The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-29
11I.-THE COLONIAL MOVEMENT

-
The concert between the English
and American administrations in their
colonial policies was the marked fea-
ture of the year in international poll
tics. as 1t was in the campaign which
defeated the Liberals in England and
the Democrats in America. It's lead
ing features were u). The war in
South Africa (2) the war in the Philip
pines (3) the war in China D the con-
troll of Hawaii, Cuba and Porto Rico
by military garrisons preparatory to
organizing them under whatever modi-
fcation of the English colonial sys-
TEN may finally be determined on for
the United States.
The war in South Africa showed a
finer spectacle of determined resist
ance to overwhelming force than the
world had seen since Kosciusko mar
shalled his handful of Poles to resist
the dismemberment of their country.
With a handful of men, the Beers held
the Tugela river against Buffers army.
until the close of January, and on jan
uary q forced Butler, who had crossed,
to retreat to his original lines. 1t was
not until Cronje's little army of 1900
berg and captured (February 20 that
the British forces of TESela were able
to advance at all On March 13. Bloem-
fontein. the capital of the Orange Free
State was occupied by Roberts. after
Dundonald had made an unresisted en-
trance into Ladysmith. February 2S).
AT Korn Spruit and Reddersburg, the
Beers won important success in
March and April. but they did not at
tempt a movement in force to check
the British advance. On May 18th.
was relieved, after q siege of
217 days. and on June 5 Lord Roberts
entered Pretoria. The Beers made no
sign of surrender. however, but. with
drawing to the hills, they have since
operated with skill and success to cut
off British communications. The Brit
ish plan of campaign since June has
consisted largely of burning the houses
Of Boer families which have members
in The field. In October. President
Kruger of the Transvaal sailed for
to beg help from the powers.
but his case is hopeless, and no inter-
ference is to be expected from any
quarter with the English plan of
crushing the two republics and re-
ducing them to imperial colonies.
OTHER WARS.
Messrs. Vessels, Fisher and VOL
marans. the Boer ENJOYS, who visited
the United States in May. We're polite
ly but unofticially received at the
White House and We're told that the
United States could not interfere
rrlo tJa ha d.
was carrying on active
operations against the Philippines and
Cuba for independence. The
war il. the Philippines seems to have
been protra cted by the Filipino leaders
in the nope of Democratic sue: :ess in
the United States. They have proba-
bly, lost at least % men for every
American killed or wounded, and their
country has been ravaged by the burn
ing OF hostile villages. The war in the
and in South Africa did
not provoke great enthusiasm either in
England or America in the first quar-
ter of the year. Without further ac-
iivity, there was no assurance of pop
ular support for either administration.
On February 1st, the way was opened
for operations in China by "a joint
note. headed by England and the Uni
ted States. demanding protection for
all European and American missionar-
les in China. This pledged the United
States to the concert as one of the
Powers--a position it had studiously
avoided during the first hundred years
Of the republic. The way was thus
for Holy War in the inter-
Of iuin nd ~ IN
found in developing it. The patriotic
societies of China were already on the
verge of frenzy because of open and
ong continued threats of dismember-
ing their country. The Chinese gov
arnment undoubtedly encouraged them
to organize. They committed frequent
atrocities, but there has been no con-
|irnation of the extraordinary stories
IF wholesale maSSacreS of Christians
By Chinese soldiers sent out during the
for the movement of the
allies. On May 2lst, the English and
American ministers at Peking, sup
ported by the other Powers, made
formal demand on the Chinese govern
ment for the suppression of the Box
r" or Nationalist movement. on May
10Th, the Mckinley administration led
The movement of the allies by landing
marines under Admiral Kempff to act
with the American consul at Tien-
Tsin. Vice Admiral Sir Edward Sey-
mour joined the United States forces
with 1000 men Dune i6th), and the
most intense excitement ensued in
Pekm. AS Il result, the German min
ster Baron Won Ketteler was UepOrt-
I'd June 10th,) murdered by mob, and
IN June 18th the allied forces attacked
ana captured the Taku forts. A relief
expedition commanded by Admiral
seymour advanced to rescue the for
aign ministers in Pekin, who ON June
.4th were requested by the Chinese
government to leave the city and join
heir forces at Tien Tsin or elsewhere,
as they pleased. They refused to go
under Chinese escort, however, and
remained in Pekn bsieged and fire.
luently attacked until relieved, on
August 2Sth, by the capture of the
city. This practically ended the war,
though the campaign reports of mas
sacre on both sides, before and since
that date, have been frequent and ex-
FOREIGN OUTRAGEs.
That many atrocities were COM
nitted by Chinese insurgents" en-
by the government, is Ger
tain, but American correspondents re-
port that they saw Chinese babies
tossed on the bayonets of the allies,
while when Tien-Tsin, city of half
million people, was captured by the al
lies in June, the advices agree that
they sacked 1t and set it on fire to
warn the Chinese of the danger of pro-
voking civilized people to anger. The
massacre of Chinese in the streets of
the city during the sack seems to have