Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-01-07
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1898 IN HISTORY.

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1898 IN HISTORY.
LEADING EVENTS IN MANY PARTS OF
THE WORLD.
Business Ruled Politics-Nations Scheming
For Broader Markets For Their Mer-
chants-A Summary of Important De-
velopments In the Far East, In the
Soudan and Other Parts of Africa and
In the Various Countries of Europe.
From the Baltimore Sun.
The year 1898 brought several i'm
portant changes in the current of the
worlds affairs, illustrating the truth
that commercial interests now domi-
nate international politics. England,
the United States, France, Germany,
Russia and Japan are now the great
industrial and exporting nations. Out
side their own borders their political
action has nowadays for motive the
retention and procurement of markets
for their manufactures and raw pro-
ducts. Russia, France and Germany
have in recent years annexed terrific
.ry, with view to obtaining exclusive
markets. High tariffs shut competit.
sors out of French acquisitiCAs in Tunis,
West Africa, Madagascar, Siam and
China; out of German acquisitions in
East and West Africa and the various
islands annexed in the Pacific; out of
Russian acquisitions in Asia Minor,
Persia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, the
.Pamirs, the Amoor country and Man
churia. Alarm was thus produced in
England, in the United States and
Japan. Just so far as the Powers
previously named extended their en-
pires, just so far the open markets of
the world were being closed to Eng
land the United States and Japan.
BUSINESS IN POLITICS.
The engrossing events of 1898 have
originated from the continued efforts
of Russia, Germany and France.to en-
large their commerce by enlarging their
dominions and from the counter-eforts
of the other three powers, either to
preserve an 'sopen door" for their COM
merce in the territories seized by rivals,
or to preserve the markets that were
left by seizing them for themselves.
Russia strives to divert the commerce
of the east from British ships by build
ing an overland railway to connect
Vladivostok and Tallen.wan with st.
Petersburg. To improve its terminal
facilities in the east, she has, in the
past year, occupied Port Arthur ard
Tallen- wan, with large slice of China
adjacent to Pekin. Russia's action is
always inspired more by political than
by commercial motives, and this fact
did not lessen the sensation produced
by development of Russia's designs
in the first months of 1898.
KIAo ,CHAU.
Germany first responded to Russia's
aggressive movement by seizing Kaio-
Chau, on the coast of China, as q hess7
for Germdu cosmmsrcial operation in
the east. In England this proceeding
Produced great sensation. 1t was
demanded that Russia and Germany
abstain from applying their tariffs to
the territories they acquired in China,
or otherwise abridging the trade treat,
les. Germany assented by declaring
Kiao-Chau an open port, like Hong
Kong. Russia made vague promises,
some of which were broken within a.
month.
WEI-HAI-WEI.
To oppose the political prestige and
naval predominance acquired by Rus
sia in acquiring and fortifying Port
Arthur, England acquired Wei-Hai-
Wei, just opposite, which commands
Port Arthur and the Corean coast be-
side. A large area was added to Hong
Kong, new ports were opened to trade
and the use of steamers on Chinese
rivers was sanctioned. Very impor-
tant is the fact that China agreed not
to ALLEVIATE to any Power other than
England the provinces bordering the
Yang-Tsze river-thus defining Brit.
ish sphere of influence. France OBJ
tanned like promise in respect to the
provinces adjacent to Tonquin. A
campaign of concession hunting at
Pekin occupied attention for some
months, and many charters are now
for sale, the holders of but few of them
having the millions with which TO
build the thousands of miles of railroad
the charters call for.
REAcTIeNARY REVOLUTION.
Following the concession excitement
came the sensation caused by the dow
ager empress, who, not liking the re-
forms initiated by the young emperor,
seized the reins of power by palace
revolution, expelling or executing the
reformers who had influenced the en-
peror. The empress cancelled the
reform DEGREES and re-established the
old abuses. The net result of the
struggle in the east seems to be that
England has made up her mind to
continue to insist on the policy of "the
open door," with the more or less open
cooperation of Japan and the United
States; but, at the same time, believes
that she will ultimately have tie seize
the provinces on the Yang-Tsze, as
Russia has seized Manchuria, and is
preparing to do so as soon as "the open
door" policy is evidently failure. So
far the "door" is still open-till Russia
gets ready to close it.
OUR PART.
By occupying the Philippine Islands,
near the Chinese coast, the United
States became in 1898 factor in the