Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-01

offices. Inc TWO governments were uhdpiS
to agree as to the officers to be placed in
charge of the revenue, and rs compromise
McIeavy Brown. an Englishman. who had
been in the Chinese customs service under
Sir John Hart, occupying an important
financial pOsition,was selected ns the adviser
to the board Of customs which meant prar-
tically that British methods would pre-
vail in the collection OF the revenue ana
British innuen was to be paramount.
Brown was given II Ave years contract
by the COrran government. and has
only been in Office Il little over year,
Several months ago the Russian gov
eminent came to the conclusion that with
Brown in charge OF the customs house tn"
Russianizing of COrea would he Impossible
and decided 20 snpplant him by an official
selected from the imperial treasury and who
was formally given Il commission by the Rus
sian government AS customs adviser to the
COrcan government. According to the III
terpretation placed upon recent dispatches
from Shanghai, Russia forced Corea to dis
miss Brown and appoint in his place her
own official, and it l. this action which Eng
land is now determined to resent, and pro-
poses to back up her protest by Il Formidable
nret il necessary. While Great Britain
deals directly with Corea it is recognized iii
Diplomatic circles here that the hermit king
dom is simply "A minor pawn Oh the great
chess board OF diplomacy, and that
it is to Russia England cries ""heck.
If the information contained in the
press dispatches is correct that Great
Britain has ordered her Asiatic squadron
of seventeen powerful vessels to proceed to
Cbemulpo and that Japan is near by with
fleet of thirty additional vessels, most Of
them of modern construction, powerful ~
speed, well manned and armed, 1t would
seem to indicate that there is ut least ar. UNI
derstanding between England and Japan.
The two countries have such an oyerwhelm-
ing naval force in Eastern waters that not
only Russia, but the combined fleets OF all
the other European powers Will be no match
for the allies. and they will hesitate long
time before provoking hostilites. Dipo-
mats of long standing have been puzzled to
remained supine. They now believe
that she simply las been waiting
for u good opportunity t. obtain her
share of the ''swlg." and that by tacitly en-
rourayng both Germany and Russia to ac-
unire Chinese territory she has forced those
| two powers into the position of not being
able to protest when England determines to
| carry out her we'll matured policy and add
| to her colonial possessions by the access ion
| Of coalng stations and military depots on
| Chinese soil. No one here believes for Il
| moment that in the general location OF
| European flags in China Englandis going to
| be badly left and although up to the present
| time it has appeared as IL Great Britain wer'
| only II very minor factor in the game the lact
that her navy is vastly superior to that OF any
| other power with the exception OF Japan ANA
! that she can without much Inconvenience
reinforce her fleets so rs to make them supe-
ri.r both in number and tonnage to Japan :
| entire navy. convinces astnte diplomats tina
England must be rerkoned with when the
powers engage in the final roundup. Tn'
officials OF the state department regard th',
AZ llx. n
| would not be surprised il 1t resulted in ac-
tual hostities before Il settlement il rea"he!
YOKOHAMA, Japan. Dec. 3O-Maruni'
Saigo. having been unable to reconstruct
the cabinet the entire ministry has resigned
dispatch from Shanghai says that q
Japanese fleet of more than 20 warships l.
waiting near Coto island, outside Nagasaki
fully equipped for war and waiting instruc
\ tons. The Japanese fleet is acting In clos'
touch with the British squadron under Vice
Admiral Sir Alexander Butler, commander
I'm chief of the China station. Japan will op
nose permanent Russian occupation o
Port Arthur. The sudden dissolution Of til,
japanese Diet was owing to the war spirit
The japanese fleet will attempt to proven
the landing of endorsements from Odessi
for the protection Of the Russian trans Asi
atIc railway in Manchuria.
pEKiN, China. Dec. 30 The German
question Is unsettled. China's difficulty !
Increased, owing to the uncertainty OF tn
powers. Germanys withdrawal from kia'
Chou bay IL conditional upon her finding
suitable naval station elsewhere. China
becoming alarmed at the present situation
and the government appears to be utter
nowerless. No answer has been receive,
from Russia concerning the proposed loai
and there are calamitors for"h"'in's con
rected with the suns eclipse on the Chimes
New Years Day.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 90--lt Is ad
United in diplomatic circles that II ther
should be general partitioning OF 'hih
within the next few months Russia, by reaso
of the present location OF her naval force
would be In highly advantageous posltio
and could without trouble take possessio
of a large slice OF territory, the seetio
which her interests particularly require ne
to either keep neutral or hold in her ow
right. An official OF the Chinese Legation
speaking OF the situation, says: III tn
European powers-Germany, England an
France-undertake to partition China or I
colonize the eastern portion, emma an
Russia will stand shoulder to shoulder an
prevent it. Russia has no reason to desir
partition. The Car has already obtained raj
road and other concessions which make hi
potent in northern China, the part OF IN
Celestial kingdom he has been credited VII
coyeting. Now it goes without saying thu
should the Gear annex forcibly or otherwis
that part OF China. he could not object t
his European neighbors also taking posses
sion OF Chinese territory. l believe tt
Gar will, at the proper time, give German
notice to evacuate Kiao Chou and secure
his own concessions peaceably attained. u
to remain..the only dominant European fact'
In China
New Government in Effect.