Smyrna times., 1895-10-30
A GREAT CRISIS IN THE EAST.

war scare because OF reports Wnlcn seemed
to be given credence of a treaty between
Russia and China whereby the latter would
be little less than Il protectorate of Russia.
The supremacy of Russia in China and espe-
ciallv the running of her great Siberian rail
way to Port Arthur cannot be endured 10y
England without tine most serious protest
The following from the New York Tribune.
Is "A strong presentation of a subject that in
trrc>tS Us in th United States as we'll as the
countries of the old world:
The news from Eastern Asia is start
ling. If it be true. its importance can
scarcely he exaggerated 1t places the
world on the brink of the greatest in
ternational conflict since the Napoleonic
wars. China. the cause of the trouble
and the probable scene of much strife
needs not to be taken in account But
at least three first-class Powers are i'm
mediatety concerned and two more
only little less directly. 1t is matter
almost of life or death to Great Britain,
Russia and Japan, and it is of great
Importance to France and Germany as
we'll vi ll4G III CT III Nl LLdL4tNls vi CIT
Britain and Japan are, of course, ma
tural allies. and Russia is their foe. OF
the others, France is Russia's ally, and
apart from that fact is almost as deeply
interested in the Russian side of the
case as is Russia herself Germany is
in a curious position She is habitually
hostile to Great Britain, and has acted
with France and Russia in Asian af-
fairs. Yet it seems incredible that she
should continue so to act in such case
as this. in which she would have little
10 gain, and in which her two most bit
ter enemies have so much to gain. One
cannot imagine Germany going to war
for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of France and
Russia; yet should war in the East
come, she would either have to do so or
to reverse her policy toward Great
Britain.
The case at present stand thus:
France and Russia have advanced China
money to pay her war indemnity to
Japan: the first time China has had
such dealings with European Power
They have thus acquired a lien upon
the Chinese Empire What France is
to get ont of il, in the south, does not
yet appear. But Russia, if current
news be true, has at last shown her
hand She is to have China's alleged
title to suzerainty over Corea She is
TO have Port Arthur. the ''Gibraltar of
the East, " for a naval station, giving
her control of the Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li
and the approaches to Peking. She is
to have the right to run her Siberian
railroads a thousand miles across Chin |
ese soil The main line from Lake
Baikal, after leaving Nertchinsk instead
of keeping to the north of the Amoor.
will strike boldly across Manchuria, up |
the Kailar Valley to Tsitsihar, and |
thence TO Vladivostock. From Tsitsihar |
also branch line will run down through |
LeaoTong to Port Arthur, thus giving |
the road two Pacific teYmini, one on the |
Sea of Japan and one at the head of the |
Yellow Sea, NTH Corea between them. |
AAtA0NAfA II AlNO dl'O ubOul W SEIZE L IL {
San, one of the chief Corean ports and |
the one nearest to Japan, fully com |
mandiIg COrea Strait, and it is added |
that she is to enjoy Ia China other i'm |
portant privileges denied to the rest of
the world. If such arrangements are
indeed to be executed, the British press |
Is well within bounds in saying that |
Russia has annexed China, the Pacific |
Ocean has become a Franco Russian
lake, and that the map of Asia is to be |
rolled up.
1t is not to be imagined for a moment |
that either Japan or Great Britain will |
aequiesce in such a monstrous grab by /
Russia. Should the former do so, she |
would lose all she gained in the war
with China, and much more. Indeed,
her own national independence would
be seriously menaced As for the lat
ter, her commercial interests in China
which are enormOus-ar at stake:
and there IS nothing for which she is
more ready to fight. Moreover. such a
stroke on Russia's part, and the CORE
spending one on Frances, which would
naturally follow. would seriously
threaten all of Great Britains Pacific
trade and the integrity of her Asian and
A"' Empire If, therefore,
occupies Fu-San, we |
may expect to see the British flag
promptly run up again at Port Hamil-
ton, and long before the Russians
reach Port Arthur British squadron
will have Tien-Tsin under its guns. An
alliance between Great Britain and !
Japan could drive every other Power
from the Pacific in short order, what
ever the result of the struggle else-
where might be. And, by the way the
Japanese have not yet evacuated Port
Arthur
The United States could scarcely be
drawn into such a war, if war there
should be. But it could not regard it
with anything resembling indifference.
It's sympathies wOnld, of course be
with GreatBritain and Japan and against
the Russian spoliatOr. That would /
be in part because Of our very consider
able commercial interests in those re-
giOns, which under the present system
bid fair to increase and prosper, but
which under Russian domination would |
be almost entirely destroyed. It would |
also be in part because of sentiment
such sentiment as is stronger than all |
other considerations. II was this
country that opened Japan to the
world and started that nation on it's
marvellous modern development, and
the relations between the two have |
ever been peculiarly close and strong.
1t was this country, too, that opened |
Corea, and, first of ali Western Powers
concluded treaty with her. A dozen |
years ago we recognized Corea's indey |
pendence, and established international |
relations with her on terms of equality.
We also formally pledged ourselves. in
ease any other Power should deal nm |
justly or oppressiyely with Corea, 10
exert our good offices, on being in |
formed of the case, to bring about an