The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-28

Nobody appears TO understand exactly
what the situation in respect to China is.
All that Is positively known is that Ger
many has taken possession of Kiao Chou
Bay, that Russia has occupied Port Ar
thur and that Japan still has possession
OF Wei-Tai-Wei. the port which she is to
hold until China pays to her the balance
of the war indemnity. What Great Bri-
tain and France intend to do in the mat
ter of acquiring Chinese territory is a
question about which there is great deal
of speculation, but concerning which there
is no answer
Our dispatches yesterday indicated the
probability Of "A misunderstanding between
Russia and Great Britain in respect TO
Korea, Great Britain having protested
against Korea placing herself practically
under Russian control. The dispatches
also stated that Japan was acting in this
matter with England, being greatly oppos-
ed to Russian aggression in Korea. The
fact that England and Japan are acting
together in respect to Korea would seem
10 justify the inference that they have an
understanding in respect to China, and
will be found acting in harmony and sup
porting each other
No nation seems disposed to reach out
a helping hand to China. There is no
reason why assistance should be given
her. She does not seem disposed to help
herself. The Chinese have no patriotism.
They have little or no love Of country, and
a suggestion that they should die for
their country would not strike them as
being worthy of consideration. That it
has been a long time since they have
taken into consideration the ACCESSIBILITY
of defending their country if attacked is
shown by the fact that they are totally
unprepared for war Japan. although
having a population of but forty millions
of people, while China has a population
of three hundred and fifty millions or
more, did not hesitate to attack China
upon her own soil and her little army had
no difficulty in defeating the Chinese mobs
which were assembled to meet her and
repel her army. Japan lost comparatively
few men in the war and she not only
gained what she wanted, but she could
have sent her armies to almost any part
of the Chinese empire without fear that
they would meet with successful resist
ance.
1t is apparent, therefore, that China
Notwithstanding her great population and
her vast resources, isn't going to offer
forciable resistance to the taking of her
territory. If the powers of Europe should
decide upon parcelling out the territory of
China among themselves they would have
no difficulty in doing 50 unless they should
get into trouble with one another.
But as the assault on China is for COM
mercial purposes it would be rather re-
markabe if the powers of Europe should
succeed in dividing up the empire without
quarelling among themselves. If they
should quarrel China would not be bene-
fitted. A quarrel might result only in the
stronger powers getting the greater share
of the empire.
OF course pretty nearly all that is said
and written about this Chinese puzzle is
speculative, because so little is known
respecting the intentions of the powers,
but it is probable that a much clearer view
of it will be obtainable in the near fu-
ture.