter, and II was
this that led to the appeals of foreign
merchants to their home governments
for the presence Of warShips in the
treaty ports Of China. 1t was gen
erallv expected by them that should
+he Chinese be defeated on their own
soil, exactly what happened already.
according to cable reports. the Chinese
soldiers would be demoraliZed and fall
to looting in every direction, commit
ting outrages. In that event, the slen-
der thread which sustains the obedi-
ence of the masses to the viceroy
would be snapped and pandemonium
would reign supreme.
The Chinese naturally hate the we'll
ordered management Of foreign COM
munity. and with disorder and confu-
sion everywhere, the peaceable and
well-regulated composure of a foreign
community is sure to excite the ami
mostly of soldiers infiamed by passion
and over whom control has been lost
The great treaty port of Tien Tsin is be-
lieved to be specially threatened in
such case. One prophetic statement in
the mail advices is as follows: I'm the
proportion to the disasters of war that
will surely overtake China will the
influence of the viceroy wane, and
should the defeat of the Chinese be
crushing one, he viii be absolutely in
capable of maintaining order Ii Hung
Chang has been a severe disciplinarian,
but with reverses. the masses will turn
upon him with the pent-up hatred OF
years. AS these defeats are coming to
pass. and the prophecy has already
been verified, as to LIS degradation, it
viii be matter of serious interest to
know how far the remainder of this
prediction shall be justified by the
events Of fha fltl1re >,