The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-30
BRITAIN STILL "WATCHING"
But IN THE MEANTIME PREPARING
FOR ALL EVENTUALITIES.
Views of Diplomats at Washington
on the Situation in China-Eng-
lands Alleged Demands.

by grabbing a portion of China. Yesterday
tri-color on Hai-Nan island. No opposition
was offered by the Chinese, and the place
is now in control of the French marines,
several detachments having been landed
from the war ships. The island which lies
off the south coast of China, and separates
the Gulf of Tonquin from the China sea,
possesses some strategic Importance. 1t has
an estimated area of 1900 square miles
and population of a million Chinese, ex-
elusive of wild tribes in the interior Yes
terday's Paris newspapers protested loud
ly against French inaction in the far East
on the alleged subservency of the govern
ment to Russia. 1t seems the editors were
not in the confidence of the government,
for the island of Hai-Nan had been seized
before the issue of the newspapers.
Great secrecy is maintained by the govern
ment of Great Britain regarding it's pol
Icy in the alleged attempt to dsmem-
Der the Chinese empire. 1t was announced
Office were waiting and watching events
and that when the proper time arrived the
attitude of Great Britain would be apparent
Since then Russia Is said to have seized
Kinchau, walled city on the northern side
of Liao-Tong gulf the most strategic point
in Manchuria, and commanding one of the
roads to Peking, the capital of China; the
British fleet has forced the reinstatement
n q thn lscI,,.
presided over the customs service of Corea
and who was ousted by Russian intrigue
and on Monday, according to unofficial dis
patches, the British war ships took possess
sion OF Port Hamilton, a small island off
the south coast of Corea, important as
rendezvous in case of fighting on the Yellow
sea or Corea strait. These happenings
though Of much moment, do not reveal the
attitude of Great Britain. They indicate.
rather, that the waiting and watching
policy is being carried out with stealth and
craft. 1t is believed here that when the
proper time arrives Russia, Germany and
France will see the fleets of Britain and
Japan blocking their progress in whatever
they may undertake. England has too much
at stake in China to permit any other power
to WELD sole influence there, and as her
big navy is maintained to protect her trade
and commerce and incidentally her colonial
possessions, he may be depended on to use
its whole strength, if necessary to main
tain her prestige in the commerce of the
Orient -
Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, X. c. B.,
vice admiral of the British navy, who is in
charge of the war ships now lowering about
the coast of China, and watching the ac-
tions of the other navies in that quarter
of the globe, is the fifth son of the first
baronet and is a cousin of the present
baronet, Sir Michael Culme-Seymour. He is
just fifty-seven years DID, and is a thor
oughly salted sailor. He entered the royal
navy in 1882 became a commander in 1866,
captain in 1873, rear admiral in 1889, and
vice admiral in 1885, During the Crimean
war Sir Edward was a midshipman on the
man-of-war Terrible, and was present at
the bombardment of Odessa, Sebastopol and
Kirburn, and for his conduct in that war
ne was awarded the Crimean medal with
the Sebastopol clasp, and the Turkish medal
He was made familiar with Chinese affairs
during the Chinese war of 1878, and helped
to sink the Chinese fiotilla on June 1 of the
first-named year. Sir Edward has partici-
pated in many of the naval campaigns of
the British since that time, and is thor
oughly reliable and all around fighting
sailor. s.
The suggestion from Vienna that Britain's
Isolation" may induce her enemies to
foment trouble in India, Egypt and South
Africa in order to divide her strength, is
met here with the reply that Great Britain
is prepared for such emergencies. The cam
paign in northwestern India was not merely
for the purpose of furnishing the Afridis.
The British officers now know every pass
through which Russia might attempt to in
wade India. France might try to destroy
English influence in Egypt, but provision
has been made against that contingency by
tho Anglo Egyptian expedition now oper-
ating on the Nile. and, as to South Africa,
that colony is fully able to cope against any
force Germany or France might send there.
The Tagliche Reundschau, of Berlin, on
what it alleges to be the best authority
in London declares that Russia and China
have been negotiating for many months
that China consented last October to a
temporary Russian occupation of Port Ar
thur. and that England, hearing of this,
demanded session of the islands at Hong
Kong. strip of coast opposite Kow-Leon,
and the mouth of the River Canton, but
knowing that France also wanted compen-
sation England suggested that she should
take Hai-Nan islard.
According to a special dispatch from
Shanghai the British admiralty has requi-
sitioned three of the Empress steamships
belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Neueste Nachrichten of Leipsic says
Prince Bismarck disclaims all responsibility
for Germany's policy in China, but he ap-
proves 1t and wishes it executed with ener-
gy, on the assumption that it implies an
entente with Russia
A dispatch from Peking says: THE pro-
posed arrangement for a Russian guaran-
teed 4-per-cent. loan of 1O0O00,OO0 taels is not
yet ratified. The situation is disastrous and
the only hope is that England will render
financial! help, as otherwise war is the only
alternative. Sir Claude Macdonald, the
British ambassador. has asked few days
delay in order to refer the matter to the
home government.
The Berlin Tagblatt says Prince Henry OF
Prussia will visit the Mkado and King of