The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-26
CHINESE SITUATION COMPLEX.
GERMANY DOESN'T KNOW HOW FAR
SHE WILL BE PERMITTED TO GO.

Strung AFeSSure Be1nE EXerteu to
Secure an Agreement and Joint
Action With Russia and France,
Russia'S Occupation of Port Arthur
Permanent-KiaO Chou Bay ana
the Country Around 1t Now Alleged
TO Be Not so Valuable as First
Claimed
Copyright, 1897, by the Associated Press.
Berlin, Dec. 25.-China has occupied pub
lie opinion TO the exclusion of everything
throughout the week. The government
and the foreign office continue reticent,
even the occupation of Port Arthur hav-
ing failed to elicit any statements, with
the exception of a denial of the extrav-
agant utterances of the Cologne Gazette
and other usually inspired papers.
The reason for this apparent taciturnity
lies in the simple fact that Germany her
self does not know where she stands or
how far the other powers will permit her
to so. Germany, Russia and France are
still negotiating, and while there is strong
pressure to bring about another joint ac-
ton Of these powers in the far east, equal
potent influences are working to frustrate
such plans. It depends largely upon the
outcome of these negotiations as to what
instructions Prince Henry of Prussia will
find awaiting him when he arrives at
Hong Kong early in February. In the
meanwhile, the mission of Prince Henry
may be characterized as mainly a display
of spread-eagleism.
A prominent diplomat in an interview
with the correspondent here of the Asso-
ciated Press, said; "Russia's occupation
of Port Arthur is permanent Thereby
she secures a much desired terminus for
the Siberian railway, which will be ex-
tended from Vladivostock and Port Ar
thur, making Russia the undisputed mis-
tress of Manchuria and the whole of North
China. Her interests in China in no
way collide with those of France, whose
sphere of action is in South China. Be
tween them is an immense territory,
which may eventually be disputed be-
tween Great Britain, Germany and Japan
A movement is now on foot between ia
pan and Germany to arrive at an under
standing, as Japan sees clearly that this
course is the wisest. Russia would not
tolerate Japan in Korea, as it would up
set all the schemes she has been prepar-
ing for the past two years. Therefore
Germany is the only friend and ally that.s
Japan can look for in case of war. 1t is
said she knows how to play her card and
establish a basis of mutual interest. For
which l hear there is considerable pros
pect''
From a missionary the correspondent
here of the Associated Press learns that
the Bay of Kiao Chou is by no means so
valuable as at first believed Part of the
harbor freezes during the three months of
winter and ice breakers are required to |
keep it open. The Hinterand is barren
and treeless and the nature of the ground
necessitates the erection of costly large |
Notifications in order to hold the bay and
adjoining territory against attacks i'll
Germany concludes to retain il she will !
have to spend large sums of money
Prince Hohenlohe, the imperial chancel-
lor, is much distressed with the sudden |
death of his wife on Thursday last He |
spent the previous three days at her bed |
side without sleep and his octogenarian
frame has been greatly enfeebled thereby. |
His physicians are urgently advising him
to retire from public life, a any rate tenn
porarily, but the emperor relies upon
Prince Hohenlohe's patriotism to remain
in office in the present critical times
The government viii introduce at the re-
conyening of the Prussian diet on jan II, |
an anti-socalistic bill, not so comprehen-
sive as the one rejected last summer 1t
will merely apply to private lectures and |
universities which will be brought under |
government supervision
The imperial family passed Christmas at |
the new palace in the usual way The |
two eldest princes arrived there on Tues |
Gay from Ploen. The Christmas trees and
the distribution of gifts were more lavish |
than ever. This part of the celebration |
took place in the Shell hall. Most OF the |
gifts We're purchased by the empress per-
sonally at various Berlin stores. They |
included hundreds Of presents for the SER |
wants and court officials
The influenza in a severe form has been |
raging alarmingly in Berlin. There have I
been thousands Of cases, especially in the !
wealthier districts, but the death rate is
rapidly decreasing.
Negotiations are proceeding in Berlin be- |
tween Germany and Austria with the |
view to hold an International confer |
ence at Brussels on the subject Of the abo- |
lition of sugar export bounties. France has !
intlmated her willingness to join in the |
deliberations.
The organ of the agrarians, the Deutsche |
Tagas Zeitungi fiercely attacks Baron Won |
Thielmann, minister for foreign affairs. for
not declaring tariff war with the United /
States.
The Vossische Zeitung, however. thinks /
the present moment is not propltlous for |
a demand pointing out that france ana |
Great Britain alone would profit by such |
an undertaking.
To the intense amazemeut OF the suffer- |
ers from the floods, the Saxon government /
has presented a claim for payment TO all |
villages and individual property owners |
who were aided during the floods by the |
military. The village of Puen near Dres- |
den, for instance, received about 40S marks. |
Clifton r. Breckenridge. former United |
States minister at st. Petersburg. arrived |
here on Thursday to spend the HOLIDAYS |
with his family at Dresden.
There has been no joint celebration OF |
Christmas by the American colony Of Ber- |
lin. Several Of the ladies have had Christ |
mas trees and distributed gifts to the poor 1
children of their neighborhoods
The agricultural society has meinorializ- |
ed the government, claiming American |
fruit of every kind and many American |
fruit and other trees imported to Germany |
are infected with the San Jose bug which |
is a constant danger to German fruit |
growers. They want strict examination |
of all American fruit, trees and shrubs. |
and a refusal to admit them wherever bugs |
lotor