Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-10-31
war AR In TIE | EAST /. / 4
THE OUTLOOK rs Considered FAN
FROM REASSURING.
A GENERAL WAR Is FEARED.

- vSEy uEav 90 y
A GENERAL WAR Is FEARnD.'
should the Reports Prove TFue, -
War I'm Which Several NatfOns 4
Would Take Part II Probable. "
London. Oct. 27.-The dispatch from
Shanghai yesterday afternoon an
n0Nncing the departure of q feet OF
fifteen Russian warships from Vladl-
vostock for Ci1emulpO and Fusat,,
Corea, and the Times dispatch from
Hong Kong announcing that Russia.
has obtained the right to anchor her
fleet ut Port Arthur and construct
railroads on the Liao Tung peninsula,
have caused intense excitement in the
official circles here. as well as In those
having commercial relations with the
far East. These most important
statements are looked upon generally
as being sudden reopening in an UNI
expected quarter of the far Eastern
question in it's widest sense.
The Shanghai dispatch added that
the Japanese fleet in Formosan waters
. had been recalled, that several British
warships had been ordered to Corea,
and that preparations for the struggle
were visible on all sides. The Hong
Kong cable message to the Times
| caused that paper to remark editorial
ly to-day:
Russia cannot possibly imagine the
great powers will view with indiffer-
ence such destruction of the balance
of power which is almost unparal-
leled in it's audacity. China's option
to purchase the railways is jest at
most, too cynical to find place In
| any serious diplomatic transaction.
Under the indicated conditions Man
churia would, practically, BECOME q
Russian province. while Pekin would
be within Russia's grasp"
1t is admitted here that the situation
presented is so grave that, should the
news prove true, it would make war
in which several nations will take
part. more than probable. It should
be added that there is a strong reason
to believe that the story from Hong
Kong is authentic and all sources Of
information agree that the powers In
terested in the far East will find them
selves confronted by a condition of
| seriousness which cannot be over
estimated. 81. E8.a
| The afternoon papers will, to-day,
all publish long articles agreeing that
British Intervention in the far East 10
necessary.
| Looks Warlil<e.
Since this important news has cir
culated the greatest activity has been
displayed in the government Offices
here, particularly in the foreign Office
and the admiralty, and the coming
and going of messengers was con-
tinuous throughout the morning and
business hours of the day.
| At the different clubs the war
scare" in the East is eagerly discussed,
the grave situation of affairs in Ven-
ezllela having almost completely
dropped out of recollection in the
alarm of the moment. Nobody seems
to doubt the report that by the recent
ly agreed-upon Russo-China treaty
Russia has obtained rights to which
the most favored nation clause is not
applicable, which may cause great
war. The correspondent of the Times
ut Hong Kong, who sent the sensa-
tional news. is described by his news
paper as being in "close relations with
men who are able to penetrate be-
meath the surface of things" and it is
therefore concluded that the news he
has just sent cannot be disregarded.
Naturally, the public mind will be in
a state of great unrest until some Of
| fetal utterance either denies or con-
firms the important announcement,
which would leave Great Britain with
her hands full of troubles, large and
small, including the dispute with Bra
iii regarding Trinidad, the serious
misunderstanding with Venezuela on
the subject of the boundary lines, the
expedition preparing to reduce the
king Of Ashanti to submission, the
still serious state of affairs in Ar
:nenia. the unsettled state Of the
Egyptian question. and now the most
grave condition of affairs in the fur
EAST fs3