The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-31
BRITAIN PREPARING FOR WAR
HER NAVAL RESERVE FORCES, 1T is
SAID, WILL Bic MOBILIZED.
Reiteration of the Statement that the
Are working Together i'm the East.

Foreign Office here is not disclosing it's
plans and its officials positively refuse to
discuss either the policy of Great Britain
or the action of the other powers. A local
news agency announced yesterday that the
naval reserve was to be anobilzed at once,
but this rumor could not be verified, and
neither could the report that transport ships
| had been requisitioned for the purpose of
conveying marines to China. According to
recent estimates, the reserve forces of the
British navy number about $4,000. OF this
number it is calculated that at least 10000
men would be required in case OF war to
| complete the manning of the war ships of
| Great Britain, which understood to re-
| quire a complement of 10000 men, whereas
| only 100000 are actually in service. The nav
| al reserve problem has long been discussed
| by British authorities and the general opin-
| ion appears to be that the number of men
| available is far short of the number that
| would be required in case of war. IN addi-
| tion to the men in the naval reserve, Great
| Britain has a large reserve fleet and a num-
| ber of reserve merchant cruisers, including
such vessels as the Campania, Lucania,
Etruria, Umbria, Majestic. Teutonic, etc.
| The officials of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road in London say they have no knowledge
| of the British Admiralty having requisitioned
| three of the steamships belonging to that
| company, as reported in a special dispatch
| from Shanghai and they believe the state-
ment to be without foundation. Vice Presi-
| dent Shaughenssey, of tho same company
wires from Montreal that there is no truth
in the story that his road has been asked
! tc transport engineers. gunners and deck
| officers to Vancouver and Esquimalt, or that
| the imperial government had made a requi-
sit for cfo Of fba pa-
| cific Company.
| These rumors may have grown out of in
| quires from the Admiralty, and the denials
| are not evidence that the railway company
| will not be called on to furnish tra1sporta-
| ton. BY sending troops to China via Can
ada, the government will have a great ad-
| vantage over the other powers in the mat
! ter of time saved.
The alleged seizure Sed Hai-Nan island by
the French fleet caused much comment here
/ yesterday, and was regarded as proof of the
| report that Germany, Russia and France
had entered into an agreement to dismem-
| ber China. 1t was semi officially denied in
| Paris that the tri-color had been hoisted
| over the island but the fact remains that
| the French fleet is near there, and it is
| known that France covets the island. Hal
| Nan is not far from Hong-kong, the Chi
nese port over which Great Britain has jur-
! isdiction, and its possession by an enemy,
| in case of war, would be menace to Brit
| ish interests.
| The Daily Mail has received kilograms
| from Hong-Kong and Tonqun denying the
| report of French occupation of the island,
| but it regards it as morally certain that
| Hai-Nan was occupied about a fortnight
| ago, when Port Arthur was occupied by the
Russians, the coincidence forcing the sus-
picion that France and Russia were acting
| in concert A dispath to the Daily Mail
| from Singapore, dated yesterday CThursday)
| says: THE news that the French had otcu-
pied the Island of Hai-Nan was brought
here from Saigon Capital Of French Cochin
China) on Tuesday by the French mailboat
| Ernest Simon. Before the latter left Saigon,
| on the 25th, a French cruiser arrived there
| with either Admiral Bedolliero or letters
| from him to the French governor Of Saigon.
| The Ernest Simon delayed for an hour at
| Saigon in order to take the governors dis
| patch relating to the hosting of the flag on
| the Island of Hai-Nan to the French gov
| ernor. The cause of the delay was known
| only to a few officers on board the Ernest
| Simon, but inadvertently the secret was i'm
| parted to a French officer (Singapore), who
not being bound to secrecy, let the matter
out. 1t is believed that the French hold the
telegraph Office at Hoi-Kow (Io-Kow), and
prevent communication to Hong-Kong. The
cable between Hai-Phong (Tonquin) and
Saigon is broken and under repair, and
therefore it was impossible for Admiral
Bedolliere to telegraph the news of the sez-
ure to Saigon. Admiral Bedolliero, with the
war ships Bayard and Des Cartes, left
Hong-Kong on Dec. II. He called at Hal
Phong on Dec Is, and attended the meeting
of the defense committee at Hai-Phong
about that date, when the seizure Of the
Island of Hai-Nan was decided upon
A belated dispatch from Peking says the
suppression of ]. McIeavy Brown, the
British superintendent of the Corean Gus
toms is at present engaging the attention
of the British government With the view
of upholding his rights, four British war
vessels are understood to be off Chemulpo
This news is either old or previous dispatch
es were inaccurate, Tor it was stated several
days ago that Brown had been reipstated.
The Daily Graphic asserts, ''on author
ity," that the British squadron was definite
ly instructed to assemble off Chemulpo to
support strong British expostulation with
Corea on the dismissal Of McLeavy Brown,
who, under the advice of the British con-
sui has twice returned the notice of dis
missal served upon him. With regard to
Port Arthur, the Daily Graphic asserts that
there is every reason to believe the Rus
slams will adhere to their pledge to evacu-
ate at the end of the winter, and there is
therefore no ground for complaint on the
part of England. Neither does the govern
ment regard the occupation of Kiaochau
as calling for action, because British in
terests are not threatened. According to
the Daily Graphic, both the Foreign Office
and the Admiralty are agreed on this point.
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Shang-
hal. dated yesterday CThursday). says:
"A British fleet of eight ships and four
torpedo boats has arrived at Chemulpo Cthe
port of Seoul.) 1t is reported that there
are two Japanese cruisers in the Yang
Tse-Kiang. Japan is working night and
day preparing for war. 1t is believed that
the British and japanese fleets are in close
touch"
special dispatch from Shanghai says
that communications are constantly pass