Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-02
ENGLAND NOT WORRYING.
Her Interests Not Seriously Menaced
by the Existing Situation
in China,

London. JAM l.-(Copyrighted 1898, by the
Associated Press.) The ingenuity displayed
in manufacturing news from the far East
is remarkable. Five-sixths of the state
ments can he safely labeled guesswork. The
British and Russian foreign Offices are as
dumb as oysters. and the German stream
of conflicting communications in the semi
official press shows they do not know
which foot they are standing on. France
is apparently in the dark. while the mikado
has dissolved the Japanese diet in order
that opinions should not be expressed In
the circumstances. II is not strange that
accurate information Is difficult TO secure
The known facts wholly corroborate the
statements cabled to the Associated Press
on Saturday last, that Great Britain is
carefully watching the situation. bidinS her
time and will certainly not fail 10 act
promptly and vigorously at the proper mo-
rnent Ii was pointed out in that dispatch
that in well Informed circles the scare in
the newspapers in regard 10 the far East
was at least premature. and that the MEM
bers of the government were evidently sin
cere in disClaiming the least alarm. This
view of the case was practically reiterated
by the Daily Graphic on Friday. which as
serted that there was every reason TO be-
lievc the Russians would adhere to their
pledge to evacuate Port Arthur at the end
of the winter. and that, therefore. there
were no grounds for complaint on the part
of Great Britain. The Daily Graphic fur
ther pointed out that the British govern
Chan by the Germans as calling for ac-
tion because British interests were not
threatened. Both the foreign Office and
the admiralty. according TO the Daily
Graphic were agreed on this point.
Evidently. apart from the question of the
Chinese loan, the Corean question is more
tntereetin. for Great Britain at the present
moment than the questions Of Port Arthur
aud Kiao Chau. principally because the
Marquis of Salisbury secs in the attempt TO
oust J. McLeavy Brown. the British su-
psrintend.nt of Gorean customs, n more
serious scheme to overtufn Sir Robert Hart,
,be british director of the Chinese fmrer-
.al maritime customs. which has apparent-
IL been nipped in the bud The cabinets
existence would be short II II permitted Rus
Ella to conrce the Tsung Ii Yamen ,Chincse
foreign ofhceb into dismissing tho British
head Of the Chinese customs.
II IS not known yet whether tho British
fneutg arrived at according 10 4 cable dis
patch from I'"hing. by which Mr.. McIeaVy
brown and 81. Alexieff. the Russian agent
IN Corea will work the Corean customs
together Tho British ministers appear 10
he some what distrustful, so the warships
OF Great Britain which are at present or
ChernulpG the port of Seoul, in order to
give rnHrHl support 10 Mr.. Brown will re-
main thErc for the present.
At present there Is keen interest in COM
rnnrtfai rirrlcT over The outcome of the
efforts Of Euryla 10 secure Il Chinese loan
on tho OHhT0us terms announced by the
peklng correspondent of the Times who
said that tho Chinese government refused
TO place the i.!kin Gniernal revenues under
foreign nonJoi az security for the loan pro-
posed by the Hong Kong and Shanghai
bank and asserted that, unless the loan
was proc,Irabie without this condition ar
rangemeDts would forthwith be made sor n
Russian guaranteed per cent loan of lGn-
06G COO tasIs, TO be Issued at SO net. The Sc
curity for thia loan would be the land tax
which would remain under Chinese admin
astration. and China. In return. would give