The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-28
How the Great Powers are Trying To
Steal Territory.
JAPAN THE CAUSE OF THE PRES
Emf GAME OF GRAB.
What Russia, Germany, France and
Italy Hope To Get by It-How the
Russian hear Pounccd Upon Port
Copyright 1899. }

(Copyright lS99
"The partition Of China" Is q phrase
90 familiar that we no longer remember
its real significance. just what this great
Micswberlike kingdom will have to say
about such an operation Is never con-
sidered. To wait for things to turn up
has BEEN the political religion Of China
from time immemorial, and today 1t is
the United States, with her new possess
sions In the orient, who is more con-
cerned about this so-called partition than
is China herself.
At the time when the crumbling Ro-
man empire was dying of dry rot it was
known that In the faraway East lay a
great kingdom so enveYoped in mystery
and SO secure in its strength that no
imperial Caesar dared even dream of its
conquest.
Adventurous travellers vanished into
the darkness of that mysterious east and
at times faint reports came back to Eur
ope telling of the wonders of Chungwha,
the Flowery Kingdom. whose kings were
descended from gods and whose oiviliza-
ton was called no less than 5000 years
old.
From the day of these first traditions to
just one century ago the worlds knowl-
edge of Cathay was liked quantity.
Not only was it fixed; it was infnitesi-
NAL Then English missionaries, the
first to cross the borders of the Celestial
empire. invaded this terra incognitn,
and in 1913 the British received official
permission to touch on its hem and carry
on trade with the ports of China. Three
years later Russia sued for q like privi
lege, but the petition was refused by the
great KEN Lung. From that time un-
til 1894 all trade between Europe and
China was in the hands of the British
East India company. Then came the
"opium war" and the intrusion of
France just at the time when the Rus
sian bear was poking tentative but de-
ermined paw into Manchuria.
Since then strange changes have taken
place, but it was not until audacious lit
3le Japan, at the battle of the Yalu. tore
The dragon mask from the unknown facs
~d China that quiescent Europe knew
,he actual weakness Of that great empire
Vt this Orient which lay ready to be carved
ap and passed around to the powers.
But Notwithstanding the fact that the
partition of China" has become very
common phrase to our end of the century
,ars, the kingdom of the great dragon has
uot yet been divided. Europe, with its
collective mouth watering for eastern ter
ritory and with an appetite pungently
sharpeped by thoughts of ''spheres of in
duence," has in some mysterious man
ner discovered that nation cannot be
cut up offhand and passed around like
pieces of cold pie. One nation jealousy
watches the other while neither dares
act, and in the meantime China herself
goes on her heather way rejoicing
New interest, however, now attaches
10 the eastern question from the fact that
Italy has taken hand in the matter,
and the complications which have fol-
lowed that venture have forced several of
The powers to show their hand. in max
Ing her demand for share of influence 1t
seems that Italy has the support of
France, Germany and Russia and what
might be called the diplomatic opposition
of the United States and Eng land. The
attitude assumed by the different powers
Interested in this question important,
in SO far as 1t signifies the eastern"
policy Of each country interested. Eng
land has never longed for the carving up
of China. In fact, her policy has been
one of direct opposition to such action.
The nation that Napoleon dubbed "shop-
keeping" merely wants to 60 on doing
business at the old stand. II care not
who builds countrys laws says the
Britisher, $50 long as I can build her
railways"
All that England asks of the east Is the
privilege of carrying on her trade under
conditions equal with those OF every other
nation. This attitude, of course, our
own country indorses, and all that the
United States is claiming at the present
ness with John Chinaman unmolested by
native or foreign Interference. But the
chances for the preservation of the Her
nit Epmire'' grow more and more re-
mote, and 1T is not extremely improbable
that the partition of China will take
place even against the wish of united
Anglo Saxondom. Russia, in her rapac-
ity and greed for oriental territory, has
held sacred no promise and has avoided
no international duplicity II by strategy
or discrimination she has seen her way to-
ward acquiring an additional inch OF
80 veted trans Ural territory. The Asistic
provinces she already held were cold and
sterile, but just to the south OF them
was rich region that was we'll worth a
risk or two to acquire. 1t was from
dreams of such southern migration that
was evolved the idea of the colossal
lns-Siberian railway. That railway WAS
start at st. Petersburg itself, pushing
Through the desolate east skirting the
rthern border of China and rounding
b curve down to the Pacific port of
fladivostok. This port, 1t is true. is
tosed during seven months of the year,
L. L.