The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-06
british interests i'm china.

British Interests i'm China.
If the Manchester Guardian states cor
ely Great Britain's attitude relative
TO The occupation of Chinese territory by
aermany and Russia, there viii not be
PARTITION of the Chinese empire without
frouble of a very serious character. Ac-
riding to the statements of that paper,
-1e British government will not permit
h1io Chou to be occupied by Germany nor
Port Arthur to be occupied by Russia.
even with the consent of China, unless
hey are made open pOrts-that is. UNI
less Great Britain is given the same rights
aud privileges which Germany and Rus
STA have. With respect to concessions of
riiroad and mining privileges. Great Brit
ain will insist upon as liberal treatment
any other nation has. Great Britain
axes her stand upon treaties which she
has with China-treaties which provide
that no other nation shall be granted
greater privileges and concessions than
hose granted TO her. She makes no dec
aration in respect to Chinese territory,
bat intimates that the grabbing of ter
rilory viii lead to serious complications.
1t doesn't look as if Emperor William
were going to have as pleasant a time
as he anticipated in extending German
authority over a portion of Chinese terri
tory. Great Britain has vast commercial
interests in China, and she isn't going
TO have these interests ruined if she can
help it.
Recent dispatches left the impression
that China had assented willingly TO the
occupation of Kaio Chou by Germany and
Port Arthur by Russia, but the Herald
interview with Ii Hung Chang, who Is
in authority again in China shows be-
yond a doubt that if China has assented
to the occupation of two of her most inn
portant ports, it was because she is too
weak to resent the wrong done her. He
says the ports in question are held by
force, and in direct opposition to existing
treaties and International law. He pathet-
ically adds: rs it just to Cypress us
while we are struggling to emerge from
the restraints of our ancient civilization,
while improvement and progress steadily
continue? Should China be distressed by
having her shores invaded and her terri
tory occupied because of an occurrence
which western countries would deal with
by law and not by war-an unexpected in
cident deplored by my government. and
followed by fun redress? our desire is to
preserve our territory intact and TO stead
lily improve it as a field open to all coun-
tries equally for the development of com
merce"
Ii Hung Chang is not wholly frank in
the foregoing statement, because he knows
very well thet Germany is not occupying
Chinese territory because two German
missionaries were murdered in China. The
missionary incident is not the cause of
Germany's policy in respect to China; 1t
is made an excuse for it. The whole
world understands that if Germany had
not already decided to extend her empire
by taking forcible possession of Chinese
territory, she would have been satisfied
with the course pursued by the Chinese
government in the matter of the murdered
missionaries.
Now that Great Britain's position in
respect to the movement to dismember the
Chinese empire is known, it remains to
be seen whether Germany and Russia
will adhere to the policy of taking pos
session of Chinese territory 1t may be
that they will be satisfied to simply hold
for awhile the ports they have as naval
stations and await developments. Clearly
Great Britain does not intend that the
Chinese empire shall be dismembered.
Otherwise she would not offer to extend
assistance in paying the balance of the
indemnity due Japan.