The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-28
is A MENACE
MAY wOR GREA HARM To AMERI-
CAN INTERESTS IN CHINA.
Russin, ON the Other Hand, Is willing
to See Our Trade F1Ourish-In-
terview with a Prince

NEW YORK. Aug. 27.-Prince Despere
| Oukhtomski. misunderstanding to his
Imperial Majesty, the Car Nicolas. and
| editor-in-chief of the V~iedomosti. of st.
Petersburg, the chief government organ or
Russia. who arrived in this city on the
| steamer Aquitaine, is on his way to china
as a special commissioner from his govern
ment. Prince Oukhtomski declared last
| evening that Germany was doing her best
to hamper Russia and destroy her influence
in the far East. Between Russia and
| America, he said, there was not the slight
est i'll feeling. and Russia was rather
pleased than otherwise TO see America TAX
| ing a hand in the Chinese imbroglio. Rus
STA was not in favor of ACKNOWLEDGMENT. he
| said, and all stories to that effect were en-
tirely untrue. DIS nsl
Prince Oukhtomski conversed freely on
the Eastern situation. German influence
is very great in China" said he, land 1
| must say 1t is a very bad influence, for
the Germans have not much to risk there
| and everything to gain. They began by
taking the Bay of Kiao-Chou, and they
| have ever since been threatening the en-
| pire. The Chinese objected strongly to
having the Germans so near their capital
and eagerly offered the invaders land in
the southern part of China. The Germans.
however, refused to go south and insisted
on taking Kiao-Chou. despite strong pro-
tests. Ii Hung Chang, who is a great
friend of mine. told me at that time that
the greatest disasters would follow imme-
diately If Germany's pernicious activity
did not cease. If you destroy our gov
eminent as the Germans do he said. the
government will not be able to hold the
people in check
II do not believe that Russia is at war
with China. We are only fighting the
and our generals are moving against those
| troops to defend the central government,
but L am afraid it was a great mistake
for the allied troops to go to Picking at
all.
1T will only make the difficulties greater.
Now the Chinese government will go some
where in the interior of the land. They will
continue to fight the foreigners, and 1t
will be impossible to say who rules. The
Empress did her best to protect the min
listers. If she had wished to see them dead,
she had only to tell her troops to cease
defending the legations. ,4 -44
Germany went TO the East to do harm
to Russia, and SO she created all those diff
icultieS in Russia, and afterward in the far
East. Ii was the beginning of a new po-
litical era for Germany. 1t may be that
she did not think SO much about doing
harm to Russia when she seized kiao-Chou
as she did of conquering for herself. AT
any rate l am afraid she is dong much
harm to Russia, for We had the predomi-
nant influence in China. Germany could
not harm US in Europe. for there her geo.
graphical position, between Russia and
France, was bad, so she went elsewhere,
where We were more vulnerable.
Germany will have some Importance in
China so long as the powers keep together,
but m alone can do nothing at all.
Waldersee will be in Shanghai in three
weeks. and when he reaches there he will
want some great and glorious defeats of
Chinese. The German press is already
saying: we want to push forward. We
don't want to remain in Peking.' The Ger
man newspapers not long ago were OPP
posed to ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Now they are
strongly in favor of it.
Russia has only to defend her interests
in Manchuria. She does not seek TO annex
even a small bit of territory, because 1t
would be a great burden to her. 1 know
from the very best sources that the dis
memberment of China is not the wish of
our government. We could have annexed
Manchuria long ago, because the Mon
golians hate the Chinese and would be glad
to be Russian subjects. Manchuria, how
ever, would be a heavy burden.
Il mean to say that the awakening of
China is a dangerous thing, both econom-
ically and politically. There is not. how
ever, a yellow peril in the way the Ger
man Emperor meant. The Chinese are
very good people. and / think the danger is
more economic than military. The powers
Will, however, try to drill native troops,
and that will be a great danger, for | am
sure that in time these foreign-drilled
troops will form the real tody of a hostile
native army.
Russia does not care very much whether
the United States keeps the Philippines or
leaves them, but think Russia would pre-
fer TO have America keep the islands as a
sort of counterbalance or offset to japan.
who VIII be our great enemy of the future.
Japan Will not only be the enemy of Rus
STA, but of all the European powers.
This Chinese question cannot be settled
There are too many powers in it,. Why.
even Austria and Italy are sending a few
dozens of men over there. The struggle
| will be of endless duration.
Russia has no objection 10 the American
flag in Asia. As regards trade. Ta-Lfen-
Wan Will be an open door in Manchuria.
but it is difficult to say whether all of Man
churia will be an open door. If we make
a great railway and then use il only for
foreign merchants to bring goods into our
possessions IL would certainly be to our
disadvantage.
Il am sure America would have more
trade in a united China than in a dismem-
bered one. In fact, IL would be better for
all trading nations. If Germany seized a
part OF China the United States would have
less chance 10 trade I'm that section than in
the Russian spheres of influence. We are
not at all a trading nation. as the Germans
are"
Victim of Morphine.