The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-20
SCRAMBLING FOR CHINA.
GREAT BRITAIN WANTS HER SHARE
IF PARTITION rs COMING.


-
nsrIin and vienna watching to See pkaw the
british will Receive the DoiuEs or Ger
usny spa Russin-Lopdon standard says
BritIsh Interests Are Paramount ip Ch,na
-The London Times Advises Great Britain
% seire q Fort on the East Coast or China
Japan safe to NE Very AnEry-China Gisd
% Have the Russians at Port Arthur.
ThinhinE That they Will Check Further
Bestie Action on the Fart or Gcrmany.
speotai Gable Dsspdtohes to TEE sur.
LONDON. Dec. 19.-vtenna and Berlin ara
watching to SEQ how Great Britain will take
Russla's occupation Of Port Arthur after Ger.
nnny's occupation of Kiaa Chou Bay. The
belief In Vienna 10 that Germany and Russia
would like TO see Great Britain partioi-
pate in . preliminary division Of China
into spheres Of influence. Prior to q moro out
spoken partition they would squeeze her. in o
diplomatic Improvement Of the spheres Of In
nuence. into ownership. It is suggested that
o British squadron should shortly occupy
o important place between tho Strait
Of Formosa and the Strait Of Pechili.
Russia's desire to minimize the Importance Of
her occupation Of Port Arthur 10 commented
upon In contrast to Gormany's action In con-
nection with her seizure Of Kiao Chu Bay. Port
Arthur In likoly to be the southern terminus Of
me Russo Chinese railway through Manchuris.
The Standard, In q leader on the subject. says
that II the scramble for the partition of China
has begun. It 10 plain that others besides Russia
and Germany will have . great deal to say.
Japan will expect to have q voice In the settle
ment. 90 will probably France and tho United
etates. while Great Britaln's interests arelarger
and moro vital than those of any other nation.
Continuing. the Standard says:
I'VE do not object to q legitimate extension
Of the commercial enterprise of European ma
lions in the East. but IL territorial acquisitions
are to be made, 1t would DO well for those whom
Il concerns to understand, once for all. that We
DO not intend to DO left out of the reckoning.
To put II plainly. the presence of q Russian feet
at Port Arthur and of German sailors and SOL
diers ct Kiaou Chou Bay alters tho balance of
must reserve to itself the right Of considering
how It can DO redressed to our advantage. II 1t
becomes o question Of q demonstration of naval
force, we, happily. are well able to support our
claims and interests. Russia must expect to
receive o distinct intimation that IL she insists
upon annexing Port Arthur we will be at liberty
to occupy some similar position in the China
seas"
Great Britain's present force in Chinese wa
tiers consis 8 of one battleship, nine cruisers,
seven gunboats, four torpedo-boat destroyers,
three sloops, two receiving ships. and one store
ship.
Tho Times advises England to occupy and
retain the island Of Chusan. of the province Of
Chekiang. as q naval station, as 1t would scarce
~ DO reasonable. after the positions taken
by tho German and Russian fleets. to
leave the Shanghai trade dependent upon the
protection Of the British squadron at Hong
Kong. The paper says 1t believes that Japan
will claim and keep wei-Hai-Wei. even II China
pays OF the indemnity that she agreed to pay
% the result of the war with Japan.
The Times adds that It would have preferred
that the controversy over the inheritance of
the CnlnoS0 Empire mad Deon deferred a0 long
% possible. but Germany's mailed fist and Rus
1ia's velvet glove preclude delay.
Adespatch to the Times from Pekin says that
. Russian feet will spend the winter at Port
Arthur. Three Russian ships are already there.
China approves of the Russians being at Port
Arthur. she being persuaded that this action
% to her interest. and that it is necessitated by
the German occupation of Kiao Chou Bay.
Ashanghai despatch to the Times says that
the Russian occupation of Port Arthur cannot
fail to produce popular indignation in Japan.
where the people are already excited by tho
German seizure of Kiao Chou Bay.
81. PETERSBURG, Dec. 19.-The Noroe Vrenva
says that the diplomatic map of the far East, on
which the spheres of influence of tho different
powers have been marked. will undergo no
alteration, as by entering Port Arthur Russia has
not overstepped the bounds which were tacitly
allowed her by the entire diplomatic concert of
Europe.
TROUBLoUS OATS FOR CHINA.
0ha rhlnanA Runnaun. Anvs.aA a. m..-. A..