The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-12
FLEET STILt At GIBRALTAR
ORDERED TO REMAIN THERE To
AWAIT DEVELOPMENTS.
IntimatiOn from Russia that India
May BE Invaded-Grandson of
the Dauphin in Prison.

LONDON, Aug. 1.-THE Daily Mail says
to-day: I'VE understand that the Franco
Belgian contract for the construction Of the
Peking-Han-Kow railway has been ratified
by the -Li-Yamen and actually
signed"
On the contrary the Picking correspondent
of the Times telegraphing Wednesday, said
the contract was still unratified, that the
Belgian minister was pressing for an i'm
perial rescript directing ratification, AMI
that England should endeavor to delay the
ratification until the objectional clauses in
favor of Russia are removed"
In the House of Commons to-day Mr.. A.
J. Balfour, the first lord of the treasury
and government leader, admitted that the
statements in the Peking dispatch to the
Times were substantially correct, and said
that the matter was engaging the serious
attention of the government" This state
ment was received with cheers
The correspondent of the Times cabled
that the Tsung-H-Yamen had given formal
assent to all the conditions demanded by the
Russian charge daffaires, M. Pab-
loft, regarding the contract for the
Niu-Chwang Railroad extension loan.
these conditions being in direct
conflict with the terms of the
signed contract and designed as a blow at
British concessions.
A dispatch received here to-day from Glib
raltar says the departure from that place
of the British military squadron, which was
fixed for to-day, has been countermanded
and the squadron has been ordered to remain
at Gibraltar, while awaiting further orders.
1t is not known whether this change in the
Admiraltys plans has any connection with
| the situation in the far East.
The Peking correspondent of the Times
says: Baron de Vinck, the Belgian min
lister, yesterday sent a dispatch to the
Tsung- Li-Yamen, asserting that M. Pavloff,
the, Russian charge d'affaires, and M.
Gerard, the French minister, had joined him
in urging the Tsung-Li-Yamen to disre-
gard the attempt of the British minister,
Sir Claude Macdonald, to prevent the rati-
fication of the PekingHankau contract. 1t
is confidently asserted that despite the Brit
ish endeavor to obtain revision of the con-
tract, an imperial decree will issue forth
with for it's ratification. The unfriendly role
of the Belgian minister throughout merits
the strongest condemnation"
All the morning papers, including the
supporters of the government attack Lord
Salisbury for weakness in dealing with the
Chinese question. The Daily Chronicle says:
What is to be the result nobody can say.
There is room for the gloomiest forebod-
ings Does the country realize that for want
of a little foresight and firmness Great Brit
ain may ere long be plunged into a colossal
war? Such without the least doubt or ex-
aggeration is the appalling possibility
The Daily Mail says: THE door is closed
The proudly boosted British lion does not
exist in the Yangtse valley. 1t is a mistake,
and looking to what Lord Salisbury has
done in Egypt, his failure in China is in
explicable."
The Standard says: These repeated hu-
mutations are becoming intolerable."
-Acc' riding to special dispatchl from
Shanghai it is reported there that France
has obtained China's promise to lease her
the Man Tai district of Foo-Chow, together
with the right to repair her war ships in
the Chinese government dock yard at Foo
Chow.