The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-14
ENGLAND AND CHINA.

IN
The London Spectator OF recent date
contained an article on England ana
Russia which purports to outline the at
titude of Great Britain towards the Chi
nese situation. The Spectator says that
England does not want a piece OF emma
and intimates that It prefers that the
integrity of the empire be preserved, but
1t seems to be a question OF supreme in
difference to the Spectator as to whether
or not that be done, provided only the
Interests of Great Britain shall not SUI
fer. The question says the Spectator,
lis not whether Russia gets what she
wants, bu. whether we are injured by
her getting what she wants. .
1t goes further and says that SO far
as Great Britain isSconcerned 1t mad no
objection to Germany taking the Saan-
tunS Peninsula. or to France extending
her possessions in the south by taking
me island of Hainan, provided only that
no power encroacaed upon or did any
thing to make it impossible for Great
Britain to- claim the Yang-tse' valley IL
at so1.1e future time China were actually
to break up ..If any of the powers
choose to enact territorial compensation
from China, the Spectator proceeds
that is Their affair and not ours. we
snail merely ask that such territorial
cornpensation is not taken in the 9ang-tse
valley. We shall, meantime, take noth-
ing ourselves, either there or elsewhere,
as long as. China; remains an independent
state. More or less of difference by
China will not take US into the feld OF
action, but only the complete destruction
of China, in which case We shall take the
Yang-tse Valley. or attempt by any other
,.nyer 10 seize a portion of our sphere OF
influence.
This Is frank ana eold-blosded. The
question of justice, the question of Chi
mas Interests. does not seam to enter
into the Spectators calculations. The
nnlv question is as to what are, Great
gritain.s Interests and how they may be
protected.
we have had something 10 say on other
occasions about the attitude Of these
Christian nations towards China We
have said that they had an opportunity TO
demonstrate 10 the heather. wh7m their
missionaries have been trying 20 convert.
the beautiful principles of justice and
generosity that the Christian religion
teaches, but the one thing that these
European nations have in mind. if we
NAV Judge from the Spectators article.
IS greed. They are willing that CANA
shall be broken up, that TIE Chinese
Government shall be DESTROYED, that
chlnese institutions SHALL be oTertnEowi'
II by such 4 course these Christian IA
tons may profit.
i 1t is gratifying, however. that the Unit
ed States does not ocru1y any sudl pos
| ton. we are not entering into these
schemes of the E,uropsan powers ihe
stand that we have taken is tlat the
| Chinese Empire shall be preserved in is
integrity, that the rights CT the Chinese
| shall be protected. that the Ca neza tsi,a.:
continue 10 hold on 10 their own terri
tory which has belonged Is them for
Thousands of years. our only condition be
| ing that we shall have uaa same privileges
| that other nations have Of trading with
! the Chinese. That is the only tenable po-
siticn that a Christian nation can occupy,
| and ii the United States Government will
| only stand by that principle and be ready
at all hazards TO maintain it. the Chi
| nese problem will be solved without doing
injury 10 the Chinese 1,atiap-