New-York tribune., 1900-08-31
GREAT BRITAIN HOLDS ALOOF
GOING SLOW IN -GHINA~wITf GEN
rRAL ELECTION NEAR.
copyright; 1900: BY Tho New-York Tribune
IBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE1


LBY CABLE THE TRIBUNE1
London, Aug 81. a. m.-Nothing is known
here Of the note of the United States to the
Powers; but this is not surprising, as the For
eign Office at present is a mere forwarding
agency to transmit documents to Lord Salisbury
at his place Of retirement the Franco-Ger-
man frontier. If formal communication of the
purport suggested by the Washington dispatches
was received in Downing Street yesterday, no
action Of any kind could be taken on it till the
text had been dispatched to the Prime Minister
and considered by him.
Mr.. Brodrick's references to the Chinese ques-
tion in his speech of Wednesday have made
some impression. chiefly because the Under Sec
retary of Foreign Affairs is one of the very
few Ministers who is not now on a holiday. and
also because he is believed to share Lord Sails
bury's confidence. Mr. Brodricks words, how
ever. were extremely vague, and only repeated
that Great Britain is not inclined to be forced
into accepting large responsibilities in China
while at the same time Her Majestys Govern
ment is determined to defend British interests
Not much be made out of this. though no
doubt it accurately reflects the non-committal
attitude of the British Cabinet. 1t must be re-
membered that Mr.. Brodrick's speech was pri-
narily intended for electioneering purposes. He
stated almost in so many words that the Gov
ernment will, if it get a reasonable op-
portunity dissolve Parliament and appeal to the
constituencies in the course Of the autumn.
With that prospect before them, and with the
whole of their South African war policy to de-
fend the Ministers are not anxious for the
electors to imagine that there may be long,
difficult and costly task before the country in
Eastern Asia, as we'll as in South Africa.
For this reason English diplomacy, even if
busy lust now tends TO be unusually unob
Of fxyit1
and aggressiveness will be avoided If possible
for fear of frightening the British electors who
have had quite as much in the way Of imperial
ism and a. spirited foreign policy for the last
few months as they care for. At the same time
the grave character of the Chinese outlook is
not at all minimized by we'll Informed persons
here official and unofficial, and It is recognized
that Great Britain may have to arrive at a
most important decision at an early date
believe the War Office has already made
preparations for keeping the two Indian di-
visions and nearly a brigade of English troops
in the Far East all winter, and that if the South
African war comes TO a close this autumn
number of regiments which were intended to
come home will be shipped off TO the Far East
II does not follow that the British Government
contemplates further military operations In
China but it feels that it must be prepared for
eventualities.
One of the most disquetng circumstances for
British statesmen is the manner in which the
naval strength of some of the Continental
Powers in Chinese waters is being increased
The German .battleship squadron arrived at
Hong-Kong on Tuesday. and leaves there for
the north this week Thus both Germany and
Russia will have more than England. at any
ra+e so far as battIeships are concerned. off the
North China coast.
The rfoting at Canton was not in itself very
serious and was easily suppressed by the Gov
ernor's soldiers, but it is symptomatic of the un-
resi- which is beginning TO spread over Southern
china. Canton is headquarters of the reforming
and anti-Tartar movement. and the feeling
AGAINST the dynasty. not only because it's mem
hers are Manchus. but because they are North
erners. seems TO be growing in intensity