The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
Changes in the Chinese Situation.

If we can trust the reports telegraphed
from Pekin that Japan intends to retain
Wei-hai. Wei, and that Germany has OBJ
tanned permission to construct a railway
from Kiao.Chou into the interior of Shan
Tung, we must infer that the programme
announced by Sir MICHAEL HICKs-BEACH
and Mr.. A. j. BALFoUR has been abandoned.
Those Ministers announced that England
would never surrender the commercial
rights which her treaties with China gave
her, and this meant that she would
not permit a partition of the Chinese sea.
coast. since, in the territories Topped off
from the Middle Kingdom, her treaty rights
would necessarily lapse. 1t is equivocation
to say that British merchants will lose
nothing by Chinese Acknowledgement, mas
much as Russia and Germany have prom
Used that Port Arthur inc Kiao Chou shall
be free ports. What privileges British
merchants secure in those harbors will be
enjoyed by the favor of the Gear and of the
German Kaiser, whereas what they want is
the rights which E%ngland's treaties with
China gave them. 1t is highly probable
that the Mikado, in his turn, II Wei-hai-
Wei is to remain in his possession, will
grant to British traders free access to that
port, but England's treaty rights with
China will become non-existent, 80 far as
that naval fortress is concerned.
The net result of Lord SAL1sBuRY's back
down Is that already three great powers
are permanently established at strategic
n commercial coigns of vantage and that
England has received no compensation, un.
less the right to extend q Burmese railway
into Yun-nan be regarded as an equivalent.
Admitting, however, that the outcome of
such a railway extension will be the asser-
tion ON England's part that Yun.nan Is
within her sphere of influence, we must
still recognize that Lord SALISBURY has re-
nounced the principle proclaimed by Sir
MICHAEL Horseback, that China should
not be subjected to sphere of influence"
claims which are steps toward annexation.
1t is well known that Wei-hai-Wei was
left by the treaty of Shimonoseki in the
hands of Japan as q pledge for the payment
of a pecuniary indemnity. The moment
the Toxic Government decides to assert
sovereignty over the fortress, which it has
hitherto held only in the capacity of a GUS
todian, 1t loses Its title to the unpaid re-
mainder of the debt, and China is thus re.
NV hCSVobitS VI jill III u
large sum of money from England, Russia,
or Germany. The Pekin Government Is
probably well pleased to be extricated from
the predicament in which the conflicting
overtures of the three powers Just named
have placed her, and from the necessity
of subscribing to the onerous conditions
attached by each of those powers to the
proffered loan. Moreover, she could not
have accepted the loan from any one of the
powers that rendered 1t without offending
the others. On tho other hand, by permit
ting Japan TO retain Wei-hai- Wei she not
only cancels a ~pecuniary obligation but
gives Germany a rival In Shan.Tung. 1t
will be as easy for the Japanese to build a
railway into the interior of that province
from Wei-hai-W Wei as 1t will be for the Ger.
mans TO undertake the process of exploita.
tion from Kiao Chou.
To the Russians the permanent presence
of the Japanese in the naval fortress which,
Jointly with Port Arthur. commands the
entrance TO the Gulf of Pe-chi.li, must be
peculiarly obnoxious. The revision of the
Shimonoseki treaty was brought about by
the Cars advisers for the express purpose
OF excluding Japan from the Asiatic main
ioh"' "hu lhat purpose "oulu nave Deer
carried out, through the punctual payment
of the last installment OF the Chinese in
demnity with money furnished by Russia
had not Germany's seizure OF Kiao Chou
upset the original plan. The value of Port
Arthur to Russia is materially lessened by
the fact that a ~neighboring naval station |.
to be possessed by a strong power. OF tn,
five powers that, it was supposed. might co
operate In the partition Of China. each hai
got something with the exception O
France. She Win undoubtedly insist upor
q right to puAh forward railways int,
southern China from her present posses