The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-27
"Open Door Nego.
tiations Go On
With Success.
FRANCE A STUMBLING BLOCK.
Said That Victoria Will
Visit Potsdam in
the Spring.

Copyright, 1899, The Associated Press.)
London, Nov. 26.-As a result of the
United States request to the powers
for assurances regarding the main
tenance of the open door" in China,
The Associated Press is able to say that
negotiations have been entered into.
looking to a more permanent and i'm
portant international agreement than
yet mooted Though the greatest official
reticence is observed at all the capitals
regarding this secret movement, there
is good ground for believing that the
negotiations have reached a hopeful
stage. According to reports current
here, in consequence of Russia and
France failing to reply satisfactorily to
Washington's request, the United States
decided to take up the Chinese question
still more vigorously.
The cooperation of Great Britain to
this end, it is asserted, was secured
and, upon the initiative of the United
States, efforts were set on foot to Sc
cure not only assurances to the United
States but definite agreement between
the european powers themselves. Such
an understanding, to the average Euro
pean statesman, has long seemed Utop-
ian, yet, today, The Associated Press is
informed on good authority, there are
fair chances of Great Britain, Russia,
Germany and Japan, in conjunction
with the United States, becoming sign
atories to a treaty eliminating the
spheres Of political influence in China,
and determining their fiscal policy in
that quarter of the globe, based on the
open door" principle. Such is the scope
of the negotiations. The projected ar
rangement may be retroactive. as re-
CARDS territory, in other words, districts
now controlled, for instance by Russia,
may change hands in return for other
privileges. France, apparently has ex-
hibiteds the greatest opposition to this
plan. so far, but assurances have been
received from Russia, and her appar-
ent willingness to enter into an agree
ment with the United States as the
leading factor, has given rise to the be-
lief that France is not necessarily a
stumbling block, for if Russia entered
into the agreement, France, it is as
serted, is almost bound to follow, or
render herself pOwerless in the far east.
1t is understood that the United
States, Great Britain and Japan have
already arrived at a perfect under
standing. Germany's decision was
greatly influenced by the emperor, who
has had frequent conferences on this
far eastern problem while in England
with Joseph H. Choate, the United
States ambassador At the queens ban
quet Mr. Choate conVersed at length
with the emperor and, it is said, chiefly
confined himself to the question of
China. 1t is scarcely probable that any
official or semi-ofticial reference will be
made to this important undercurrent,
which progresses publicly under the
guise of merely giving assurances to the
United States until it has assumed such
shape that no hitch is possible. In the
event of the fail1re Of the negotiations,
through the refusal of Russia or Ger
many, it is likely the world will never
know how near the great powers carNe
to settling the greatest problem of the
century
Wireless telegraUhy, Marconis sys
tenn, has finally been introduced into the
navy as branch study. The old hulk
Eector, lying at Portsmouth, has been
fitted out as a school of instruction, and
signalmen from her will be attached to
the battleship Campus, which goes to
the Mediterranean in December taking
Marconi instruments as part of her reg
ular equipment. She will be the first
British ship to do this.
The speech of James Bryce, M.
P, this week, at Aberdeen, when the
electors passed vote of confidence in
him, has been the cause of much COM
ment. He presented the liberal case
with great fairness. Speaking in
statesmanlike manner, and laying spe-
cial stress on the American revolution,
he showed that self-governing colonies
could only be retained by friendship,
and not by force of arms
i The death of Lady Salisbury called
out the most sincere expressions OF
sympathy and appreciation for the pre-
mfer's personality from all sections. The
fears that his loss would cause LORD
SaIisbury's premature retirement, do
not appear to be based on fact, though
Lady Salisbury was great help to him
in public life.
So far, the private nature of the en-
peror'3 visit to England has prevented
its attracting much public attention.
though any number of rumors are cur
rent anent it's diplomatic result.
That it will seriously affect, if not
decide, the Chinese negotiations men
toned seems highly probable, while it
is more than likely that it will be fol-
lowed by further British-American
agreements regarding Nigaria, which
topic Mr. Chamberlain doubtless dis
cussed during his audience.
1t is said that the Queen has promised
to visit her grandson at Potsdam in
the spring, after staying at the ltal-
ian Riviera.
According to dispatch to the Ian
Get, from Rome, the Italians are hugely
delighted at her majesty's determine
tion not to go to France, interpreting
this change in her usual program as an
intended and deliberate rebuke of
Frances anti-British press utterances.
Commenting on Admiral Dewey's diff
ioulty with his house, the Saturday Re
view says:
''TIis period of apotheosis has been
even shorter than usual with a dar-
ling of the democracy"
A scandal has arisen over the old
age retreat, Malakoff, near Paris,
founded by an ex-Franciscan monk.
Many wealthy old ladies were sent
there and are said to have been beaten,