The San Francisco call., 1896-09-11
New Link Between Russia and
China Formed by Steamers
to Shanghai.
WRECK OF THE GUNB0AT ILTIs
The Disaster Not Due to the Incapa.
city of Engines, but Through
Striking Rock.


deadlock has occurred in Japan owing to
the difficulty of finding Minister OF For
eign Affairs without dislocating party ar
rangements. The only three statesmen of
proved ability for this post are Counts
Mutsu, Inouye and Okuma. Count Mutsu
has just returned from Hawaii, whittier
he went to recruit his health. He is
suffering from pneumonia, and his ply
sicians assert that if he takes years rest
in a mild climate he will recover COM
pletely, whereas, if he remains in Office
he cannot live more than few months.
Count Inouye resolutely refuses to accept
the portfolio, and there remains only
Count Okuma, man OF universally recog-
nized competence, but so strongly allied
with the extreme wing of the opposition
that his entry into the Cabinet would put
an end to the alliance now existing be-
tween the latter and the Liberal party, by
whose support the Government was able
to carry their measures through the Diet
last session.
The Department of Finance: also greatly
needs an abler statesman than its present
chief. The man pre-eminently itted for
tn at post is Count Matsukata, but he will
not come into Office unless he has Count
Okuma's assistance in foreign affairs
Hence the situation virtually resolves it.
self into the transfer of administrative
power to the opposition, which appar-
entity involves the old dilemma, Cabinet
without majority in the Diet. The Jap
anese, however, are past masters in the art
of compromise. 1t is quite possible that
some easy exit may yet be found from the
dilemma.
new link between Russia and China
has been forced by the arrangement that
the steamers of the Russian volunteer
fl ct, plying between Odessa and VladI-
vostock. shall henceforth call at Shanghai.
There are twelve of these steamers, and,
excluding the Habarousk. vessel of only
2500 TONS they range from 1876 to 10, 500
tons, their speed varying from ID to 19
knots.
The constant passage of such vessels to
and fro between European Russia and her
most extreme posti the far East suggests
the ease with which she could gradually
muster a strong military force at Vladivo-
stock, were she so disposed. At the same
time. experts are we'll aware that Russia
naval strength in the Orient is greatly
overestimated by the general public. She
has, 1t is true, squadron, powerful In
number OF ships, displacement and weight
of armor and armament. But among all
her cruisers in japanese and Chinese
>,
and the significance of that fact is not to
be underrated. Besides, her vessels never
maneuver together. The British admiral
is perpetually exercising ten or a dozen
ships in squadron, but mis- Russian con-
frere makes no such effort, and it is more
than probable that this radical difference
of training would tell markedly in war
fare.
A subscription has been started in Japan
for the relief OF Formosans rendered home
less by the recent rebellion. The EN-
peror and Empress set the example by
subscribing 5000 ven; the treasury gave
40, 600 and private subscriptions are rapidly
coming into the newspaper offices. 1t
has always been the habit of Chinese in
surgents or diSbanded soldiers to burn
pillage and murder, and many excesses of
that nature perpetrated by the Formosan
rebels have been laid at the door of the
Japanese. AS for the rebellion, it is now
virtually stamped out, though desultory
raids continue to be made by little bands
of desperadoes.
Particulars of the wreck of the German
gunboat lltis showt hat she was lost, not
as was originally reported, because of the
incapacity of her engines to save her from
drifting on q lee shore, but through
striking on rock while hugging the coast
at night during a heavy gale. The eu-
gines were working well at the time but
the vessel seems to have been caught by
an extraordinary current and carried out
of her course. The last scene on board
was splendid. The captain summoned
the crew aft as the ship was beginning to
break up and called upon them to give
three cheers for the Kaiser, which they
did most Justify. They then sang the
Flagglied hymn, and were actually sing
ing when the IItis parted am idships. The
few survivors that clung to the forward
portion were rescued by Chinese boat
after thirty-six hours exposure.