The times., 1898-07-03


station In return.
This German activity in Manila un-
dOubtedly is taken seriously here. 1t has
made Manila the one point upon which
English eyes are especially fixed. heard
a large British ship-owner declare in the
most forcible language yesterday that the
British admiralty should not lose mo-
ment in instructing the commander-in-
chief al Hong Kong 70 quietly Increase
the British squadron of four ships now
at Manila lust to show Germany that
we have our eyes wide OPEN"
''Such remarks are general in business
circles, where il is felt that the presence
Of a German admiral in Manila waters
puts n severe strain on the situation. In
political circles. however; there are spe-
cial reasons for not wounding German
feelings just now, especially over Far
Eastern matters. The fact is that Ger
many may soon hold a trump card in
China. The railway game is now In
critical stage between London. Pekin and
ST. Petersburg.
THE Franco-Belgian syndicate, which
practically means Russia. has, despite
/ British protests. wrung from the Chinese
TsuHg-H-Yamen a concession for a main
| line of railway directly south from PeSin.
! through the province of HOnan, where
| British capitalists have acquired immense
mining rights. TO Han kQw, on the Yang
tsi River-that is. right into the heart of
! the British sphere of Interest in the
Yangtsi Valley.
This Russo-Belgian project, II real
| ized would block the natural outlet for
! the vast commerce which England hopes
! 10 develop in Shansi, Honan and the
| Yangtsi Valley. There remains, however,
! a short cut to the sea through the Ger
man province of Shantung. where a Ger
man syndicate, with capital or $50 00O. 09O.
have railway concessions. What British
| politicians and capitalists have in view
as a last resort is the idea of Joining
hands with the Germans for mutual CO.
operation in this corner of China Natu-
rally. therefore, they would gladly avoid
at this moment the creation of such
strong anti-British sentiment in Germany
as a British demonstration at Manila
would be certain 10 provoke.
But still Germany may go TOO far. An
4 gio-American accord all the world over
is a far we:ghtier thing with England
than Anglo-German cooperation in
1 China
An interesting contribution to the Eng
lish discussion of the questioned Ameri-
can expansion appeared in the Liberal
weekly organ, the Speaker, today. Eng
lish Liberal journals hitherto either have
appiauded expansion or kept judicious 81
| Ience. The Speaker comes out strongly
for America on Monroe principles. Here
are two passages:
''AI the powers of the world are
scrambling for China. Americans are
ambitious and aggressive. and little prone
/ to be quietly beaten in a fight or bar
! gain. In fact. like ourselves, only more
/ so. Settled AT Manila, they would be
forced to take a hand in the struggle for
territorial compensations' which has In
troduced the worst results of the old
policy of the balance of power into the
3 al far1f
I would act ;Jingo. And again: Those who
/ are enthusiastic about the civilizing mis-
I sion of the AnglO-SaXons in the tropics
should visit Netley Hospital. 1t means
4 constant unrest in foreign policy, an
enormous increase in the cost of home
. defense. and the delay of social reform
We have been forced to go abroad to find
work and elbow-room for forty millions
Z Of people crowded in the towns of these
little islands, but there is plenty of room
between Boston and Los Angeles for
three hundred millions of white men. II
would be an excellent thing for England
if America We're 10 take a share in the
partition OF China, but much better for
America TO allow the efforts of her peo-
pie 10 be concentrated on the improve
/ ment of her great continental dominion.
the noblest territorial heritage ever hand
ed down 10 any nation.
England does not mean 10 be worried
out Of Egypt. Thus. months ago Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach addressed the
French Chauvinists. This week he has
made good his declaration by asking the
House OF Commons for a vote of $3.50, ,039
10 make a free gift TO the khedive of the
loan previously made for the Sudan ex-
pedi,ion. England thus throws away the
pretence Of no sovereignty in Egypt.
Gen. Kitchener's advance upon Khar-
tum is frankly adopted as an advance in
the cause Of British expansion to lit in
with the Rhodes advance to the north
ward from the Cape By way OF Lakes
Tanganyika and Nyassa. Mr.. LabOUch-
ere vigorously protests that this proves
the English TO be a gang Of hypocrites.
who in the name Of civilization. are al
ways grabbing and robbing, but the
painting of the red cross Of British do
miniou in Africa. north, east, south and
west, goes on steadily.
week ago there were serious fears
| in official quarters lest the Anglo French
Niger convention gave France the oppor-
tunity of blocking England's march from
I the Niger 20 the Nile. Under the conyen-
ton the limit of Nigeria in this direction
is the fourteenth meridian Of longitude
which cuts Lake Chad in two. But the
official opinion now is that this does
not mean that the eastern shore of this
lake has been assigned to France. The
&
quite open, and England is free to eX-
tend herself westward from the White
Nile 10 Lake Chad.
Parliament and the press this weei
have been seething with ecclesiastical
disputes. The government has before
the House Of Commons a benefices bill
dealing with clerical misconduct, bu
leaving untouched their misconduct il
departing from doctrine in the practic,
of the ritual laid down in the prayer
book for the state church. This bill ha!
opened the f0odgates Of controversy OF
the ritualistic tendencies m the church
The Bishop OF London issued a pastora
prescribing the aband Alment of Romisf
practices in Anglican churches. The Of
Tending clergymen declare that they viii
persist. while less moderate friends of tn.
church have set the no pOpery' cry il
full swing. What the end of the crisi!
will be none can say. II may be that tins
church is approaching another such spli
as that OF Newmans day. Some even &c
so far as to say the crisis brings discs
tablishment distinctly nearer
THE SITUATION UNCHANGED.