Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-18
Old WORLDS GOSSIP.
Political Future Of China Spectre
to the British Foreign
Office.
salisbury's Weakness in 1898 Puts
the Empire at Decided
Disadvantage.
British Influence at Pekin Steadily
Declining and Russia Reaps
the Benefit.

London. June 1S.-The future in
China looms up black and threatening.
Despite the attempts of the British for-
|eign office to minimize its gravity. the
shadow of the terrible Tai-Ping rebel
lion falls across the British magma
ton.
1t is now realized that the so-called
rebels" have all along had powerful.
friends at court Their motto, Uphold
the dynasty and drive out the foreign
ers. states in u terse way the real pol-
icy which the empress dowager had at
heart when she deposed kwang Sui two
years ago. His offense, in her eyes and
in the eyes Of her adherents, was his in.
clination toward reform another
word for western ideas.
Whatever the Weaknesses and short
comings OF the Chinese reform party,
Its leaders were no, blind to the lessons
of the war with Japan They turned a
lSreadS ear to the advice sincerely pre-
scented by representatives of all the
the United States, in
isterested in maintaining the empire.
tate. so far as they could, the example
of Japan.
When the coup dtetat came Great
Britain. whose opportunity it waA
/ whose foreign Office saw the posshili-
| ties of the reform movement, failed to
| rise To the occasion. Lord Salisbury
llclung 10 his shibboleth about non-inter-
lNention inathe internal affairs of foreign
.states-u principle which. as the Times
says. is utterly inapplicable to the de-
cayed politics of the east. The reform
| ers lost faith in British sincerity, and
| the reactionaries Went forward boldly.
4 This Boxer conspiracy is the direct
outcome of Great Bltain's acquies-
csnce in the coup of 1898. From the mo-
4 nent of the triumph Of the empress
dowager Britain's influence at Pekin
has steadily declined. British diploma
1 cy has been a monotonous record OF
failure To induce the Chinese TO fulfill
4 The terms OF the vaunted concessions to
4 Britain.
4 The only power that has profited by
ithes change il: Russia. a power that re-
CARDS decrepit nations, wherever she
finds them. as her proper prey.
4 Russia impudent treatment of ia
pan in Korea and the murder by the
\ Chinese of the japanese chancellor of
Line legation at Pekin give the mikado
all the technical grounds he needs for
jresisting the entertainments of the bear
lin China
4 Within month Japan has mined all
4 her harbors With torpedoes, and the
work OF strengthening her coast de-
4 lenses is now proceeding under full
.I.pressure The recent naval evolutions
4 under the eye Of the mikado satisfied
A Ibis advisers of the efficiency of the Jap
.anese fleet
If. as is firmly believed by many ex-
AI8cellent judges, Japan is resolved on try
ling issues with the Russians before the
4 5completion OF the Siberian railway
8llevents seem to have conspfred to fur
sI5nish her with thesopportunitv as wei
las the plausible pretext.
A For six months the Japanese have
4 been regarded at st. Petersburg Will
4 marked disgust and suspicion. Count
d Muravieffa is known%to believe that ia
Il pan entertains political designs hostile
4 TO the expansive interests of Russia
Korea is the chief crux of the unrestfu
4 situation, and the government organ.
at ST. Petersburg accuse Britain 81
playing the part Of agent provocatur al
Toxic
4, Under official inspiration, no doubt
8 the Leading Russian organs. which fol
nearly a year maintained a conciliator.
4 attitude toward the Japanese. hav,
within month executed compet,
vote face and now treat the Japanes,
as II they We're the openly declared
a enemies Of Russia.