Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
IN FAR EAST
Archibald B. Colquohoun Writes Of
the Chinese Empire.
INTERESTS OF THE POWERS DISCUSSED
The Attitude of Japan One of Mas
terIy Preparation.
RUSSIA AND MANCHURIA

The most recently issued work on Chinese
affairs Is a book written by Archibald r.
Colquohoun, gold medalist Of the Royal
Geographical Society, entitled Overland to
China" The book is replete with valuable
Information IN reference to the mysterious
empire, and in speaking Of his conclusions,
after q thorough study Of the whole SUBJ
Ject, he says:
The interests Of the United States and
Great Britain. and to a large extent Japan,
are mainly identicat-to keep as much as
possible Of what remains of China as an
open market. The active diplomatic CO.
operation Of the United States with Britain
Is matter Of direct and vital interest to
both In case Of war Britain merely requir-
ing the benevolent neutrality of the states.
But the support Of British policy by either
the states or Japan depends upon the
strength and determination of Britain her.
self, who has eight-tenths of the interests
in the far east. To be strong Britain. sea-
girt like Japan, must alter her military sys-
tenn to proportions commensurate with her
scattered worldwide empire Strong and
determined, Britain will have friends and
allies; irresolute and weak, she will have
none. Strong and determined. only then
can she come to an arrangement with
Russia
The policy of Germany in the far east is
and must be dependent on the basis of
her world policy-a good understanding
with Russia-and 1T is idle for the British
Russia in ASIA as in Europe. to depart
from that program. Her policy, like that
of Japan, is opportunist, but. unlike ia
pan, she is committed by force of circum-
stances to Russia :"
Attitude of Japan.
AS for the present attitude of Japan, it
may be defined as one of mastery prepa-
ration. The disposition OF Japanese of all
classes is to avoid foreign alliances as en-
tangling and unreliable and to depend upon
themselves.utilizingt the opportunities which
are likely to occur through the dissensions
of foreign western powers. The party tn
Japan. once influential, favoring co-opera-
ton Is dwindling. Bent on having as a
guild pro quo binding guarantee against
the risks attending an alliance with Britain,
the Japanese observed that while there was
plenty Of loose talk in England about such
an understanding, the government evinced
dread OF committing itself in the matter
They noted the irresolution and want of a.
determined line of action. and they enter
tanned grave doubts as to whether the Brit
1sh government, swayed by tickle democ-
racy, could be counted on in case of her
commerce suffering severely through the
train of war. There Is also a growing be-
lief that Britain is irresolute because she
herself feels doubtful as to her power to de-
fend her interests In Asia Britain's power
at sea they acknowledge but that they be-
iieve to be relatively declining for Russia
and Germany. already the most powerful
military nations in the world, are now max
Ing abnormal efforts to also become sea
powers on grand scale. and Japan herself
Is making the greatest sacrifices to equip
herself as a maritime power. And while
these military nations trying to turn
themselves into sea powers Britain Is doing
nothing to build up efficient army as a
counterbalance, or even to increase her
naval strength on commensurate scale.
Looked Upon With Dixdain. :
The land forces of Britain the Japanese
look upon with disdaip. Compared with the
German military engine. of war, admirably
devised and in perfect working order, the
military system of Britain, with its small
paid force broken up for service in many
quarters Of the, world. seems hardly worth
consideration. and nation, of which
every man bears arms. they are not greatly
impressed by the patriotism Of Britain. In
coUraged by Russians, Germans and French
and even by Amerfcans-in their growing
disbelief as to the fighting power and will
of Britain, the drifting and irresolute policy
of the past few years confirmed them in the
opinion that she could not be counted on to
undertake and prosecute a war against
Russia, still less against Russia and
France; that her wars, with their cheap
glory, were only with hill tribes or Soudan-
csc and that she was unable to stand
against a power like Russia The moral
dra wn from the events in South Africa Is
not likely to lessen the growing want of
confidence felt by the Japanese in Britain,
II, they say, Britain finds such difficulty in
dealing with some 10000 peasant farmers,
what stand can she expect to make against,
say. the Franeo-Russian forces by land and
sea? a.-a
F The year 1902, or 1903. at latest, will see
European Russia connected by the iron
road with Vladivostok and Port Arthur.
and the new Siberia. which must be held
to include Manchuria, will have fully en-
tered on its great career as the coming
country Of the twentieth century. Russia
will be enabled to prosecute her plan. Corea
and northern China will be acquired. and
gradually, step by step, by means OF rail-
south. and probably covertly, if not openly.
by Germany in the north, she will extend
her influence southwark until the Yangtse
is reached. and there a connection made
with the sphere of French influence.
Russia, whose strength has hitherto been
entirely on land, now aspires to be sea
power; and in Manchuria she has got coast,
coal and a maritime OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
material for making sailors-and her pres
ence on the Pacific ocean and the Chinese
sea must give great impetus to the aspi-
ration for navy. 1t may be taken for
granted that, having got so much. she
will want more ports in other quarters of
the globe.
Another Frontier Problem.
Russia, once on the upper Yangtse, would
involve a second-an eastern-Indian from
tier problem for Britain of An infinitely
more serious character than the western.
for the utilization Of the greater part Of
the resources Of China would mean Russia
hanging over India on the northeast, as
she Is now on the northwest by sheer
weight able to shake to it's foundations the
British rule in India: and in the far east
she would be supported by European allies.
Orientels instinctively divine weakness
and the Chinese already turn to Russia, the
rising power. In their view Russia moves
steadily forward, never turning aside, al
ways keeps her promises and fulflls her
threats, devotes her energies to a steady
advance and does not waste time in talk
ing. Britain, they say, talks loudly Of her
rights, but is unable to enforce them, and,
while showing keen displeasure at Russia's
advance, has been unable to check 1t in the
slightest degree, and Is not prepared to
stand to her word where her northern rival
is concerned In diplomatic matters Rus
STA lays down the law which England SUBJ
mtssively accepts, and the celestial looks
upon Talienwan, Port Arthur, the New
chwang railway loan and the Pekin-Han-
kau railway as eloquent examples of the
way In which Britain constantly challenges
Russia and then gives way. Finally. they
consider that Russia. because of her SUI
perfor knowledge Of facts and circum-
stances, and her singleness of purpose is