The times., 1898-02-04
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.

II is difficult to overestimate the i'm
portance of the news to the effect that
Russia's troops have crossed the Chi
| nese frontier and entered Manchuria
and that Germany has put forward a
demand for the proclamation of Port
Arthur and of Talienwan as free, or
treaty. ports. open for the commerce of
the world. The latter, in particular,
marks an entirely new departure in
Germany's foreign policy.
Ever since the advent to the throne
of the present Emperor, and one might
almost say since the beginning of the
present century, the court of Berlin
has always gone out of it's way to seek
the good will of the ruling powers at
81 Petersburg. In fact, the present
| Emperor of Germany has manifested
such an eagerness to be on good terms
| with Russia, and has made so many
advances toward both the late and the
present CZar, advances that were usu-
ally received with such studied and
| even insulting coldness, as to excite a
feeling of resentment on the part of
| many of the Kaisers subjects, who
1, were of the opinion that their sover
/! eign was compromising thereby not
only his own dignity, but likewise that
! of the entire German nation. William
| seems at length to have come to the
| conclusion that the time has arrived
| to change his policy in this connection,
| and in a moment when one of the most
| vital phases of Russia's policy in Asia
| is at stake he has come out, not in be-
| half of the Gar. but against him.
| For it is matter of vital Importance
| to Russia that she should secure sole
| and excIuc;x6 ,,ocSecciay hoth of Port
| Arthur and Talienwan, which she
needs for the Pacific coast terminus of
| her Trans Siberian Railroad, VIadivos-
| tok being closed by ice during nearly
half of the year. In fact. the strate
| gical as well as commercial value of
| the Trans Siberian Railroad will be
gravely impaired-one might almost
say enthusiastically more than 30 per
| cent. in the event of Talienwan and
| Port Arthur being excluded from pure
| ly Russian control. Emperor William.
| with the view of giving still greater
! force to his demand that these two
ports should be thrown open TO the
commerce of the entire world, instead
of being ceded by China exclusively to
Russia, has proclaimed his intention
of converting KiaO Chou into a free
port in lieu of reservinS it exclusively
to the trade and commerce of Ger
IN lniS upon
China he thus openly takes up sides
with England and Japan against Rus
sia, and his action will not only be
warmly approved of by all the CONNER
cial element of Germany, but will like
wise meet with the approval of the
people at large. who are far from hay
ing shared the prediction hitherto
manifested by the reigning family of
Berlin in favor of Russia.
1t remains to be seen whether or not
this action on the part of the Kaiser
against Russia in China will have any
effect upon the maintenance of peace
between the two great military en-
pires in Europe. But it is not
without significance that Emperor
William has been of late devoting an
infinitely greater degree of attention TO
the defenses on the eastern frontier of
his empire than to those on the French
boundary line, and it was but the other
day that he delivered at Thorn and at
other fortress towns along the Russian
frontier speeches engaging the citizens
and the garrison To cooperate with one
another in placing their towns in prop
er state of defense, since occasion
might arise where they would be called
upon to serve as the outposts to the
his friendship for the Gar. But this
scarcely served to attenuate the tone of
his address which the Foreign Office
at Berlin made vain attempt to in
terpret in a less offensive manner to
Russia in the semi official press.
Ii may likewise be pointed out that
the Russian war department has with
in the last few weeks entirely reorgan-
lied the principal command of her
troops along the German frontier. and
there is much TO indicate the immi-
nence of the long-loOked-for conflict
between Germany and Russia. Rus
slams hate Germans more bitterly than
any other foreigner, and in the same
way the Germans. especially in the
eastern provinces. are more bitter in
their sentiments toward Russians than
they are towards the French. This is
due not only to memories of the cruel /
ties and the rapines perpetrated by the I
Russian troops during the past century
and in the early part of the present |
century, as well as to the fact that Rus |
sian influence has always been regard /
ed as responsible for every act OF deS- |
potism and tyranny on the part of the |
German sovereigns, but likewise owing /
to commercial and agricultural rivalry, |
l1Fairy winch uOeS HOT eAlSI between |
Germany and France.
In one way China is in the most en-
viable position. and one calculated to /
bring water to the mouths of such
bankrupt powers as Turkey, Greece !
and Spain. For here are two of the
richest governments in the world, /
namely those of England and Russia,
almost ready to go to war with one
another for the privilege of lending the
heather Chinese 100000 900. 1t is GER
tainly comical situation. OF course,
no account need be taken of the Chi
nese proposal to divide up the loan be-
tween Russia and England, each power
to contribute s40.000.0O0 toward the to-
tai amount For England, as we'll as
Russia, while eager to loan tie money,
will only do so on terms that are en-
trely unacceptable to one another.
Life in Kansas.
10