Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-08-31
a}1iseellaneous 8eadi1ss.
LION AND BEAR.

AM
Cause of the Pending QUARREL Between
England and Russia.
From the Atlanta Journal.
The trouble now brewing between
England and Russia may end in the
greatest war of modern times.
Who can tell u?
This trouble between these gigantic
powers is thought about, written
about, talked about all over the world
every day, and yet how many even
among the most intelligent people
have clear idea of the cause of the
great English Russian quarrel.
Very few, if any.
What is the cause of the trouble?
In general way, people say that
it is the lust of power. That is true,
but far from definitely stated.
Simply and precisely put, the pres:
ent trouble between England and
Russia is caused by two projected rail-
way lines in the Chinese empire. One
extends from Newch Wang to Shan
ai.Kwan, the other from Pekin to
Shan. .Hai-Kwan.
Russia's great Trans-Siberia railway
runs from St. Petersburg eastward,
crcling the northern boundary of
China, and terminating at Viadivos-
took, near the head Of the Korean
peninsula.
Now, then, the great aim of Russia
is to get control Of the two projected
lines extending from Newch Wang via
Shan -Hai-Kwan, via Pekin to Han
kow.
And should she succeed in doing so
she could easily divert the vast trade
of China by way of the Trans-Siberia
line to her own territory.
This is what England, which has a
tremendous interest in the trade of
China, is seeking to prevent.
Hence the growls of the British lion
and the Russian bear which seem al
most ready to spring at each others
throats in deadly combat.
Wei.Hai-Wei, the English strong
hold recently acquired from China, is
directly opposite Port Arthur at the
entrance to the Gulf of China. Klao-
Chan, the new possession of Germany,
is a little south of Wei-Hai-Wei, and
Ta-Lien- Wau, very important Rus
sian port, is on the same peninsula as
Port Arthur.
In the strait of Sundy between the
islands of Sumatra and Java, lying to
the southwark in the China sea, is the
little island of Kra Katan, upon which,
in the year 1883, a volcanic eruption
killed sc, $50 human beings and almost
destroyed the island. Directly north
are the Philippine islands, the Ladrone
and Caroline islands all occupying
very important strategic positions as
regards the Orient.
The cupidity of the Chinese is anna
zing. In the art of getting something
for nothing he has no superior. he
will promptly agree to anything if he
thinks the pay is in proportion to what
is asked of him but when he gets the
cash in hand he will straightway fail
to remember that for which it has been
paid. This applies to railway conces-
sions as we'll as other things, and,
therefore, concessions for railways IN
China are not worth the paper they
are written on; however exalted the
official of the empire who grants them,
unless they bear the approval of Rus
sia. There can be no doubt that Chi
ma, in these matters, has the loftiest
respect for the Russian empire.
No country knows better than Eng
land that what Americans call bull
doing is the only possible way of en-
forcing Cbina's official pledges for any
thing. There was time when Eng
land swung her arm of iron so threaten
ingly and convincingly that she &C
uuired nine-tenths Of the foreign COM
merce of China and held such absolute
control of the Chinese empires Gus
toms department that she knew all
about the remaining tenth.
But that time has past.
Into this rich field has sprung anoth-
er Richmond, and his name is the car
of ali the Russias. 1t seems very hard
for Englishmen to realize that the iron
horse is about to supplant the man-of-
war and that it is the grand army OF
Russia and not the unparagoned
navy of Great Britain that forms the
living power, the prospective exerting
of which enforces the profound respect
of the emperor of China and all his
underling officials.
Lord Salisbury knew full we'll the
value of Chinese official assurances
that England's railway plans would
receive the consideration which their
Importance deserved when he laid
them before parliament. He had to
90 through the performance.
But he was as cognizant then as he
is now, after the PRONUNCIATION Of the
edict granting to Russia what England
sought, that without the swinging of
Engand's arm of iron she would not
BIZ needed.
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