Washington sentinel., 1900-03-24
Playing Great RrHaIn's Hand la
China.

Playing Great RrHaIn's Hand la
China.
That the State Department desires to
play Great Britains hand in China,
owing to the British preoccupation in
South Africa, and the Russian activity
IN Persia IS almost a self evident fact
The Department played the British card
when mediation in South Africa was
proposed. and Is now apparently willing
to be again used as a pawn bV Lord
Salisbury.
The theory upon which the Admins
tration sends war ships to China and
discusses plans for sending an army
there. is that the lives OF American mis-
sionaTIes are at stake because Of the
fanaticism OF the Chinese secret society,
the Boxers" who many years ago
slaughtered every Christian missionary
within the radius Of their turbulence,
But Mr. conger's dispatches apparently
refer to the Dowager Empress's oppOsi-
tion TO the maintenance OF the open
door, purely commercial and political
matter.
These important facts may be stated
as bearing directly on this mystery: The
three war ships, the Oregon. the New
Orleans and the Castine, were sent to
Chinese coast some three weeks ago on
representations made to the Navy De-
partment by the State Department. II
based its representations on the open
ArsNW f1naGfirn and ha tg,,NrsaI ~
the Shanghai Commercial calling atten.
ton to the Empress's threaten ng atti-
tude in reference to this question.
The peril OF the missionaries seems
to have been an alterthought, suggested
by the necessity OF providing humani.
tartan excuse for our naval activity. II
the missionaries are in the danger des-
cribed b the State Department it seems
singular that no reference TO the fact
was made by the Shanghai Merchants
Association and by the China Associa-
tiOn, which addressed a cable to the
British Government.
Both of these associations referred
only to the open door, thus it is plain
that the United States sent three war
ships to China three weeks ago, not
because OF the threatened violence OF
fanatical sect. but because the open
door was threatened. About a week
ago the British Government increased
its Asiatic squadron by the addition OF
the Terrible and the ATgonsut.
In brief, both nations acted on the
same information which officially re-
ferred only to the political and COM
msrcial question involved.
To the State Department must be
given Rhe credit OF having discovered
the lethal danger in which the mission
aries are presumed to stand.
The British purpose IN dragging the
United States into the situation as an
active agent IS obvious, Russia might
desire to guarantee the safety OF the
foreign interests aud the missionaries,
and her occupation OF the country
involved would be extremely tistasteiul
to Great Britain. for where che Russian
bears paw is once placed it usually
remains.
StTan Eely enough, the disturbances
III RAbaAGSo VI IA PAbopNNA
located in exactly the district Russia
desires to add to her Msnchurian sphere
OF influence. II American Intervention
in this plot can be msde so aggressive
that Russia would have no legitimate
eEcuse for marching her big army several
hundred miles southwark, a great British
stroke will have been dealt by this
country
Naturally none Of the department high
officials will admit the significance of
this array OF evidence as showing the
real purpose Of these movements Some
amusement has resulted from the efforts
OF several ofthe Cabinet officers to invest
the secret cruise Of the hastily ordered
squadron with an air Of innocence and
routine,
Secretary Long. for instance. makes
the point that the Oregon. New Orleans
and Castine are off the Chinese coast
near Shanghai, where the Empress'
''closed door" will first be trieii, as a
result OF the Navy Departments policy
long since established The State De
partmenG, however. frankly admits thai
Il has urged the Navy Department TO
send war ships to China because OF the
threatened trouble.