Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-06-13

, of the United States, was made neces-
sary by unmistakable evidence that
J China was powerless to resist the all
engulfng movements of Russia.
The fall of Poland gave the czar a
window looking out on Europe. Then
began the Russian movement toward
Constantinople. The Black Sea was
to be the base of great Russian
feet. This movement was checked
iby England, and the triple alliance,
/. formed under the presidency of the
German emperor, has ever since re-
sisted the efforts of Pan.Slavism to
; force military outlet to the Mediter-
ranean.
Russia turned her face from i'm
pregnable Europe to the far east.
Her engineers planned the Siberian
railway, steam highway six thousand
miles long. This was to give Russia
the outlet in the Pacific that had been
denied to her in Europe.
Then came the China-Jspanese war.
Japan drove the Chinese army out of
Corea, and an army corps, under Field
Marshal Yamagsta, occupied the her.
NIT peninsular. Japan crossed the
Yellow Sea and invaded Manchuria.
Twenty.three thousand Japanese SOL
diers, under Field Marshal Oyama, con-
quered an empire of four hundred mil
lions.
1t is true that the Japanese did not
20 beyond Port Arthur, Wei-Hai-Wei
and Tien- Chwang, but there isno doubt
that Oyama's compact little invading
force could have marched from one
end of the Chinese empire to the other
without meeting effective opposition.
accompanied the field marshal and
saw everywhere complete and unmis-
taxable evidence of the military impo.
tency Of China.
The treaty of Shimonoseki gave
province of Manchuria, including the
powerfully fortified harbors of Port
Arthur and Tslien- Wan, to japan.
Russia, backed by France and Ger
many, forced Japan to waive these
territorial rights on the Chinese main
land.
Then Russia moved swiftly. BY
supporting the Emperor of Corea
against the rough domination of the
Japanese, the czar's influence became
supreme in Corea, which sdjoins Man
churia, and will furnish seaport ter
mination for the Siberian railway
naval base, free from ice in winter
weather. Russia guaranteed, and
partly furnished, the money for the
heavy war indemnity exacted by
Japan, and thus acquired a hold on
China. Presently the world was as
tonished by the news that China had
ceded, or leased for ninety-nine years
VIRTUALLY sale-Talien-Wan and
Port Arthur, with its great dry dock
for battleships.
The meaning of the Siberian rail-
way dawned on the mind of Europe.
Russian diplomacy was tireless, re-
sistless. China yielded to Russia the
right to build railway from the
main Siberian line down through Man
churia to Port Arthur. And then Rus
sia poured thousands of her soldiers
under the thin pretence that they were
railway police-into Manchuria.
Today Manchuria is in effect Rus
sian province. Inside of year or 18
months the great Siberian railway,
which runs across the top of Asia,
with spurs touching Persia, Northern
India and China, will be completed.
China is hopeless. Her Tsung-li-
Yamen is filled with doddering old
Mandarins intent upon blackmail and
careless of the public interests. There
is no national sentiment, practically no
army or navy, and no scheme of de-
fense, external or internal. 1t is the
past passively resisting the present and
future. The young emperor is either
dead or prisoner, and the ruthless
empress wields whatever power she
can.
All is confusion, corruption and de-
cay in China. Strong European states.
men have attempted to save her by
means of internal reforms but they
have had to give up the impossible
task. The Chinese reformer, Kung
Yu Wei-a really enlightened and
broad minded statesman-for a few
days got control of the Chinese throne,
when the young emperor assumed
power. He began to apply modern
principles to Chinese problems in the
hope of averting the doom of his coun.
try. Too late! The empress seized
the throne. Kung Yu Wei fled for
his life, and all his friends were butch
cred.
The peace treaty between China
and Japan opened many Chinese ports.
As foreigners pressed into the interior
the Chinese grew more and more hos
tile. Missionary blood was shed. The
German emperor seized Kiao Chau and
Great Britain took Wei-Hai. Wei, close
to the Russian bases at Port Arthur
and Talien-Wan.
The direct route to Pekin and Tien-
Tsin lies through the Gulf of Pe-Chi-
Ii, past the Taku forts and up the Pc
ho river. Russia holds one side of this
gulf; Great Britain and Germany the
other side. All are ready to strike.
Japan has never forgiven Russia for
taking away from her the Manchurian
territory, ceded by China. The Japa-
nese government has almost bank
rupted itself in the effort to build
navy strong enough to resist Russia
Japan has her revenge in sight.
The United States has interests in the
Philippines and an eye for conquest or
acquisition word may be
moro accentable-in the threatened