The age-herald., 1897-12-29

The enemies of today are often the friends of tomorrow
 This brief sentence has been clearly dem- onstrated in the Oriental situation. It was only short time ago when Japan was so jealous of the English trade in the Orient that the Japs actually thought seri- ously of attempting to drive the English ships from Oriental waters. Now Japan is making vigorous overtures to England to form an alliance with the mikado and prevent Russia, France and Germany from dividing China up among themselves. It is not probable that England will form a binding alliance with any other govern ment. England is not in the habit of mak- ing alliances. She leads and smaller na- tions usually follow in her wake for the crumbs that are to fall from her table.
 England has had her eyes wide open all the time and has had thorough knowledge of every movement which has been made on the part of Russia. Of course France and Germany are only the understudies, so to speak, of Russia Russia has used them for her own purposes, and is giving them small slices of territory in China a sort of reciprocity for the aid they have given the czar.
 Russia has gotten all she wants. She has acquired complete possession of all that portion of northern China bordering on Siberia and known as Manchuria- She has also exercised a sort of suzerainty over Corea. This acquisition of territory includes the harbor of Port Arthur which Russia now really owns. Of China this is all Russia desires. It gives her a tremen- dous new territory for trade. It gives her a great eastern coast line with magnificent harbors open for navigation all the year round. It gives her territory containing as great mineral resources as there are on the face of the earth. In this country is much gold and great quantities of coal and iron ore. There are also coppermines sup posed to contain great wealth. Russia has acquired 1t without resorting to arms.
 In the diplomatic world the Russians rank at the very top. A Russian cannot represent his government abroad unless he has had many years training in gov ernment service first at home. He must
 be able to speak fiuently all languages that might be necessary in the country to which he is the accredited representative. There is probably not a Russian in the legation building of any capital of the world who does not speak fluently French, German, English and Spanish. The Rus sian representative in the Orient must be able not only to speak these languages, but Japanese, Chinese and Corean as well. When l say Chinese, I mean the Chinese spoken in the Pekin province
 All the world is laughing at the display made by the young emperor of Germany in sending his brother, Prince Henry, as commandant of the German fleet to China Germany is in no condition alone to make a display in the far east. She has no coal ing stations at any points between I<iel and Kiao Chou bay, a distance of 15.OOO miles. Her merchant ships as well as her ships of war, must coal at English sta uons en route, such as Gibraltar, Malta Port Said Alden, Colombo, Singapore and Hong Kong This is wherein England's naval strength lies. She has coaling sta tions which she owns and which are amply protected all over the world. Neither France nor Germany have coaling stations except in their own territories and in this fact all these powers are weak, for what is cruiser or battleship worth unless it is supplied with coal?
 The fact that Russia is installed in Northern China and that France is install ed in Southern China and that Germany has small slice and a good port in North ern Central China, means of necessity that England must acquire territory and es- tablish herself in Central China. Japan de- sires the same ends. This Is the reason Japan is anxious to make an alliance with England. Japan's naval strei lyth is not sufficient for her alone to go against the combined powers of Russia, France and