The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-15
An English Review OF tho Chinese
Situation.

As tho London National RevietD is known
to represent the views of an influential Sec
tion of the Salisbury Cabinet, more than
common interest attaches to It's editors
comments on the seizure Of Kiao chou Bay
by Germany. They are set forth in the
January number, under the caption "Epi-
sodes of the Month" but they are not free
from ambiguity. On the one hand. an at
tempt is made to minimize the Importance
of the seizure, while, on the other. it Is
suggested that Japan has a right to protest
against Germany's act, and 1t is further
asserted that England could not afford to
stand by and see China carved up by pro-
tectionist powers whose policy would in
volve the closing of the Chinese market to
British trade.
The Reuieto's disposition to avert an in
ternational quarrel by making light Of the
Kiao Chou incident is indicated by its
favorable reception Of q letter addressed to
the London Times by the Shanghai CORE
spondent of that paper. The writer points
out that the German demonstration oc-
casIoned no surprise among the mercantile
community of Shanghai for the reason that
Germany has. for the last two years. been
giving unmistakable signs of her intention
to obtain a naval station somewhere ON
the China coast" He goes on to say that
It would be better that she should estab-
lish herself in the north rather than on
the coast of Fo-kien, and seems inclined to
think that u an arrangement might
tend to a wholesome preservation of the
balance of power" Kiao Chou. with it's
great expanse of land-locked water and
~neighboring coal mines, Is described as an
ideal naval station. The belle. Is also ex-
pressed that no better field could be chosen
than Shang.tung in which to expound to
the Chinese the benefits OF good govern
ment, and of the proper development Of
their country. To the question how the
seizure of Kiao Chou is likely to affect
Great Britain, the Shanghai correspondent,
who, presumably, represents local British
feeling on the subject, replies: "While,
from the purely British standpoint, it
would probably be advisable that so strong
a position as Kiao Chou should not be held
by any one European power, but that the
port should simply be added to the number
of those already opened under treaty. there
would not appear to be any special objec-
ton to its being occupied by Germany"
1t is recognized, however. alike by the
Shanghai correspondent and by the Ma
tional Review, that the Japanese and, for
that matter, theC Chinese also, have a right
to ask how Russia, which, in 1894. inter.
vened to preserve the integrity of the Chi
nese Empire in the case of the Liao-tung
Peninsula. can now permit logically the &C.
cupation of Kiao Chou In 1897 by any for
eign powerl The truth, Of course, is that
the maintenance of the territorial integri-
ty of the Chinese Empire was only a pre-
tence for Russia's demand for a revision of
the Shimonoseki treaty. The Cars ad-
visers foresaw that If Japan acquired pos
session of Corea and the Liao-tung PENN
sula there was an end to their hope of acquir-
ing an e-free seaport, whereas, II the treaty
were revised, 1t would be- easy to secure
from China, In return for financial SER
vices, the right to occupy such a port in
winter. AS a matter of fact. the German
seizure of KiaO Chou Bay was promptly