The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13
ALL EYES ON China,
Great Britain'S DiplO-
mats Will Not Stand
Any Nonsense.
LORD SALISBURY FIRM.
His Ultimatum May Demand
the Degradation of Chang
Chih Tung.
NOT TO PASS THE DARDANELLEs
English Warships Not Likely tc
Proceed to ConstantinopIe as
Has Been Reported.


Admiralty; the Duke of Devonshire, presi-
dent of the council, and the Right Hon.
Arthur j. Balfour, First Lord of the Treas
ury. have been summoned by Prime Min
lister Salisbury to conference in London.
These officials, with the Right Hon. Joseph
Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the
Colonies, form council within the Cabi-
net. They are preparing decisions on
which the Plenary Councils opinion will
be known. Goschen's hurried arrival
from Switzerland yesterday and his long
subsequent stay at the Admiralty created
the impression that dangerous develop
ments are impending, involving action on
the part of the British Mediterranean
squadron.
Reliable Foreign Office opinion is how
ever, that it is not the Turkish Govern
ment, but that of China which is earnestly
engaging the attention of the Ministers.
Viceroy Chang Chih Tung, undaunted by
the demonstration made lately by the
British feet on the Min River and the
Yang-tse-Kiang, has curtly refused to be
used as a medium to convey to Peking
the British demands for fuller inquiry into
the Kucheng massacre and reparation
therefor. 1t is believed Great Britain will
not remain content with the action she
has already taken. It is generally expected
that another ultimatum will be sent stimuli
taneously to Chang Chih Tung and the
Government at Peking within the next few
days.
Probably Lord Salisbury will consult
with the full Cabinet before the ultimatum
is sent, as the official expectation is that
the official issue of this ultimatum will be
| followed by action on the part of the
British squadron in the Chinese waters
The position recalls a speech that was
made by Lord Salisbury as far back as
1871 during debate in the House of Lords
on the massacre of missionaries in Tien-
tsin. He then said that the Government
of China did not have the power, even if it
had the will, to prevent the native feeling
against foreigners eliminating in out
RACES. The only way to deter the Chinese
from committing such outrages was to
inspire fear in the places where they oc-
Cured.
It is the conviction in official circles that
Lord Salisbury is inspired by the same
opinion now and that he means to take
decisive action. 1t is believed that the ul-
timatum will demand the summary degra-
dation of Chang Chih Tung. If the Peking
Government hesitates in conceding the
British demands startling reprisals will be
| made within the region accessible to the
| squadron on the expiration of the period
fixed by the ultimatum. AS Chang Chih
Tung is, next to Ii Hung Chang, the most
! potent man in China, it is feared that
the Tsung Ii Yamen will try to evade the
demands
With the exception OF the news that the
Porte is preparing to bar the passage of
the Dardanelles with mines to re-enforce
the troops and to strengthen the forts
works, the position of affairs in Turkey,
according to the latest Foreign Office ad-
vices, is more satisfactory.
| The British squadron remains at the
| Island of Lemnos. at the entrance of the
Dardanelles, despite the request of the
Sultan that the feet be taken to more
distant point. Whatever else may happen
| no coup like the absurd canard reported
from Vienna last night, to the effect that
the feet was ready to sail for Constanti-
nople and that Russian squadron was
anchored near the Bosphorus, is within
the range of probability. If the British
| feet ultimately appears at Constantinople
it will be after due formalities that will be
announced the world over.
| In the meantime the best informed diplo-
matte opinion here regards pacific settle
ment of the pending questions as almost
certain, the Sultan granting the full con-
cessions demanded in connection with
Armenia. The situation appears to be so
much ameliorated that there will be no
| plenary Cabinet council called until the
end Of the month, the usual time for the
Ministry to begin to consider the Parlia.
mentary programme.
The Westminster Gazette says that peo-
pie are asking why the Cabinet does not
meet, forgetting that Government business
Is now carried on by an inner Cabinet con-
sisting of Lord Salisbury, the Right Hon.
G. J. Goschen, First Lord of the Admiralty
the Duke of Devonshire, President of the
Council; the Right Hon. Arthur J. Bal
four, First Lord of the Treasury, and the
Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary
of State for the Colonies. Though this is
| true, Lord Salisbury will never commit
! the country to armed coercion of Turkey
without consulting the whole Cabinet in
council.
Sir f. G. Lacelles, who is vacating the
post of British ambassador to Russia, in
which he will be succeeded by Sir Nicholas
O'Connor, now British Minister to China,
is timed to arrive in London on Wedne s.
day next. As Sir Nicholas O'Connor will
not assume the post until the middle OF
January there will be an interval in which
no critical development of Anglo-Russian
relations can be expected.
Trouble has arisen between Great Britain
and France over the Burmese Chinese
frontier. Under the Chinese convention
France acquired large area of territory in
the State of Kiang Shun. Great Britain
denies the right of China to cede this terri.
tory, which is part of the buffer State
between the French and British posses.
sions in that part of the world. If France
declines to give up the territory in ques-
ton British troops will occupy that por.
ton of 1t which is claimed to be part of
Burmah, which is to all intents and pur-
poses British territory.
The Spectator publishes striking article
| on the Monroe doctrine It saws that
Englishmen have no sort of objection to