Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-03-16
CRABS ANOTHER
PIECE Of CHINA.
Great Britain Reported to Have
Seized Miao-Tao Island,
Opposite Port Arthur.
LITTLE sEABoARp IS NOW LEFT
Narrow strip at the Bottom Of Cult
OF PechiH All That Remains
to the Chinese Gov.
eminent.

London, March 16.-The Shanghai
correspondent of the Daily Mail says:
"The Chinese here report that Great
Britain has seized Miao-Tao islands,
opposite Port Arthur, in the Strait of
Pechili, and north of Teng- Chau-Tu,
in the northwest portion Of the Shan
Tung peninsula"
New York, March 16:-A London ca
BILE says: The rapidly Increasing rec
ognition of the disintegration of the
Chinese empire, as the result of the
diplomatic rivalries at Picking, con-
tinues the engrossing topic among the
general public as well as among those
i'll governmental circles.
There is increasing apprehension
both here and on the continent over
the recurring diplomatic rivalries at
Picking, especially between England
and Russia. Each quarrel may be
comparatively trivial in itself, but the
gradual accumulation of them threat
ems European peace. A remedy sug.
gested i'll many quarters is Il general
European understanding, either by
conference or by general negotiation,
us to the responsibility of the several
powers in China and their respective
spheres of influence. Even those that
dread the burden that such virtual par.
tition would lay on the European pow.
ers, especially in England, believe some
such step preferable to the present
jealousies that show drift toward
war. Toward such general underi
e4o
Lord Salisbury's policy has been long
tending.
The apparent friendly desire of Rus
STA and England to meet each others
views means, according to good au-
thority, that Russia has been assured
that the contract between the Chinese
government and British tinanccrs
shall not be interpreted as constituting
British control of railways in Man
churia, and SO Russia withdraws her
protest against the contract.
The situation, of course, is only tenn
porarily improved by Russia's Weld
ing in the matter of the railway loan.
This surrender is, at least, a confess
sion that Russia is not ready for trial
of strength, fact whereof everybody
except Lord Salisbury has been fully
convinced. 1t is clear, moreover, that
Great Britain now has year, perhaps
two, in which to recover, without seri-
Gus fear of forcible resistance. the
ground lost during the past eighteen
months. There is little doubt that
Lord Salisbury will make the best use
of his time, and the unyielding, even
aggressive, policy pursued since last
summer toward France will now be
employed for the curtailment of Rus
sian ACKNOWLEDGEMENT everywhere.
There is strong probability that Rus
STA will give way, MS France has done,
all along the Hne.
There is no longer any pretense of
considering the Chinese government as
factor in the case. The whole fight
has narrowed down to the European
squabble for territory in the old en-
pire. Russia, Germany, England,
France, Japan. and now Italy, have
settled themselves down on China's
coast, and no bit of seaboard is left to
her except a narrow strip at the bot
tom of the Gulf of pcchili, and that is
more European than Chinese. These
six powers represent a combined pop
ulation of about 10O,0OO,O0O, while
China's subjects number 429,OOO,OO0.
Now that the tables have been
turned on Russia, interest centers in
the campaign of retribution which ev-
erybody in England expects Lord Sal
isbury will push with the greatest
vigor. There is, of course, the con-
tinual danger that the game may get
beyond the control of those directing
it. The strongest element of safety
is the undoubted fact that Russia and
France are anxious to avoid war at
present at almost any cost.