The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-09
CHINA AS BORROWER,
The Minister at Washington Is In Pur-
suit of an 100000 Loan.

w. u. curtis, In chicago Record.
For the last thirty days Mr.. WI, the
the sum of $S0,000,0O0 on the bonds of his
government from American capitalists. 1t
will be necessary for China to pay that sum
to Japan as the third installment of the war
indemnity March l next, and 1t will have to
be borrowed of foreigners, as there is moth
ing in the Chinese treasury and so large
an anoo1Jnt of caah cannot he raieed vrit.;,
the country. The first installnent of the
indemnity was borrowed from French and
Russian banks, and the second from German
banks, upon the guaranty of the Russian
government. The Car Endorsed the notes
of his neighbor, and as compensation there
Tor became the master of the Chinese en-
pire. 1t was a very remarkable transaction.
China sold her political and commercial lib
erty for that Endorsement. 1t is believed by
diplomatistS in the east that, as part of the
bargain, treaty was negotiated, which is
still kept secret, in which the Car guaran-
teed the integrity of the Chinese empire
and promised to defend China hereafter
against all hostile foes. Therefore, it was
expected that Russia would interfere to de-
fend China against the Germans, who have
and are sending the brother OF tne Emperor
and $500 men to occupy ard defend 1t, with
modern artillery and other implements or
war. Thus far Russia has been perfectly
dormant regarding the German invasion OF
it's Chinese preserves, and its attitude Is not
understood Whether there is a secret un-
Outstanding between Germany and Russia
against England is unknown, but such
thing has been suggested to explain Rus
SiaS 1nd1fIerenCe. Inc newspapers
of Germany are very candid. They already
admit that the murder of the missionaries
was only used as a pretext for the occupa-
ton of q Chinese port, and the Cologne
Zeitung which is inspired at the Foreign
Office at Berlin, says naively that there is
much self-congratulation that the mission
ary incident ahsolveS the government from
the tedious and perhaps abortive process of
automatically claiming coallng station ~
a treaty a settlement on perpetual lease.
The Indifference of Russia Is the only evil
dence that there is an understanding De-
tween that country and Germany. The
Chinese government is rapidly removing all
the Germans from it's army and customs
service and substituting Russians for them;
and several other foreign employees In the
railway and telegraph service as well as the
army and customs have been recently ais
placed by Russians. At the present rate
there will soon be very few foreigners put
Russians in the employ OF the Chinese, put
thus far the prohibition has not extended
70 Americans nor to Belgians, but only 10
subjects of he great European pow RS. ne
Chinese and the Russians both understand
that neither Belgium nor the United states
is likely to interfere in their politlcai rela-
tions and that is the chief reason why the
new loan is sought in this country.
Although there is no people on eartn more
scrupulous in the observance or contracts
the credit of China is not good. rms Is
due to the lack of revenue and the poltcal
t.cmplications just described. Chinaman
vsIll rob a stranger or his government ana
cheat the eyeteeth out Of neighbor, ane
particularly foreign devil" but when ne
makes q contract or an agreement, be II
written or oral, or If he merely says the
lords will do" so common I'm commercial
transactions in his country. ne can be de-
nended upon to the last letter even III IL de-
Drives him and ais family of their entire