The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-21
Austria's and Russia's UItimatums to
Pride-swoIIen Turkey and Ger
many's Seizure of KiaOchau Bay.
WAR IN INDIA NOT YET OVER
GREAT BRITAIN's TASK MORE La
BORIOUs THAN ANTICIPATED.
Millions of Money Already Spent in
Trying to Subdue the Tribesmen
Dog MuzxIes in Politics.


LONDON, Nov. 20.-rhe stock pot of in
ternational politics has been enriched dur
ing the last few days with two or three
bones which promise to furnish an oppor-
tunity for plenty of contention hereafter
Russia contributed the first in her notifica-
ton of Nov. Is to the Porte of the ar
rears of the Turkish war indemnity,
amounting to 91 100000 ($4,5 0OO) and that
if Turkey intends to apply part of the
Greek war indemnity to an increase of.
Turkish ornaments, Russia will demand
the payment of this amount. This was fol-
lowed by a second note on the same sub
ject to-day.
Austria furnished the second bone in her
demand for the payment of the arrears due
the Oriental Railroad Company for trans
porting Turkish troops during the war; this
company being an Austrian concern, and
the. arrears, amounting to &32O00O Isl SOC, ,O00),
at the same time insisting on the dismissal
of the vail of Adana, Asia Minor and of the
Mutossarif of Mersina, at the port of
Adana, the two officials who were RESPONSE
BILE for the indignities which an Austrian
merchant, BrazzafelH, was recently SUBJ
jected to, and also for their share In the
insults complained of by the Austrian con-
sui at Mersina, who interfered in behalf of
Brazzafelli, then agent there of the Aus
trian Lloyd Steamship Company, to all of
which demands Turkey submitted. Inciden-
tally the Turkish government is also said
to have abandoned her naval reorganization
plans as a result of the second note Of
Russia, on the subject of the war indemnity
arrears due that country.
Germany favored the contents of the
stock pot with hot sauce from China, in the
shape of landing sailors and marines at
Kiaochau on the Shan-Tung peninsula,
ostensibly for the purpose of insisting on
redress for the murder Of two German mis-
sionaries, but, possibly, it is intimated, in
order to obtain good coaling station and
harbor for repairing her fleet in the far
East.
Turkeys bad case of swelled head is re-
sponsible for two of these contributions to
the simmering of the political plot. Her
easy victory over Greece have so rehabil-
itated the Sultan > aide that he has al
most arrived at the belief that by follow
ing the advice of Captain Mahan, the
author of Sea Power in History" and
making his navy strong, Turkey might be-
come the seventh great power and liberate
herself from the obnoxious tuteIage of
Christendom Germany proffered her as
sistance to build ships for Turkey and also
offered to supply that country with the
necessary arms ammunition and uniforms
in return for about 25 per cent of the
Greek war indemnity. Then Russia saw her
chance to check the progress of German
influence at Constantinople. For the past
twenty years she has held her unpaid
'IOU' as a club to force Turkey to do her
bidding, and now again. but in a more
summary fashion than usual, she has re-
peated the operation and has killed two
birds with one stone, namely sharply
checking Berlin craftsmanship and prevent
ing Turkey from emancipating herself from
her dependence from Russia
Naturally this has been bitter Dill for
Germany to swallow, losing as she does.
considerable prestige and big contracts at
the same moment Count Goluchowsky.
the Austro-Hungarian minister for for
eign affairs, was glad of the chance to CO.
operate with Russia in clipping the Sui
tan's wings and he has not only helped to
replace Turkey in the same position of toll
erance in Europe that she occupied pre-
vious to the war with Greece, but the Aus
trian minister has thrown some light on
what may be expected from the Balkan
compact between Russia and Austria. as
nlnteo at Dy emperor FRANCIS Joseph in his
speech upon the occasion of receiving the
Austro-Hungarian delegations on Wednes-
day last. Great Britain's part in these pro-
ceedngs remains to be developed
Germany'S Swoop-doWn upOn Kiaocha,1
advices from Shanghai that two steamers
nave been chartered there to convey stores
and materials in Kiaochau BAY couped with
the intimation that the German Occupation
of that place is apparently to be more than
temporary, color to which is given by the
fact that the German marines are now en-
gagged in building winter barracks leave lit-
tie doubt that Germany has practically an
nexed Kiaochau bay, which, next to Port
China. AS fait accompli is ar almost un-
answerable argument in the East it is diff
hcult TO see what France Russia Great
Britain and Japan can do in the matter
unless they set to work and grab other por-
tions of the Chinese empire.
Under the circumstances the Diplomats
are asking what the United States whose
interests in the East are advancing by leaps
and bounds, say of the seizure of Kiaochau
bay. In any case, the further proceedings
promise to be interesting, for, according to
the accepted version of the Cassini treaty
concluded in 1896, Russia secured the re-
version of Kiaochau bay for a naval sta
tion Looking below the surface the coup
may therefore be Germany's retort to the
Franco Russian alliance. The newspapers
of Great Britain console themselves with
saying that war will be the outcome of all
this harbor grabbing, adding: Owing to
our sovereignty Of the seas, we are able to
pick and choose any port in China which
strikes our fancy. If it is already fortified
by our rivals, so much the better"
1