The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-06-27
WORLD COMBAT PENDING.
Sionificanee of Events Now Going on
in China.

in China.
Jas. Creelman in New York Journal.
It is no secret that the six great
powers of Europe have been steadily
preparing themselves for the break
ing up of the Chinese empire. Japan
I and the United States have also
made ready for the collapse OF the
Manchu dynasty.
The whole world will feel the
shock of the colossal events which
are impending in Asia, and the spray
of missionary blood which has set
feets and troops in motion toward
Tien-Tsin, is but the first signal OF
struggle that will probably involve
every important nation.
This assembling Of war ships in
the Gulf of Pe-chi Ii is not an &C.
cident. 1t is part of plan ma
tured long ago. 1t is the first step
toward the partition Of China and
her four hundred million inhabitants
among the great powers.
Every important statesman in Eu'
rope has predicted that the political
roof of Asia would crash in this year
or next year, and that the first out
break against Christian missionaries
would set the processes of dissolution
in motion.
The thing that is about to happen
will change the map of the world.
It may overturn more than one king
dom.
During my stay in China last year
I learned enough to know that civil
lied Europe had officially decreed
the death If the empire. Aud when
I reached Europe I found that the
American ambassadors in the great
capitals bad been instructed b.
Secretary Hay to secure from the
governments to which they were &C.
credited definite pledges that, in the
event of the breaking up of China,
the 'open door" policy would hold in
all new territory acquired by them
It was we'll understood that this
agreement between the powers of
the world, secured through the
efforts of the United States, was
made necessary by unmistakable
evidence that China was powerless
to resist the all engulfng movements
of Russia.
The fall Of Poland gave the czar
window looking out on Europe.
Then began the Russian movement
toward Constantinople. The Black
Sea was to be the base of q great
Russian feet. This movement was
checked by England, and triple ALI
ance, formed under the presidency of
the German emperor, has ever since
resisted the efforts of Pan-Slavism to
force military outlet to the Medi-
terranean.
Russia turned her face from i'm
regnable Europe to the far east.
Her engineers planned the Siberian
railway, steam highway six thou
and miles long. This was to give
Russia the outlet in the Pacific that
had been denied to her in Europe.
Then came the China Japanese
war. Japan drove the Chinese army
out of Corea, and an army corps,
under Field Marshal Yamagata, oc
cupied the hermit peninsular. Japan
crossed the Yellow Sea and invaded
Manchuris. Twenty-three thousand
japanese soldiers, under Field Mar
shal Oyama, conquered an empire
of four hundred millions.
It is true that the japanese did
not go beyond Port Arthur, Wei Hal
Wei and Tien- Chwang, but there is
no doubt that Oyama's compact little
invading force could have marched
from one enc of the Chinese empire
to the other without meeting effec-
tive opposition. I accompanied the
field marshal and saw everywhere
complete and unmistakable evidence
of the military i'm potency of China.
The treaty of Shimonoseki gave
province of Manchuria, including the
powerfully fortified harbors of Port
Arthur and Talien-Wap, to Japan.
Russia, backed by France and Ger
many, forced Japan to waive these
territorial rights on the Chinese
mainland,
Then Russia moved swiftly. By
supporting the Emperor of Co,ea
sgaio>t the rough domination of the
japanese, the czar's Influence became
supreme in Corea, which adjoins
Manchuria, and will furnish a sea-
port termination for the Siberian