Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-24

twists by the empress dowager and the
reaction against foreigners and their
ways, however, must have been inspir.
ed by Russia, or &c could not have he.
come the policy of the ancient natior
which is now humbled in the dust bes
iore her. And the question which a
great many Americans are ponderIns,
is. Can we afford to see China Rus
sianized. her troops commanded bv
russian officers. her ports fortified ana
held by Russian soldiers?" The alarm
already felt in high quarters would
| seem to be abundantly revealed by
most recent occurrences in China and
dispatches from Pekins to our depart.
ment of state.
In the preliminary diplomatic maneu.
verins that has taken place Great Brit
am america and Japan have seemed to
stand as against France and Russia
while Germany has Joined neither side
and her attitude is doubtful, though for
commercial reasons she is hostile to
England and the United States. So far
Russia and France have ahad the adj
vantage.
The bulls and the bears are now In
the China shop. and there is great dan
ger that some valuable crockery will
De broken before they get out. The
contention of Great Britain and the
United States for an open door has been
met by Russia with q sniff of scorn. for
the only open door" the Bear believes
III Is one to which he holds the kew.
Like the camel in the Arabian fable.
first the Bear thrust his head into the
Chinese tent. then his neck, next his
legs. and lastly will come his bulky
body. Having coterminus boundary
line with China for 1900 miles, he par
alleled it with his railroad: finding
Nladivostok not to his liking, he sought
an outlet across Chinese territory by
building I branch southwark from
Nertchinsk. about $50 miles long, to the
gulf of Leaotong, nominally TO revert
TO China after so years
Though the rising of the Boxers has
been made preteXt for invasion, vet
the game of Russa's diplomacy, now
IN its last stages toward completion, is
not difficult TO penetrate, for It has
been amply shown that nothing short
of the rectiication of the Russo Chinese
frontier Will satisfy Muscovite rapacity
ali north China down to the noun
tans and the great wall. at least, and
then. ii possible. Picking, or the re-
moval of the boundary line approxi-
mately 1000 miles southwark.
AS to the next objective: With Nam
churia and the coast of Leaotong. at
which the great wall terminates, in
Russian possession. with Port Arthur
and Talienwan already theirs and
strongly fortified, thus entirely isolat-
ing the peninsula of Korea, what more
natural than that this latter should
fall like Il ripe plum into the arms or
the Bear?
Russia left n door conveniently open
In Korea not long ago when 1t gave
warning that if the Koreans could not
ORDER in6anandenna
would take measures for its own pro-
lection there and stipulated with Japan
to join with her in preventing foreign in-
trusion. Here, in fact, is Il bone of con-
| tention and casus belli ready at hand
whenever either party shall consider
| itself able to pick it up, for Korea is not
large enough for two, while both pow
ers want it.
Russia declares that Japan Is merely
| an insular power and must remain so.
while the willy Jap holds otherwise and
is not afraid to try conclusions to test
the assertion. Russia is vast. but pom
derous. Though strongly intrenched at
| Port Arthur and with respectable
fleet at call, it's base Is far away. In
all the estimates of forces little account
has been made of the Chinese army and
navy, except as accessories to stron-
ger power: and this may explain Rus
slaS alleged request that China should
call upon it for assistance.
ON the other hand, Japan Is alert and
striving to be prepared. It's fleet is said
TO be stronger than Russians, while it's
dockyards and bases of supplies arc
near at hand. AS the situation stands.
with all the powers apparently acting
in concert with warships of the great
nations gathered at Taku apd forces
concentrated at Ticn-tsin, there Is yet
deep distrust of the White Cars mo-
tives. ITO sup with the devil" as the
saying IS. zone needs a long SPOON"
and. despite surface indications, neither
Great Britain nor Japan can forget it's
repeated defeats in former diplomatic
battles. TRISTRAAI w. WILCOX.
4 STRANGE DISEASE.