The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02

Vet Vet Tirae rsr tire rarti,tsu sr Ch,ns. ear
= Diptomat In WnsNtpreo,.

Dtpiount IN VNnahtugton.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-According TO a we'll.
informed member OF the Diplomatic corps here.
whose Government 10 deeply interested In the
progress of events In the Orient and has kept
him well informed, the actual facts and circum.
stances OF the movements Of European powers
supposed to portend tho partition OF China
among thom, utterly discourage any such con.
illusions. He declares that the amount Of mis-.
that has beon printed concerning
the situation in Chinese waters Is extraordinary.
A good deal of IL, no says, results from giving
credenco to dispatches from Shanghai, "a
hourishing nursery for new that is not so.'
With regard TO the action of Germany in land.
ing a naval force at Kiao Chow and taking pos
session Of tho port, tho diplomat says this:
when Germany, France and Russia, at tho
close Of the Japan.China war, interviewed be-
tween the two combatants to save China from
the worst consequences OF her defeat, they
claimed from China substantial recon-
pense for their aid. Such rocompenso
was given and in ample measure to
Russia and TO France. Tho former secured
valuable concessions In Manchuria, including a
right. OF way for the trans.Siberian railway,
and M"iG provide wGdeu a s terminal ' port i ON ,b oy P s;SHE miles nnsS
all the year around. Furthermore, Russia re-
ceived permission to use Port Arthur as a winter
What France received has been less gen.
orally appreciated. Permission was given her
not credited here. She also received freedom
the most valuable concession OF all was CONNER.
cial control Of the, rich Yunan province. France
and England had long coveted n foothold there,
Tor political as well rs commercial reasons
and is near si.m, and France because
not regret her success in thus overreaching
England. FINALLY, there is little doubt that
NINA inr Gields sTo al the GLAZING ely To0 OF France cS. regard d;
long standing which China had heretofore
f ISirs ali 10 1 TsssIneS nol RbqIes G tSnn sbs ch tnEss
charged China. She had not. the shadow OF a
the timely murder OF her missionaries gave her
the convenient excuse for which she had long
So much for Germany's action. As to
Arthur. there is small ground for considering
fleet always winters somewhere In that neigh.
borhood: her own harbors being frozen up
h tSn e' mad @0 %froaae S1 'n nso Se az Japanese msr = Sos saS
n f9r instance nnt"rs, i, without tho 1h1 STSu using, Sisrm; i 10
thur. The only suspicious circumstance
Is that It has been given out In certain, quarters
kiao Chou. and will leave whom tho latter
e essSry' that nff Il snEEesss tha L there SO en mny stt SnnS ali
be q niger in the woodpile.'
THE alleged presence of seventeen English
and thirty Japanese warships at Port Hamilton
has also received undue significance. The
probabilities are that no such force 10
there. Port Hamilton is n place of lit
tie military value; its harbor is one of tho
worst on that coast, and the place is not ade-
Quately fortified for a base and cannot be with
out great pains, chiefly because of its unhealth-
fulness. And even II Japan did wish to send O
fleet, there. she has not thirty warships within
reach to assemble there at such short notice.
Thus it is evident that Germany is not being
mennced on any hand.
But what is regarded as tho chief guar
tempt to partition China would be the signal for
the outbreak of q European war. For
that war none Of the powers Is. yet
ready. Russia. especially. will throw all her
influence on the sido Of peace. because she can.
not afford to fight until the Siberian railway is
completed. which will not be for several years.
By no other route can she effectively transport
an army to the scene. Tho general conclusion
is that the partition of China may be foreshad-
owed by these events. but only dimly."
From an equally trustworthy source comes
very quietly. Reports that public feeling there
runs high are said to be- entirely without
Tho Japanese Legation hears con-
stantlv from Toxic. but since the first despatch
Gernany's action nothing bearing
on that matter has been received.