The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-05
The News from China.

The announcement that the British feet
ut Wei hal Wei has been cleared for action
may mean only that, in the Far East, as in
the Mediterranean, and even in the British
Channel, the London Foreign Office has re-
solved to demonstrate its readiness for
self-defence. Such a demonstration is OPP
perfume, whether the new French Cabinet
shall carry out its reported intention Of call
ing a conference for the purpose OF consid-
ering the Egyptian question. or whether
England shall ~forestall the possible outcome
Of such q conference by asserting a definite
protectorate over Egypt.
1t is, at the same time, true that, aside
from the complications that may arise In
connection with Egypt, the relations Of
Russia and Great Britain in China are al
ready SO much strained that a fresh act Of
aggression on the part Of the Cars repre-
sentatives might bring the two countries
to the point Of rupture. We have not yet
received any confirmation Of the report
cabled from Shanghai to London on Oct.
20, to the effect that, five days previously, a
Russian regiment had occupied the town Of
New-Chwang together with the forts at the
mouth Of the Liau River. II such an occupa-
ton has taken place, a serious encroach-
ment has been committed on the rights Of
the treaty powers. Eew-Chwang occupies
an important strategic position. for it lies
At tho junction of the Liau River with one
bf it's chief tributaries; 1t is the destined
terminus OF the extension of the railway
which already runs in q northeasterly d.
tection from Tientsin to Ming Yuan, and 1t
Is the principal entrep6t of Manchuria,
Swhloh ~ lokn ~, 100000 -. A.
most populous and hourishing parts OF
the Celestial Empire. The gross foreign
trade Of this port In 1895 was upward
Of $4,000. 600. whereof moro than three
fourths belonged to Great Britain. 1t was
D kind Of trade, moreover, which, through
the opening Of railways, was likely to
acquire great expansion by which England,
and. next to her. the United States, might
expect to profit. II England would not
fight to uphold her treaty rights ut New
Chwang, what guarantee have her manu1
facturers and merchants that she would
protect them at Tentsin, the port OF Pekin,
Or even at Shanghai, the emporium Of CEN
tral Gilman A fortnight, however, has
elapsed since the seizure Of New-Chwang
was announced. and the absence of any cor
toboration In the interval casts suspicion
on the report.
What Is the relative strength OF the Brit
ish and Russian naval forces in the Far
Eastf At Wei Hal Wei, and nearby at Che
foo. England has two f1rst-class battleships,
two armored cruisers and a second-class
cruiser, besides three torpedo-boat destroy
erB and a gunboat. Elsewhere In Chinese
waters, but within what distance of Wei
Hal Wei is not publicly known, she has a
third battleship. a third armored cruiser
and seven cruisers ranging In tonnage
from the Powerful, 14,2oo tons. to the
Archer, Ito tons. Besides the gunboat
already mentioned she has seven other YES
sells OF the same type, each having q capac-
ity Of over 100 tons. besides two smaller
gnnboats and -four sloops Of war, each OF
which Is of more than 1000 tons bur
den. 1t is alleged that Russia has col
lected a large feet at Port Arthur, but It
can scarcely be anything like the equal in
armament Of that which the British
posSess In or near Wei Hal Wei, unless
Vladlvostock has been almost denuded,
which is improbable.
The total laval strength OF Russia on the
east coast OF the Pacific comprised at last
accounts one s~econd-class battleship, seven
armored cruisers. varying In power from
the Russia, 12,2oo tons, to the Vladimir
Monomach, 5.754. She also has four small
cruisers not much bigger than the English
sloops OF war. two large and two small gun
boats, and two coast-defence ironclads Of
a capacity OF about 1900 tons apiece.
It is well-nigh certain that the coast
defence ironclads and a number OF the
cruisers have been left at Vladiyostock
for the protection of that naval fort
ress. Under the circumstances. no fleet