The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-30
rnn rAnr1r1or OF oH1vA.
The BeEinninE or II By the French and EnEiish
-Ita Universpi Lesson.

-lta Unlversp1 Lesson.
To THE Editor OF THE SrS-Sir: Tho idea
appears TO be prevalent that the recent landing
of tho Germans at Klno Chou. in tho province Of
Shantung. gave tho signal for tho beginning OF
the partition OF China; but this Is an error. Tho
date must be set back several years. and tho
preparation for IL much earlier still. The last
invasion Of burnab by tho British was the pre-.
liminary to what is passing Mt the present mo.
ment in the Yellow Sea and tho Gulf OF Pecheli.
The fertile and populous province of Yunnan,
In Southwestern China. has been tho goal to.
ward which the British from India ana the
French In Tonquin havo boon stead.
lily moving. BY the annexation Of Bur
nah in 1885, on the pretext that
tho King was o drunkard and was misgovcrn.
ing his country, tho British Government OBJ
tanned possession OF Bhamo, on tho borders Of
Yumon and Sochuen, reputed to DO tho
wealthiest of the provinces OF China and to
contain n population of z 5000, 900 or over. The
natural obstacles to between Bhamo
and tho more populous parts Of these provinces
proved greater than was expected, and as the
French were pushing actively mp the Mo-Kong
and from Tonquin. the invasion Of the Shun
States between Siam and China was decided
upon. They wero occupied without much diff.
flculty. the inhabitants being unwarlike, and
the British boundary on the east Of Burn,ah
was pushed across the salween River and the
Tonauin.
The French Government, however. did not 40
lations between England and France became so
strained that but for the refusal OF to
broken out between tho two countries. In Jan.
nary. t y much to the disSontent OF the war
the territory cast Of the Me-Kong was evacuated
BY the British garrisvns. and handed over to the
FRENCH In May Of the same year; In addition.
teen miles wide along the western bank Of the
and IN the Siainese provinces OF Stem
enter this zone. and tho control Of the Me.Kone
and regulation of the navigation are left entire
ly to France. The fourth article OF the conycn.
ton between England and France in regard to
these territories, declares that all commercial
advantages that have been or shall BIO granted
Immediately north of Yunnan. shall. as far as
rests with them, be extended TO the subjects,
'' This a Hra H sementr sm nj wee 'T for pS q time the
friction between the two countries, and both
set to work to develop the communications to-
ward the coveted Chinese markets. A glance
ton Of the action contemplated in that fourth
which the Si-Kiang River. that finds it's way
into the soa at Canton, takes its rise. The
Of sec6uen. and f is na " abb P as far as p ichanSs
iishnS an an EnE,,sn trading ghf frM has been esta6,
be an English settlement. 80 that England prac-
tically controls the of both rivers,
Mong.kong commanding the entrance Of the
taken. China having surrendered in 1895 to
ton made With England in % is9i, s she %a = S SHnTeni
not to cede without England's consent, which
would have had to he bought In some way by
France. Lord Salisbury demanded compensation
OF China. BY an agreement made June 5. China
eeded the Shan territory of Kokang, on tho upper
sshm %tsrrit smS e west 81 @ sse66rpsitaa1R !f"se| a Of tri Hs1.
tary Of the ~Irrawady. In addition. England
concessions. including free intercourse between
nunnan and Burmah; the opening of the ST.
kiang River to trade up to Wu-chau, $50 miles
above Canton; and the right to appoint consular
agents In certain towns.
By this convention It will be seen that England
gained large, and important concessions and
broke through the barrier that has hitherto shut
her out or the markets of China,
opIio orted rSS Is now given yer to push y forward The
preliminary surveys for which. as far as the
Chinese frontier, were made through Burmah
nations are trying to force an entrance for their
wares into China by the sea front. England has
door. In everything tending to break up the
exclusive political and social system OF. China.
an9 other mas mst lnysr, on go taken ef b she in aKd1hGsd
from the ADVANTAGES of commerce with such a
vast and Industrious population as China con;
claim their share Of the spoil. or, as the Ger
man Emperor, William II. nut It, their share
partition of China that we have been witness
Ing. proceeding almost imperceptiby; whether
this Is TO be followed by its internationaliza-
tion or division into spheres of influence pre-
paratory to n territorial partition Is still in the
future, Meantime England and Russia have
secured entrance respectively into the southern
and northern Netherlands. which. with their
fleets. will give them inestimable advantages
in dealing with those countries seeking entry
by tho coast only. France alone, of the other
powers. has a basis from which to act by land,
but the strategic positions. commercial and
military. lie in the hands of England. The
present movement on China is the outcome of
the commercial necessities of the manufacture.
ing countries of Europe. and OF the determine
tion of Russia that her eastern territories shall
not be fenced in from the sea. as are those on
the west by the Turk in the Black Sea and other
European States in the Baltic, and by Persia
from the Indian Ocean in the south. The APP
preaching completion of tho Trans.siberian
railroad prccipitated the Japanese attack on
China and started the present fcrmcnt. The
Chinese. by neglect OF the most obvious precau.
tons of defence. have invited attack. and
though they received their first warning in the
opium war of 1912 made by England. and the
second when the English and French armies
entered Pekin and pillaged the Summer Palace,
the lessons of both appear to have been thrown
away, Tho natural result is seen in tho present
assemblage Of the fleets OF tho great commer.
cial and military powers in Chinese waters. like
vultures fastening 10 dispute the prey.
Inc moral or all this to our own people is too
obvious to need pointing out. +.