The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-31
What Is a "Sphere of Influence ?"

AS we are likely to hear a good deal about
the sphere Of influence" in China claimed
by this or that foreign power, 1t is well to
keep In view precisely what is signined by
the term. A definition is the more desira-
BILE because those who employ the words in
diplomatic correspondence are not agreed
about their meaning. During the recent
debate, for instance, in the House OF Com
MONS, Mr.. BRODRICK, the Parliamentary
Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, showed
that he had certain determinations in
meaning on the subject in his mind,
but he declined to admit that tho phrase
bore the significance most frequently
attached to it,. He pointed out that
a 'sphere of influence" would be COM
parativcly valueless If, Ivy it, you merely
intend to indicate a region in which you
have q right to be heard when any change
connected with it is made. On the other
hand, the purport OF the term might be cx-
banded until it would amount, practically,
to n protcctoratc. According to Mr.. BROD-
RICK, however, :" If you mean by sphere of
influence in a given district that only the
power which claims it should be allowed
to construct any useful work OF any sort or
kind therein, then the term is completely
novel to diplomatic discussion"
There are. then, at least three kinds OF
spheres OF influence, and it would need an
international agreement to determine
which OF the two more substantial kinds il
contemplated in n particular case. No for
NAL sanction, on the other hand, is required
for the species OF claim advanced by Eng
land during a large part Of this century to
he heard before any ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the
ottoman Empire should he carried out.
Not even Turkey itself ever conceded by
treaty to England this function OF guar
dian or next fricnd;" much less was tho
lawfulness of the claim acknowledged be-
forehand by other European powers, al
though England's right to intcrpose at the
time Of the Crimoan war, and, again, after
the Russians had imposed upon the
Sultan the treaty Of San Stefano,
may he said to have been practically
recognized by the Congress of Paris and
by the Congress OF Berlin. We are
often told, too, that England regards
Afghanistan as within her sphere OF inlu-
enr", but this does not mean that the Anlcer
ABDrRRHAMAN Is not an independent SOW
ere'gn. or that his power to conclude trea-
ties with foreign powers is limited. We
come next to the relation Of England to the
South african Republic. Beyond a doubt
the latter country should he described as
within the formers sphere of influence, be-
cause. though otherwise independent, it
cannot make treaties with foreign lowers
unless it previously secures for them the
sanction Of Great Britain. That evidently
10 m ,rn xol.:-. - ., =.
would have to be prescribed by an agrce-
nient between the British Foreign Onlce
and the Pretoria Government.
We pass to still another definition of the
phrase sphere OF influence, that, namely.
adopted by the conference which arranged
the partition OF Africa among certain Euro
pean powers. Here the German word hin |
terldnd describes more exactly the nature |
Of the concession made to each Of the pow
ers concerned. BY hintcrlnnd is signiticd a
region, as yet u~noccupied by Europeans, |
but lying behind or beside a territory
already in the possession OF a European
power. The agreement is that each power
may explore, improve and annex its hinter-
land at It's leisure, and free from any in
reference on the part OF the other
parties to the compact. About this delni-
ton Of hintHrlnnd Their" is no dispute; the
conflicting claims OF the French and Eng
fish in the Valley OF the Niger and in that
OF the White Milo and OF its tributary, the
Behr-el-Ghazal, merely signify that, until
recently, the boundaries Of the French and
English hintcrinnds in those quarters were
unsettled. BY tho convention recently
concluded, however, between Lord SAILS
BURY and NJ. DELCAssE, the boundaries
have been laid down. 1t is agreed that
these powers shall possess within their re-
spectiNe hinterlGnds exclusive rights OF SOW
ereignty, which, though AT present in
choate, may DO lnado actual ut their good
pleasure.
We come now to the practical question,
Is "sphere Of influence" synonymous with
hintertand, ms it is applied by Russia to
Manchuria and by Germany to Shan Tung?
Theoretically. 1t is not; for no claim TO
sovereignty is set up with respect to either
Of the provinces named. Even the nucleus
OF Russia's acquisitions, the Lao Tung
peninsula, Is, ostensibly. held under a