Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-09-03
EUROpE'S PEACE MENRCED.
England's Ultimatum Must
be Met by Russia.
BOTH NATIONS READY FOR WAR
The Gar Must Yield or British
Guns May be Turned on Rus
sia's Fleet.

Guns May be Turned on RUS
sia's Fleet.
LONDON, August 27.-If war be-
tween Great Britain and Russia, over
the trade issue in China, be averted
through the skillful diplomacy Of the
statesmen OF both nations, it will sur
prise many persons in England and
also in the Cars domain; but wheth-
er it is to be peace or war the strained
relations between the countries can
not continue much longer. The dis
patches from Peking are in sense
misleading, as they represent Eng
land ultimatum as having been de-
livered to China and not to Russia.
This is technically correct, but as
everybody knows the Chinese Foreign
Office is at this time mere tool in the
hands of Russia, and it is strongly
suspected that Ii Hung Chang and
the Chinese Empress have received
big money considerations from Rus
STA. Hence the British ultimatum
to the Chinese Foreign Office is In
point of fact an ultimatum TO the
Russian Government.
RUss1A's MINISTRY WARNED.
Count,Muravieff, Russian Minister
of Foreign Affairs, at st. Petersburg,
has been given clearly to understand
that unless England's demands for
definite formal guarantees in support
of her rights in perpetuity IN the
Yang-tse Valley are fully satisfied
forthwith, the British Ministry will
feel bound to proceed to the last ex'
tremitv. In a word, Russia must
climb down forthwith, or the naval
precautionary preparations, which the
British Admiralty has been making
tor weeks.past at home and in East
ern waters, will be turned to terribly
practical uses.
ENGLANP's CHINESE POLICY.
When England's policy OF mair-
tanning the integrity of China was
upset by Germany's descent upon
Kio-Chou, followed by Russia's de
scent upon Port Arthur, and when
the policy of the open door was adopt
ed bv Lord Salisbury under guar
antees for equal opportunities under
the treaty of Tientsin, it was clear to
far.sighted men, OF whom Secretary
Joseph Chamberlain was one, and
George n. Curzon, another, that this
policy of an open door in all parts OF
China could only succeed by one OF
two means.
One was by securing the co-opera-
ton of the United States and Japan IN
putting diplomatic pressure upon
Russia and those working with her;
the other was by readiness to threaten
war, if Russia refused to respect the
treaty of Tientsin.
AMERICAN Co OPERATION URGED.
The policy OF securing cooperation
with the United States was first tried.
Lord Salisbury made informal APP
proaches to ascertain how America
would regard definite proposals to Sc
cure an open door in China by the es'
adjustment of an English American
Japanese condorlinium over such
ports as Talien- Won, which would
overlook and keep open to the hinter-
lands the world trade, the same ter
ritories which Port Arthur Kio-Chou,
etc. overlook and through which Rus
STA and Germany now seek to gain ex-
elusive hold upon their respective
grabs.
These preliminary feelers were re-
ceived with undisguised satisfaction
by those recognized as mediaries with
President Mckinley. As one Minister
said, speaking at the time, of the
United States reception of the idea:
They were mighty civil about it. "
But, with the Spanish war threatened,
nothing could be done.
THE QUEENS HOPE OF PEACE.
One alternative remained. The
success of the policy of TIE open door
was only possible if the British MIN,
istry was prepared to insist, even at
the point of war But here the Queen s
private, natural and most honorable
susceptibilities interviewed Sheloathes
Constellation