The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-22

Englsnd's demand concerning Talienwan
is a shot IN the bullseye, and puncturcs
the whole programme arranged at st. Pc
tersburg, when Russia forced Japan to re-
vise the S~himonoseki treaty, and surren-
der all Of the Chinese territory on the
mainland OF Asia which was coded by that
instrument.
1t will be observed that England does
not assert that the Russian warships
should not be permitted TO winter Mt Port
Arthur. Public opinion will no longer
Justify the British Government In insist
ing that the Russian naval force in the Pa
cifc shall be confined for many months in
the year to the ice.locked harbor of Vladi-
vostock. Measures, however, have been
taken to prevent the Gear from converting
Port Arthur into q fortress which would
make him dominant In Pe-chi.li and in the
Yellow Sea, and from gradually acquir-
ing virtual dominion over that section
Of the Middle Kingdom which lies
north and northeast of the Great Wall.
That is to say. q partition Of China shall
not take place II England can avert 1t, and
there is little reason to doubt that abe Is
able at least to postpone 1t, because. with
the cooperation Of Japan. she notonly ispre-
ponderant at sea, but has at her disposal.
also, a larger land force han Russia can
place at the further end of Asia before the
completion Of the Siberian Railway.
That the prospect of an early dismem.
berment of China is not as promising as IL
was is indicated by the report, said to be
current In the official quarters Of Shanghai,
that Germany will make Kiao Chou an
open port on lines similar to those govern.
ing Hong Kong. 1t is certain that such
was not Germany's original intention. Her
design at first was to follow the practice
which she has pursued uniformly in her
other ~transmariue dependencies, and to
keep for herself all the trade with the pop
ulous province of Shan.tung, which her
possession of Kiao Chou would enable her
to command. If. however, Kiao Chou is to
be as open to traders from all countries as
Is Hong Kong England N reasonably
object to the Kaiser's acquisition of the
former port, since he would merely use it
for a naval station.
Will the Gar fight IL his protest against
the conversion of Tal!enwan as q treaty
port Is unheeded at Pekin1 He could, un-
doubleday, count upon the assistance Of
France. but the Russian and French war
ships combined are outnumbered in Chi
nese waters by those which fly the British
flag. Even IL the Gear could also reckon
upon the support Of the German squad
ron, that accession of strength would
BIO greatly more than counterbalanced
by tho Japanese fleet, which, 1t is be-
lieved, will side with England. The
land force, too, now stationed at Via
livestock, or any force that the Gear
could despatch thither with the existing
means Of transportation, would be made
quate to cope with the standing army of
Japan, especially as the ~latter's operations
would be immensely facilitated by a pre-
ponderant sea power.
Russia, in fine, under present conditions,
can scarcely hope to win as against Eng
land and Japan in the far East, and, there
fore, unless she considers the hour ripe for
assailing India, she will probably avoid a
conflict and submit to the temporary frus.
tration Of her plans for the southwark ex.
tension Of her Siberian frontier.