The Irish standard., 1898-06-04

tereSt mas shifted further eastward still,
to China, where undoubtedly vastly
greater interests are at stake; and al.
though we are only at the beginning Of
great events-the result of which it is
impossible to foresee, although we can
foresee that they will be of momentous
Importance to every man and woman
in this country-although, say, we are
only at the beginning Of events, already
we are condemned by an impatient Sec
tion of politicians for want of foresight
and for want of success.
"Now, think, if you will be patient
with me, can show that these two
charges at any rate are groundless; but
do not wish you to believe that in my
opinion the campaign is over, that the
victory has been won so that there are
not in the future problems of the most
serious character with which this coun-
try has got to deal. But let us really
follow the language of some of our
critics. Do they really believe that the
government, Of all men, were alone ig-
norant of what every tyro in politics
was perfectly acquainted with? Every
body has foreseen, everybody has
khoWn-not for the last few months, but
Tor many, many years-that it was the
persistent ambition and the continuous
policy of Russia to extend her eastern
dominicns southwark, to have an ice
freo port for her trade and an ice-free
harbor for her safety. Nobody was ig-
norant of that. The government knew
it as we'll as the man in the street
Uaughter.)
But there is one thing that nobody
Knew. People may have suspected it.
but L venture to say that the majority
OF those who had the best means of
Judging were not prepared for the total
collapse OF China in tho Japanese
chinese war. We knew that only few
years ago China, or the fear Of China
had forced Russia herself to give I'm
territory which she had previously oc-
cupled, and do not believe that before
THIS war there was any general or sat
lsfactory information at all which
would have led one to gather that the
absolute corruption, the Grass Ignorance
and the gross misgovernment of the
mandarins in China had brought the
ancient empire to a position of practi-
cal impotence, in which all effective re-
slstence was for time entirely de-
stroyed. But that was IN important
TACT to recognize. From the moment
that you recognized that fact you had
10 see that China, unless she were as
sisted from outside, is absolutely at the
!, mercy OF the great military empire.
with it's hundred millions Of inhabitants
and with 1000 miles of land frontier on
tho boundary of China.
| But when was this information com-
plete? When was this knowledge GER
TAIN: Not in our time, but in the time
OF the late government. The matter, as
have said is much too serious for any,
thing in the nature of rccrimination In
such case it seems to me that the tn
quoquc argument is worse than absurd:
IT Is mischievous and almost unpatri-
otlc. l only refer to it to show the diff
Guilty of the case, not to blame the ,ata
government, and when Sir William
Harcourt accuses us of want of fore
sight and of not having made prepara-
tlons, at least it is fair to say to him:
what preparations did you make when
for the first time you became acouaint-
ed with the weakness of China. with
her absolute incapacity to resist the
advance of Russia? After that 1t was
only question of time, and of a short
time, when Russia would come to Port
Arthur and extend her influence in the
province Of Manchuria. Yet the late
government took no steps to come to an
understanding with Russia. On the
contrary, it refused to join Russia, and
france, and Germany in the interyen-
tlon which those powers made in order
TO prevent Japan from having Port Ar
thur. I do not say that thew werc
wrong. 1t is possible, of course, that
II they had Joined they might have
made their own terms, but whether thai
DC SO or not they allowed the opportun-
1ty to go by, and they did nothing. What
followed? The inevitable followed. as
it always does
The expected happened, and Russia
did go down to Port Arthur and to Ia
lienwan. AS to the way in which Rus
sia secured that occupation, as to the
representations which were mado and
repudlated as soon as they were made
as to the promises which were given
and broken in a fortnight afterward
mad better perhaps say nothing, exccpt
l have always thought that it was a
wise proverb, Who sups with the devil
must nave long spoon Uaughtcr)
The present government Gid try to
come to an understanding with Russia
We took care to inform her that we
mad no jealousy no Objection to what
we understood to be her commercial
objects, or to the development of her
trade, or to the expansion of her legiti.
mate authority, but we sought to induce
her to give up the idea of political pre-
dominance and military occupation. We
failed-that was not consistent with the
| ne h1u