The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-13

Forced to SwallOw--An Amusing
Attempt to BE Made to Give the
Prospective Settlement of the
Turkish Question the sembIance
of a Triumph for british Di-
pIOmacy.
Copyright, 1896, by the Sun Printing and
Publishing Association.
London, Dec. R.-The increasing activi-
ty in diplomatic circles throughout Eu-
rope is sufficient indication that by the
time parliament meets next month, in
ternational politics will have acquired an
highly interesting, if not generally acute
phase. The present policy in official quar-
ters in London is to minimize the i'm
portance of pending events as long as
possible. There is no doubt that when
the time for an official declaration does
arrive every effort will be made to turn
the prospective settlement of the Turkish
question into triumph for British diplo-
macy, in order to offset the great ad-
vantages in the far east which Russia is
on the point of acquiring. 1t is doubtful
if Lord Salisbury's government can pro-
the press are doing their best to prepare
the public mind for an authentic an
nouncement that Russia has virtually
gained possession of China's rich province
-Manchuria. A year ago, when this mas
ter-stroke of Russian diplomacy was first
rumored. the tory journals, from the
Times down, shouted war and discussed
it's policy as nothing less than an newt
able call to arms. Since then Arthur Bal
four has declared that he would welcome
news that Russia had acquired an ice
free port in the Pacific as a distinct ad-
vance to civilization. There could be
no sharper contrast than the attitude TAX
en- by the Times year ago, when it first
printed the report of the Russo-Chinese
treaty, Identical with that revived this
week. and the mild utterances of the same
paper yesterday. Now it says: ut seems
highly credible, and, indeed, probable that
Russia in her own way and at her own
time, will seek to strengthen her hold over
Manchuria and, perhaps, even to annex
portions of that province. She very natur-
ally desires the shortest and easiest route
to the port she already possesses at Nlad-
iVostock and also a more advantageous
|
! tions, somewhere on the Chinese coast. On
| that basis, it is simple and easy to find
successive statements of the kind we are
now discussing with the comfortable con-
Viction that some day or other, one of
them will be more or less justified. 1t is
even conceivable that the Russian officials
are willing to humor the propensity to set
such rumors afloat. These things accus-
tom the public mind to the idea that
something of the kind will happen, so
that when the forward step is really
taken it may seem moderate and
reasonable in comparison with what has
been apprehended. In the far east there
is abundance of room for long time to
come both for Russia and ourselves. 1t is
our business to strengthen our own posi-
tion, to extend our own markets and 10
prepare with as much foresight as we can
muster for changes evidently coming in
the not distant future Russia is bent
upon developing her vast Asiatic empire.
In doing so she must inevitably push east
ward to the ocean and not less inevitably
will she obey the secular law of human
gravitation towards the south with trea-
ties or without, by one arrangement or by
another. These great movements VIII go
on from year to year, and from generation
to generation and we may as well accept
the fact once for all, allowing the details
to drop into their proper place and ceas-
ing to fret unduly about them. If, and
when, our interests are directly assailed
we must resist, If necessary in arms"
This, on the whole, pusilanimous Ian
guage fairly represents English public
opinion and also the astonishing change
which has taken place in British sentiment
during the eventful year just closing. 1t
is the simple truth to-day that the aggres-
sive policy of a rival nation which a year
ago would have driven Great Britain to
arms, is now accepted with merely re-
gretful sigh that British prestige Is no
longer what it was. This sets aside the
question of the truth or falsity of the re-
port that the extraordinary treaty outlin-
ed a few days ago has been virtually
agreed upon between Russia and China.
Opinion in all circles inclines to the belief
that this story is substantially correct.
Even Sir Charles Dixie, whose opinion on
the far eastern situation and the outlook
is more valuable than that of any mem
Der of the government, accepts the sub
stance of the report. He pointed out In a
speech on the subject Thursday night that
the proposed treaty goes much farther
than Mr. Balfour indicates would be ac-
ceptabie to England. Practically, he said,
it placed Northern China at the feet Of
Russia.
England had refused the invitations OF
France and Russia to take part in a gem
eral scheme with regard to the Chinese
empIre and he thought had rightly re-
fused. because such scheme meant in the
long run partition, and partition was con-
trary to English interests whatever might
be said about it in one sense or another
upon grounds of public principle If. how
ever British cabinets were to refuse to
agree to the partitoning of China, It
ought TO be with the settled intention Of
not allowing virtual partition by other
powers to take place against England, In
a country where she had such considera-
BILE interests. and which must exercise
so enormous an influence on the future
of the Pacific in which she had other In
terests stlll more overwhelming. The
present situation was vastly more import
ant, Sir Charles pointed out, than the ne
gotiations at the close of the Chinese
Japanese war, which caused great excite
ment IN England and yet the conservative
press Is almost silent on the subject.
1t Is confidently believed In diplomatic
circles that the process Of disciplining
the sultan will be completed pro forma
by the middle of January and the good
effect of this viii go far to reconcile all
the factions in the House OF Commons
to the disagreeable feature OF the Aslatlc
situation Few believe IT to be necessary
to do more than TO make a convincing
a.