The sun., 1900-06-11
THE WEEK IN ENGLAND
Chinese Affairs Absorbing Most of
the Attention.
LORD SALISBURY OPTIMISTIC
He Thinks the Boxer Trouble Will
Soon Blow over, and He Will Not
Interfere Unless Some New
Phase of the Affair Appears.

London, June 10-The Chinese situa-
tion, which at the beginning of last week
was merely small cloud on the interna-
tional horizon, now overshadows every
other topic. England, according to most
authorities-save those who control her
foreign policy-is face to face with
crisis in far eastern affairs which, though
it may not result in any immediate parti-
tion of China, must determine the part
which Er gland shall play when the parti
ton eventually occurs. That such an
emergency should have arisen at mo-
ment when England is least able to util
ize it, when almost all her land forces are
G,000 miles from home and when there is
4 paramount necessity for keeping an
extra strong fleet in European waters is
deplored by all shades of statesmen and
politicians
Salisbury an Optimist.
Lord Salisbury stands almost alone
amidst his own party in believing that the
results of the Boxer outbreak will be
neither serious nor permanent. The atti-
tude he adopts toward the unanimous
agitation for more strenuous action is
voiced by an intimate friend, who said:
"Lord Salisbury believes we should be
thankful for small mercies. The cooper
alton of the diplomats and naval authori-
ties on the spot seems perfect and unu-
sually harmonious. So long as that salts
factory state of affairs continues he will
be eminently satisfied and will take no
other steps unless one or several of the
powers ask Great Britain's assent to a
scheme which appears feasible, or unless
Russian aggression becomes much more
patent than it is today. When these con-
| tingencies occur, or the representatives of
| the various nations at Peking fail to
agree, then will Lord Salisbury assume
the initiative. At present he is agreeably
surprised at the smooth progress of the
negotiations at the seat of the disturb
ances and implicitly trusts in Sir Claude
Macdonald, the British minister to Chi
ma"
1t may be added that Great Britain's
premier is not particularly optimistic re-
garding the length of time the various
ministers and admirals in the far east
will cooperate so admirably. But Lord
| Salisbury is far too philosophic to borrow
=, trouble. In the meanwhile the members
of every embassy in London and every
club to say nothing of the stock market,
are discussing eagerly the prospects of
war between two of the powers arising
| lTOU tHe 1'cklHS tTOuDleS. II Is Tue Oll
| cry of "wolf"' and this time many well
informed people are greatly inclined to
believe the ''wolf" will materialize in the
shape of Russia, with Japan as her oppo-
nent. Admiral Freemantle's reported
| statement that war between these coun-
tries is inevitable creates no surprise,
though such plain speaking is severely
discountenanced officially.
The Eject on silver.
The financial situation is by no means
satisfactory to those who have any large
holdings. One curious feature is the opin-
ion held by many tinanciers that if the
present disturbance pOrtends opening up
China it also portends an inestimable in
crease in the circulation of silver, with
the accompanying tendency to put that
metal on par with gold. A well known
American financier in London explained
this by pointing out the fact that copper
is now the general medium of exchange
in China. With the ingress of Europeans
these cumbersome tokens would natur-
ally be done away with and silver intro
, duced in the most populous country in
the world. On this basis there has been
a strong undertone in the silver market
with interesting discussions on the polit-
ical and economical changes incident up
on the possibilities Of increased use fol
silver.
: The week has been almost bereft of do
! mestic political interest. The long speech
of the Liberal leader in the house Of
commons, Sir Henry Campbell Banner
man. at GLASGOW. admitting the an