The sun., 1895-01-09


ent situation, there Is no more danger Of
o new Force bill than there is of the re-
enactment of King GEORGES tax on tea.
The Latest News from the Far East.
Among the recent kilograms from Shang-
hal, two deserve particular attention. One
is to the effect that the Chinese attribute
mediatory function to Mr.. JOHN w. FOSTER,
who, according to his own statement, has
gone to Toxic, as an employee Of the Pekin
Government, to cooperate with the other
Chinese Commissioners in the negotiation
Of peace. The other significant an
nouncement Is that the Commissioners
ore instructed to confine themselves to an
offer to relinquish China's claim of suze-
rainty over Corea, and to pay money indem-
nifty; they are expressly prohibited from
making any cession of territory. Also
worthy Of some notice, is the testimony Of
an English traveller, that in Manchuria and
northeastern China the winter season, far
from being an obstacle, presents peculiar
facilities for an advance of the Japanese
forces upon Mukden and Pekin.
There may be no positive ground for the
assumption currenti in Shanghai that the Sc
lection Of an American citizen as one of
China's peace Commissioners is renewal in
q disguised form of Secretary GREsHAMs
foolish offer to mediate between the COM
batants. It is doubtless true, however, that
che Pekin Government would not have
chosen Mr.. FOSTER for the duty in ques-
tion, had it not imagined him to be a person
high in favor with his successor in our State
Department, and likely to exercise a power
full influence upon American public opin-
ion. As to the latter supposition, we may
say at once that the Tsung-l Ii Yamen have
been deluded. Mr.. FOSTERS influence upon
public opinion being NIL, or we should rather
say, minus quantity, for the appearance Of
an ex-Secretary of State as a mercenary of
the despised Manchu dynasty is generally
deemed an odious spectacle. But there
should be no misunderstanding possible in
China or the United States touching the
existence Of secret relations between our
Government and this American servant of
the Chinese ruler. 1t cannot be incompat-
ible with public policy for Secretary GREsH-
AN to give the American people through the
Senate explicit assurances that neither in
writing nor verbally has he caused Mr..
FOSTER or any other person to think that the
selection of an American for one of China's
peace Commissioners Is viewed with salts
faction by our Governments, or that terms
Of pacifcation recommended by him would
be apt to secure the moral support of our
State Department. An unequivocal declara-
ton on this point is called for, not only in
Justice to Japan, but because since the
Ham Inn oin tba - tha nd taI
States have with good reason become sus-
picious Of surreptitious acts on the part of
our Executive.
II it be true that the Commissioners de-
puted by the Manchu Government at Pekin
are forbidden to make even temporary
cession Of any part of the Chinese empire,
1t is evident that the negotiations are in
tended only for delay, and the Japanese are,
therefore, justified in rejecting the request
for an armistice. 1t has been taken for
granted in some quarters that the Japanese
themselves might be glad to secure a
temporary cessation of hostilities, owing to
the alleged difficulty Of moving troops
during the winter season. There is
complete misapprehension Of the effect
of winter in Manchuria upon travel and
diplomatist, Capt, +. Z. YoUNGHUsBAND,
who has written a letter to the London
Times upon the subject. He traversed Man
churia, it seems. in 1885, and the result of
his observations Is that the winter will IA
cilitate instead of impeding Japanese op-
'erations. He found the roads hard, the
rivers frozen, and learned that, as matter
Of fact, the business Of transportation is
done only in the winter months. He himself
counted in single days march on road
near Mukden no fewer than SEQ carts. The
cold, though severe. is q dry, not damp
cold; and the absence of wind enables
travellers to protect themselves with cloth
ing. Capt YoUNGHUsBAND also reports
that the Chinese are entirely in possession
of Manchuria, the Manchus now forming
only five per cent. of the population. This
fact is of obvious Importance in connection
with the accounts of the good will with
which the Japanese have been received
in Manchuria The inference is that
in China proper, also, were the Chi
nese once convinced that the Mikado's
soldiers meant to deliver them from
their Manchu tyrants, the invaders
would be welcomed. At all events, the
Japanese would have no difficulty in govern
ing Manchuria, should they insist upon a
cession of that province, and obtain it. But
from the humanitarian viewpoint 1t is to be
hoped that they will not stop short of
overthrowing the Manchu dynasty, which
throughout this century has been a curse
to China, and which, as experience has
shown, Is incurably corrupt