The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-23
War Fleets of Five or Six Nations May
BE Hurting Shot and Shell at Each
other on the China Sea.
DEPENDS MUCH ON JAPANESE
WHO ARE REGARDED BY EUROPEAN
DIPLOMATS AS FIREBRANDS.
An Interesting Game, in which the
Marquis of Salisbury Appears to
Have the Advantage.
Especial Cable Letter.)

LONDON, Jan. 22.-There seems to be no
doubt that affairs in the far East have
reached a crisis, and that. unless there is
great forebearance the part of Great
Britain, there may be a clash that may in
volve five or six nations in a naval war
Lord Salisbury and his Cabinet met to-day
and discussed the situation, but the result
of the deliberations was not made known
1t was announced at st. Petersburg this
morning that the British war vessels at
Port Arthur had been ordered to leave
there without delay. In reply to this state
ment the following semi statement
was published this evening: "uhe British
vessels which recently visited Port Arthur
merely touched there in the course of their
ordinary cruises, and would naturally leave
after a short stay The question of calling
and depaFtJlEe~iss-eaae-st saas Gisserssfsal oa
the British admiral on the station" In
spite of the statement of the Foreign Office
there is reason 10 believe that the with
drawal of the ships from Port Arthur is
due to the great irritation in Russia at
their presence there, and to the strong rep
resentations of the Russian government on
the subject.
The fact that Great Britain and Japan
have large fleets at their command in and
many, and the Berlin newspapers are urg-
ing the government to Immediately send
two torpedo divisions to Kiaochau bay. The
Germans fear Japan especially and seem to
be much agitated over the hurled depart
ure of the Mikado's fleet to the China sea.
There has been a quick and general in
dorsement in all parts of Great Britain of
the firm declaration made by the chancellor
of the exchequer. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach,
at Swansea, on Monday last, setting forth
that the British government was de-
termined "even at the cost of war" that
the door of Chinese commerce should not
be shut to Great Britain The wave or pa
triotism now sweeping over the land mas
an echo in every public aSsemolage, Where
any aIlusion TO Great Britain,s attitude IS
enthusiastically applauded while patrlotc
songs at the music halls set the auulences
wild with the warlike ferVor. In the mean
while the party leaders are outdoing eacn
other in following the lead of Sir Mlchael
Hicks-B From the tone which mas
characterized the oratory of the past few
days one would imagine that Great Brit
ain was about to take up arms against the
world.
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, followed the chan
ceIlor of the eXchquer with the virtual
announcement that Great Britain was re-
solved to act in the far East Independently
of the concert of the powers. Mr.. Herbert
Henry Asquith, the former home secretary,
clear that the Liberals cordially indorsed
the governments position and the speech
of the commander-in-chief of the army,
Lord Wolsely at the banquet in London,
on Thursday when he asserted that If
Great Britain declared war Tomorrow, she
could have two of the finest and most
fully-euuipped army corps in readiness al
any British port before ships could be pre-
nared to embark them has also had a re-
assuring effect, while the decided improve
ment in the outlook of the Indian rebel
lion has been a great relief to the govern
ment. -,
The newspapers of London and the Brit
ish provinces are unanimous in approving
fhe policy of the government in their edi-
torial comments. The Times points out,
snropos of the reported opposition of Rus
sia TO the proposed British loan to China,
that the attitude of Great Britain in no
wav depends upon whether her offer of
loan is or is not accepted, as in any case
Great Britain will stand on treaty rights
and take care to preserve to our commerce
ali the advantages which ii can justly
claim The Times adds: I'VE will not
have il denied to us either by the estab-
jshn1ent of customs stations or regulations
Favorable to foreign nations hostile to our
selves This right we mean to vindicate.
T,he Manchester Guardian states that pri-
vate letters from st. Petersburg received
nv . high official in London, say the Rus
Sian government is much concerned at the
number of Chinese fiocking into Siberia
froyn the northwest of China, and that the
ministers have decided TO take measures TO
heck this ''inroad," as ii is commercially
and politically embarrassing