The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-13
Copyright. 1896, by the Sun Printing
and Publishing Association.)


and Publishing Association)
London. Dec. 12.-The increasing ac
tlNlty In diplomatic circles throughout
Europe is sufficient indication that by
thc tlme Parliament meets next month
international politics will have acquired
a highly interesting. If not genuinely,
acute phase. The present policy in OIL
cial quarters in London is to minimize
the importance OF pending events as long
as possible. There is no doubt that when
'ne tlme Tor an official declaration ar
fiNeS every effort will be made To turn
me prospective settlement of the Turk
lsh question into Il triumph for British
diplomacy in order to Offset the great adj
Nantagcs In the far Eas; which Russia
is on the point of acquiring
|; Is doubtful if Lord Salsbury's Gov
ernment can produce this desired effect
HIS organs in the press are doing their
best 10 prepare the public mind FOR nm
authentic announcement that Russia
mas virtually gained possession of Chi
mas rich province. Manchura.
RUSSIA'S TRIUMPH.
a year ago, when this mastcrstroke
OF Russia diplomacy was iirs; rumored
the Tory journals from the Times down
shouted war and discussed it's posi-
bility as nothing less than an inevitable
call To arms. Since then Mr. Arthur
Ba!four has declared that he would wei
come the news that Russia had nc.
CURED an ice-frcc port i'm the Pacific as
distance advance 10 civillznt ion. There
could be no sharper contrast than the
attitude taken by the Times, n year ago,
when IL first printed the report Of the
Russo-Chinesc treaty, identical with
that revived this week. ana the mild vi :
ierances of the same paper yesterday
Now IL says
PUSILANIMOUS LANGUAGE
1T seems highly credible and in
deed probable, that Russia i'm her own
way ANA at her own time will seek To
strengthen her hold over Manchuria and
perhaps even to annex portions of that
province. She very naturally desires
the shortest ana easiest route 10 the
port she already possesses nj Vladivo-
stock with equally good land communi-
cations somewhere ON the Chinese coast
'On that basis ii is simple and easy To
find successive statements of the kind
We are now discussing with the comfor-
tabl" conviction that some day or other
one of them VIII be more or less justified
II is even conceivable that the Russian
officials are willing To humor the propen-
S.ty 10 set such rumors nfloat. These
things acCustom the public mind to the
dra mat something OF the kind will
happen. 50 that when the forward step is
really taken. 1t may seem moderate and
reasonable" in comparison with what has
been apprchendcd. In the far East there
is abundance of room for long time
To come bo;h for RUSSIA and ourselves.
II is our business to strengthen our Own
position. tn extend our own markets and
10 prepare with as much foresight as we
can muster for changes evidently COM
ing in In" not distant future.
Russia. is bent upon developing her
vast As!atic Empire. In doing so She
must inevitably push Eastward to the
ocean ana not less inevitably will she
obey the secular law Of human grnvita-
zion towards the South with treaties or
without. by one Arrangement or by an
other. These great movements Will go
on from year 10 year and from genera
ton 10 generation. and we may as well
accent the fact once for ail allowing
the details To drop into their proper
place ana ceasing u fret unduly about
them IT, and when our interests are
directly assailcad. we must resist If nee
essary IN arms
BRITISH PRESTIGE
This on the whole pu.ilanimous lam
Guagc fairly lcpreSen.s English public
opinion. and al.o the astonishing
change which has taken place in Brit
ism sentiment during the cventrul year
just closing. /, j. the simple truth to-
day that the aggressive policy of ri
val nation. which, year ago would
have driven Great By.an 10 arms. l.
now accepted with a merely rcgretful
sign and thai B.!i!.-h prestige Is no long
er what ii was. This + aside from the
question OF :ruth or falsity Of reports
that the :raoYdinlry treaty outlined a
few days gao has been virtually agreed
upon between Russia ana China. Opin-
ion in all circles inflnes 10 the belief
that this story is substantially correct.
Even Sir Charles Dixie whose opinion
on ;he far Eastern situation and the out
look Is more valuable tEa: that of any
member of the Government. accepts the
substance OF the rerort. lie pointed out
In speech on the subjec. Thursday
night that the proposed treaty goes
much farthcg than Mr. Balfour indicate;
would he acceptable to England. Prac-
iically. ne said. II placed Northern Chi
ma at the feet of Russia.
England had refused the invitations
OF France and Russia to take par, In a
general scheme with regard to the CHI
nees empire. and he thought had right