The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-25
TIE DooM OF CHINA.
Ru-sia and EnEiand as tho SliddIe KinEdom's
Of tho unIted stntea.

~ FDITOhO r lhH SON-oiTs III bOlublOH
Of the great Chinese puzzle Inns not yet been an
nounccd. but enough light has now been thrown
on tho proceedings connected with IL to indi-
cato in what direction IL is tending. Tho future
of China may DO said to turn on tho arrange
mcnts that may be como to between England
and Russia, or. as tho London Times OF Feb. 10,
In n very remarkable article on the question, has
IL, lilies upon the knees OF the gods" and tho
arrangement between those two powers will dc.
pend on what terms they may como TO regard
ing Persia and Afghanistan as well as China.
The time which the British Foreign Office has
been looking forward to with anxiety for yonrs
has at length arrived. The great Russian
glacier in Asia Ii pushing its way to the soa
with irresistible force, nnd though England, for
political and commercial reasons, would rather
SEQ it kept back altogether II possible, she would
naturally prefer that its present course should
be diverted In n direction where II would least
injuriously affect her own particular interests,
and might DO made to advance them.
Tho Conservative party in England has until
quito recently been the most strenuous oppo.
nent OF Russian DEVELOPMENT In any direction,
but as soon as IL was discovered that the policy
OF defending the Turk against Russia was n
failure, and had only Injured TO the advantage
of Germany. Lord Salisbury announced that he
withdrew England's stakes on the Ottoman
horse and offered to allow Russia II walk over.
1t has now been revealed to tho London Foreign
Office that the Pacific offers an easier and wider
access TO the sea for Russia than either the
Black Sea or the Persian Gulf, and that Eng.
land should no longer place obstacles in the way
of her obtaining open ports wherever her doing
so does not threaten injury TO EnElands COM
mercial interests. The suggestion is therefore
thrown out that the most permanently salts
factory policy for England is an understanding
with Russia as TO their respective spheres OF in
fuence in China. which is described as power
less to defend itself and In a state of impending
disintegration. This is n triumph for Count
Mouravietf. who, on assuming the direction OF
the Foreign Office at St. Petersburg after the
death of Prince Lobanoff. laid down his Asiatic
policy as being on the lines of n cordial CO.
operation with England. The question of how
Japan and the two other European States hav-
ing material interests in China, Germany and
France, may look on the English propositions
does not seem to be considered.
Herr Won Bnlow, the German Foreign Secre.
tary, in laying before the Reichstag the situa-
ton In China, SO far as Germany was concerned,
stated that the acquisition Of Kino Chou was u
commercial and naval necessity. in order that
German ships might have n home and harbor
Of their own in the Chinese seas, and so be in
dependent of the good or i'll will of foreign Gov
ernments. He justified the selection of Kiao
Chou on the grounds that it is equally distant
from, the English and French spheres Of action
and from the Russian base Of operations. and
consequently does not touch the interests Of
those powers He further announced the firm
determination Of the German Government to
proceed with perseverance and deliberation in
Maccaboes Of old. with the sword in one hand
and the trowel or spade in the other" Under
these circumstances. and assuming that the
French Government also has wcll.defined views
OF Its own interests in the event of the disinte-
grafton Of China. an exclusive arrangement be-
tween England and Russia WithDut unlpr-
standing with the Others becomes impossible, or
is only feasible at the point Of the sword,
The English suggestion is that while China
continues. to have a sgmblance of Government it
will remain under the protection Of one or both
that England wants is said to be "a free hand
for her trade. together with an amicablc under.
torial expansion shall cease. Whether that line
be drawn at the thirty.eighth or Mt the fortieth
i~sfsctory conditions be laid down with regard to
the future circulation of British goods in Man.
The nnkedness of this suggestion leaves moth.
ing TO be desired; ii remains to be seen whether
inc itnss1an Government Is prepared to meet 1t:
and the Japanese may take of so startling a prop
%osition. to say nothing of the other Governments
that. like our own, have treaty engagements
with China. a line drawn at the thirty.eighth
parallel Of latitude would bring Russia down
fortieth parallel, it would place Pckin almost on
the border and necossitnte the removal Of the
Moukden, the ancestral home of the dSnasty.
would rc in Russian territory. Native Chinese
papers report that Prince Kung has suggested
the abandonment Of all northern China 10 Rus
siR and making Nanking the capital under
fused er ps0'f fo eon;si pHi ' the p pr T%ni G deeiari re;
that any change now would bring on the down
fall, of The dynasty.
by Chinese Gordon. when he was called 10 China
ut tho time of the difficulty with Russia about
nothing new. Tho position of the dynasty is
certainly an embarrassing one, threatened on
by the encroachmcnts of its northern neighbor.
and with that OF lts conquered territory by. the
rebellion OF its subjects and their partition into
spheres OF influence" by the commercial
powers of Europe.
but what the actual and contingent conditions
are is not stated. The promise that the Chinese
o, o' err re1sE SG ns I'M nov IN any fern or way alien:
one of the conditions, and is obviously in favor
Of the principal or sole Guarantor OF the loan
der the circumstances cannot be described rs
brilliant. Hemmed IN on the north by the Hoang.
concession to English demands. the territorial
expansion sion Of Gsrmany at the best must be com,
in Tonquin and Siam.
And Japan At present Japan seems to be en-.
pulling the nuts out of the fro for England.
the declared intention Of Japan 10 remain at
Wei Hal Wei. says OF England: This country
r wllr nha n Of T Woi Iin ,p W 1,1t by iIe N Ja 1he prSl"D FED
't 'h- toNs HI
perfect .frankness of this leaves no doubt of its
truthfnlncss. The Japanese position is a very
difficult one. However lcnitntly The Japanese
Government may be disposed TO treat China in
the matter OF the indemnity, they arc driven by
their own necessities to act tho incxorable
creditor, which, in the end. will very little
tS amo 'n nS %oTc of ch ina i Fo,ng into So H.Tn
from which its chances of redemption
are iniinitesimnl. According to tho Lon.
don Times, There is no Chinese empire
in the European sense of the word. There
Is only a congeries OF provinces occupied by
Cinnamon over whom Pekin has no control
worth, mentioning. but who can be readily co.
creed by any power that insists upon its rights.
These last are ominous words. and ] have itaii-
ciscd them in order to give them tho greater
emphasis. They convey u warning TO our Amer.
lean peop!c it would he folly to ignore. and have
u meaning that applies not TO the affairs of
China only, although doubtless the writer only
had China in view when writing them.
They are not accidental or incidental only 10
which has become fundamental in, the dealings
OF certain Governments with weak and unpre.
pared Stnics. In tho nctMnl lrnnl Ineul Of Chinn