The sun., 1900-09-16
RUSSIA'S LEADING ROLE.
GEAR SEEMS TO HOLD TEE KEY
TO the CHINESE SITUATION
Only Guesses a. TO ITS Real MOTIVES ahd HIS
Reported Agreement with tho Kaiser
Japan to he Brought in by Coresn Baitr
-EngissdS Gloomy View Of the Problem

Reported Agreement with tho Kaiser
Japan to he Brought in by Ccresn Baitf
-EnslsndS Gloomy view Of the Problem
Special Cao, D.pd,eh 10 THE sun
LONDON, Sept. IS Another week has served
only TO increase the complications OF the ChinA
problem The key TO the situation seems 70
lie In the answer to two questions nat are
the real intentions Of Russia, and IA there a
virtual agreement between the Car ana the
Kaiser7 No answer IL available TO either OF
these. and any one Of the many euesses Is ABOUT
"a good as another
There ia no disagreement among the bn,'Sn
publicists 10 their view Of the matter ineS
utterly disbelieve in Russia's good iai'h u. Wv
proposal for the evacuation OF PeKih i"'y
argue that while II would perhaps nave ser'eu
Russias purposes II everybody cleared ot'
Of the capital three weeks ago. yet the 'h"
Government knew perfectly well that urea'
Britain. and perhaps Germany. would not iE'e"
to such a proposal BY putting II forward WIN
the virtual knowledge that II would be reJe'Veu
Russia might easily have put herself IN an
attitude Of frendlinees TO China and at the same
time have forced Great Britain into position
Of an opposite nature This maneuvre' hol--
ever. quite failed In its object. for. according
TO the luminous and typical Chinese pronounce"
ment Dy director Sneng 70 Inn oNN % S'''N
spondent at Shanghai. Russia's proposal served
merely to intensity China's suspicion.
Enslish opinion Ia largely influenced by Dr.
NSrrison's Pekin dispatches TO the Times.
and he has taken the most pessimistic view
Of the British policy and action In Pekn. He
deplores the inferiority Of the British military
and naval forces in the Far East, and laments
the leading role Russia has been allowed to
assume in the Pekin demonstration He points
out, also. that It will be as easy now as In 1850
for the Chinese entirely to misrepresent the
nature OF the foreign invasion 10 their own
countrymen.
II 10 gloomily assumed also that the Car
and the Kaiser are In complete agreement
for mutual aggrandizement and that the con-
sent Of Japan will be secured by Russian prom
ises In regard To Corea. This would leave
only Great Britain and the United States In
favor Of maintaining the status quo In China
and England does not expect the snshtest
active assistano, from America In upholdins
any policy as opposed TO the designs OF the
other Powers,
The foregoing as have said. Is q despondent
view taken by most English observers. Opinion
on the Continent u quite different though much
less clearly defined. France has no knowledge
OF what her ally is really about. but Is quite
willing. apparently. to support Russia what
ever her game may be, and Is happy in the
assurance which she enjoys that Muscovite
influence in Pekin has entirely supplsnted the
British No French resentment Is manifested
against the idea OF the Kaiser working In hsr-
mony with the Gar. and the only disturbing
element IA the underlying feeling that France
Is really cutting no figure In the events. This
impression viii probably grow unless Russia
soon plaoatss French vanity. but the shrewd
managers at 81. Petersburg arc quite com
petent 70 deal with this dificulty II the allies
including Germany. are thoroughly content
TO leave everything to the Gar
All Germans consider that they have special
olairn and In the situation as It stands they have
little to lose and much TO gain by any future de-
velopments. There is little or no public oppo-
sition TO the idea OF German cooperation with
Russia The semi -ofYicial press continues, how
ever to proclaim German good faith in prom
ising to respect the territorial integrity OF
China, and is especially emphatic In denying
any secret design in the Yans-tse Valley. con-
oernins which British suspicious are very
strong.