The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-20
CHINA 5 AFFAIRS CRITICAL
VIEWS OF JOHN F. BASS OF NEW
YORK HERALD.
Says that Russia is Seeking the Dis
memberment of China-Japan May
Side in With Her.

John f. Bass who was in charge OF
the New York Herald's bureau in China
during the Boxer uprising is a passen-
ger on the Gaelic en- route to the States
According to Mr. Bass the situation in
China is very delicate and while there
| 1T is not probable that any trouble
will occur during the winter, hostilities
may break out next spring. The com.
plications among the Powers he says is
very intricate and it is difficult to pre-.
| dict the outcome.
II consider" he said, 1.-The situation to
be very unsettled and things in very
delicate state in China. The United
States is about the only nation which
has observed a consistent policy to
maintain the integrity of China. Rus
sia has represented that she has been
desirous of Withdrawing from Peking
but all the time she has been reinforc-
ing her troops in Manchuria and the
northern portion of China Her desire
is for the disintegration of China and
she is seeking to obtain Manchuria and
the northern portion of the country. She
has steadily worked to obtain the do
minant position in Chinese affairs and
she has succeeded in doing so for she
has now the control of the railroad and
all of the arsenals, and important points
along that line.
sian policy and. L think, desires to con-
troll a portion of China. In regard to
England Admiral Seymour in the hopes
of retrieving his defeat in the relief of
Peking, went down to Shanghai and up
to Hangkin and saw the viceroy. Sey-
mour returned from Marking and said
that it was the desire of the govern
ment in that section for only English
troops to land at Shanghai and to go
n NnnUlkin nth
nation attempted to go to that section
the viceroy said that an uprising was
likely. AS a matter of fact, this was
simply done by the English to try and
secure the control of the Yangtse Val
ley. 1t was a poor piece of judment
upon the part of Seymour and England
has lost the confidence of Japan in
consequence.
Japan desires to maintain the inte-
gritty of China, but she is in very deli
cate position and has to watch Russia
closely. 1t is possible that events may
so shape themselves that she may deem
it to her interests to side in with Rus
sia. In this event it will be all up with
us for the United States can not af-
ford to combat both Russia and Japan
for our trade in China. Naturally jap
an desires to secure portion of China
There is no question of the ability OF
our troops as fighting men compared
with those of other nations. Our men
can shoot better and retain their heads
better than those of any other nation.
AS an illustration, the Russians were
the first to get into Peking. They took
one of the gates but just inside of this
gate was a bridge over a small stream.
The Russians were unable to get across
this bridge the fire being too heavy. A
Russian officer and fifty men tried to
cross and within twenty minutes he
was brought back wounded. A detach-
ment of Americans under Lieutenant
Going were able to accomplish it.
"Going saw that is was impossible to
march over the bridge so he avoided
the fire by marching his men to the
side of the bridge and making them
wade through the water which was not
over knee deep. While the Russians
were brave enough, this shows that
they are unable to exercise judgment
at a critical moment.