The evening times., 1897-12-23
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
Charles DENLY, Jr., Shows Ameri-
can Inte rests Arc ,Jeona rdized

|
Evansville, Ind, Dec. 23.-Charles Den
by, jr., son of the American minister to
China, has given out the following 70
| publications:
AT the ter HiinatiOn Of the var in ! S95 it
was appr rehended that the seizure Of Chinese
territory by japan was, the prelude to the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of iChina. This apprehen-
sion became certainty u all observers If
Chinas supine acceptance of her humilia-
ton, for nc statesman rose to grappie with
| the difficulties OF bis country; no popular
outcry denounced the corruption and m.
efficiency which had led 10 her downfall
| The action Of Germany, however, has
brought things II q Crisis sooner than was
foreseen. There is no uncertainty now about
the future. Germany IL. at Kiao Chou, and
| will remain there. Msnfhuria Was 4 lrea dy
in Russian ands. and Port Arthur and the
Lao Tung Peninsula fall to her only Z
little sooner than expected.
England Will probably seize Chusan. an
island near Shanghai suitably located Ia
control the trade Of that great market. an
almost English city, while France ma Y
| take Hainan nd territory on the manila nd
! adjoining Tcnquin The now ineviia bic
| failure to pay tine war indemnity willleaye
japan in possession of Wei Hal Wei.
To the weiI-infoTmed at Peking it was
known II: 1895 that Russia had promised
the reigning family in China to maintain
them on the throne and to preserve their
empire. The most omihous feature of
the present crisis for China is that this
eDga cement seems TO have been Tepudiatd.
and Gernlspv must have acted with the
assured consent OF Russia and France
England will not interfere in the program
OF these three powers. In China she has
receded before French and Russian agCres.
sion fro,n every stand that the English
press has asserted that she would take.
II has always been China, never the
aEgr-sSor. that has been ca ed to indemnify
when soIne rresh encroac'lment ha S seemed
to menace British interests, and i'll every
case Great Britain has been content 10
accept scme grant to herself to balance
the grants To Others. The effect of this
movement, OF China is not difficult To state.
Her autonomy is gravely mena ed, herhaps
lost forever.
1t is lot too late, however, TO 10 so ne
thing for the United States, whose trade
interests there are second to those of Eng
land only. China is our natural market
The Chinese tariff treats all alike, and
China is the only great field where III,
American Inanuf acturers meet all rivals on
equal terms. The treaties of the Cni,ed
States with China provide that American
goods shall not be Disseminated against.
and that nc monopoly shall be granted to
anyone. With the seizure of territory these
treaties fan to the ground, and spheres OF
influence hostile to American CONNER e
spring into existence before the Euro1can
agGressors have time to raise the cry Of
vested interests.
Let the A merican Government dem md
that. whoever may become masters Of the
soil. equality Of tariff shall be maiusaIn-
ed, and the American manu- actursr SIM II
not bear the burden of a tax imposed By lis
petitors.
Look ed at from a broader view the action
of the Powers cannot but cause regret to
every friend OF China in America Itincludes
among its T,ssibie consequences the diyf-
SION of China the fallO fthe eManchudynasty,
the intrctluctjon of European quarrels into
an Asiatic state always frienfil Y to us . Dur
ing the pas three years the great powers
have hsd an opportunity for the exercise or
beneficent and civilizing influence in
China, which they have thrown away
By joining together and inducing the i'm
periai government, which was favorable to
foreign idea after the japanese war to re-
form its fiscal system and its internal tariff
and to throw open the development Of its
resources to the enterprise and capital of
the West, they Gould have created a great
market and a vast field Of industry i'm
partially opentO all. They couldiiay raised
up and reformed an ancient government
and led great people unliviG ed into the
path Of progress. Tie American merchant
and the American missionary would tave
ask ed NJ. more than this.
Selfishness. however, has ca rried the day
fielG whici: could not be mOnopoliz,tl by
Commercial nethodsis being seized by force
of arms, and instead OF the spectacle :, f
China being lifted up, civilized and .levri-
0ped by the wholesome process of peaceful
compet;ti1n, We are to see her ports turned
into mutually hostile TOrtrcsses and her
provinces become the camping sroun.l OF
alien scldiery.