The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-20
THE GERMAN DEMAND

THE GERMAN DEMAND.
The latest developments in the Chinese
situation is fraught with vast possibili-
ties. Germany and England set them
selves in unreserved opposition to the
Russian policy Of withdrawal; while the
United States hesitates. The minor pow
| ers concerned, like Austria and Italy,
| appear willing to adopt any course which
transaction with the greatest gain, either
territorially or otherwise, to themselves
What Japan's position will be in the al
tered conditions remains yet to be SEEN.
France will doubtless stand by the Rus
sian position.
The concert of powers, it will be thus
seen. is no longer a sentiment to CON-
jure with. England and Germany are
insistent; and If the press dispatches out
lining England's position. which have
been printed within the past twenty-four
| hours are true, the alternative Of parti-
ton is presented to China, in case Eng
lands demands are not agreed to-the
! surrender of the chief agents in the Boxer
rebellion and the return of the emperor
| to Pekin.
1t seems quite plain that England grows
more aggressive in her Chinese policy
as the end appears more clearly in sight
in South Africa. Or. Morrison, the
Times representative in Pelzin, who is
| the author of many sensational state
ments which have not been sustained
| by the facts, and which may safely be
! be regarded as the work of a political
/ agent rather than of the newspaper man,
| is now out with the piece of sensational
have united forces to prevent England's
control Of the great Yang Use valley,
and with the additional one, that the lat
| ter power, while nominaIly withdrawing
from PeI1in. is rushing additional troops
into Manchura with view to future de-
velopments.
To the ordinary student of the Chinese
| situation there are few conditions which
could be more disquieting than those
i now shown to exist Of course they may
| be the mere preliminaries to diplomatic
movements on the part of the powers
| concerned for the allowance of their de-
mands in other directions which, at
present, are not Indicated. In any event,
| the concert of powers is at an end, for
! the present at least, IL China.
The silence and inaction of the people
nifcant. What 1t means would be pre-
mature at this time to attempt to ex-
plain. That it implies negotiations in
existence in one or more directions is
highly probable. 1t may be that the sug-
gestion which first found public expression
through the statement Of Judge Canty,
as to the need of free American port,
is at the bottom of that silence and mac
ton, or that the purpose is to await
some better defined understanding as to
certainly is, regarded from any stand
point, not quite consistent with the at
| titude publicly expressed by the United
States two weeks ago. when the official
| disposition was aggressively announced
| Of an intention to withdraw at once
The sentiments imputed to Minister
WI concerning the German demands, are
natural and reasonable. Those demands,
If insisted upon, put an end to anything
like real negotiations for the establish
ment Of a peaceful situation. They I'M
ply a prejudgment of the subject of me-
gotiations. According to their text they
may mean that the surrender of the en-
press dowager herself might be involved.
They are inconsistent with the sovereign
rights Of China, on which the powers
have laid such great stress In all the
movements taken to agree upon spheres
of influence.
Concedfng the anti-RusSian view Of the
situation, that that nation seeks to mo-
nopolize the foreign influences in China,
and that her readiness to leave the coun-
try means nothing more than an indirect
means of forcing the other powers out
there is still nothing in the situation
which can Justify the demands of Ger
many.
Whatever counter proposition the
United States authorities may have in
mind, the country will demand that it
be one which will promote the integrity
of the Chinese empire without interfering
in the great international movement to
bring that great land into the currents
of the worlds trade. and to promote the
establishment within its borders of a
substantial approach to responsible gov
eminent.