New-York tribune., 1900-06-24
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE. SUNDAY. JUNE "a, 1900
THE CHINA QUESTION.
HOW DE LESsEPs CHANGED THE
COURSES OF EMPIRE-A CONCERT
AND A PEACEMAKER OUTSIDE.
London. June 10.


when he triumphed over nature and British en-
gineers and capitalists at suez. Constantinople
had been regarded the geographical centre
Of the British Empire, and the in the
Crimea had been fought in defence Of imaginary
interests in the Near East. With the construc-
tion Of the Suez Canal the centre Of empire was
shifted from Constantinope to Cairo. where the
direct waterway 10 India and Australia could
be controlled. Lord Beaconsheld only imper.
fectly understood this truth. for while he adopt
ed Mr.. Frederick Greenwood's suggestion and
purchased. with the aid OF the Rothschilds, two
hfths Of the shares in the canal he brought the
Sepoys to Malta and challenged Russia to war
when her army had dictated peace at the gates
of Constantinople. Mr. Gladstone was equally
blind to the natural trend Of British politics.
for while he ordered the invasion of Egypt by
Lord WoIseley's army he committed England to
pledges for withdrawal soon as Arabi's
belion could be suppressed and order restored.
These great statesmen saw through a glass
darkly, but NJ. De Lesseps had done his work
SO thoroughly that British foreign policy had
been transformed from the bottom
The reconquest Of the Soudan has been the
sequel to the occupation of Egypt. The inter-
ests Of England in the Near East which were
once Of paramount Importance in British d.
plomacy. have been fading and vanishing from
be revised at Berlin Congress under menace of
war with Russia An English campaign will
never be fought to prevent the occupation Of
Constantinople by Russia. The German En-
peror is the Cars rival in the Near East and
England is Indifferent TO the fate OF Constanti-
nople and TO the control of Asia Minor. The
keys Of her empire are in Egypt where the
Suez Canal is in Lord Cromers keeping. and
from the north the empire has been extended
to KhartOum and the lakes and from the south
it has been advanced to the zambesi with Dutch
ascendancy and rivaIres overthrown in war;
and the Cape to Cairo Railway is the link which
is TO bind together vast possessions UP and down
the Dark Continent. II England has left Russia
and Germany at liberty TO work out the prob
lens of the Near East at their own discretion.
she has secured the waterway 10 India obtained
control Of the Nile Valley and the richest gold
fields in the world, and become the greatest At
rican Power
The courses Of the empire in the Far East as
Wei as in the Near East have been changed by
the work OF NJ De Lesseps With the occupa-
ton Of Egypt, the reconQuest Of the Soudan and
the enlargement of British interests in Africa
north and south there has been a decline Of
prestige in China There was time when Eng
land prevented the dissolution Of the Chinese
Empire by timely assistance in the suppression
Of the Tai-Ping rebellion. and the British Minis
ter at Peking was for decades the most infuen-
tial parsonage in the foreign legations Now
that an equally momentous crisis has arisen in
China, England is without definite policy and
is content with joining the European Powers in
for protecting foreign interests and
with sanctioning Russian occupation of the cap
itaL if that is be the inevitable sequel to the
Boxers movement and the Empress's intrigues.
The Russian Minister has taken the place of the
Dit
the throne. just as the German Ambassador has
become the Sutan's chief adviser at CONSTANT
nopIe in place Of the British Ambassador. Eng
land is ready to send TO Peking marines from
the most powerful fleet in Chinese waters. and
she is prepared to assist in deposing the intrigu-
ing Empress, II Russia proposes this course; hut
she has intention Of fighting with any Euro
pean Power over the partition Of the empire.
There is room enough for all in Asia" is the
summary of British policy in the Far East
China was saved from dissolution after the
war with Japan by a diplomatic combination
from which England was excluded. During a
transition period, when old conditions were pass
ing away and the defensive resources OF the /
Chinese Government were breaking down. the
British Foreign Office did not seem to know It's
own mind whereas rival Powers were operating
in concert and along the lines of least resist /
ance, and obtaining harbors and commanding
positions on the seaboard. The changes were
rung upon the Open Door phrase, and equality
OF commercial advantage was described as Eng
lands single interest in China but with the
most powerful fleet aAoat and with incompara-
BILE facilities for making use Of coaling stations
in naval warfare, British diplomacy was hope
lessly adrift and was steering aimlessly. The
permanent maintenance Of the integrity and in
dependence of the Chinese Empire clearly
bscause there
hesive force nor military spirit in empire
with decay; but with a catas-
trophe impending in the near future the British
Foreign Office was repeating conjuring phrase
and not adopting any safeguards for the pro-
lection Of Englands vast commercial interests.
After a long period of discontinue and vacil-
lation, Mr.. Balfour took charge of the Foreign
Office while Lord Salisbury recruiting his
health on the Continent. and there some
thing like a counterstroke TO diplomacy by
which England had been Outmannuvred. Wei .
Hai-Wei was leased on the same terms on /
which Russia and Germany had obtained naval
bases in the Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li The Importance
Of this step did not lie in any readjustment Of
the balance Of power in Northern China, for
aIr. Balfour had acquired an inferior naval base
aot readily defensible and requiring large gar
yison It vas a sign that the British Govern /
ment haS dropped its conjuring phrase, con- /.
doned the policy of foreign occupation by par
ticipating IN il, ana it was clearly forecasting
the ultimate end Of partition of the Chinese .
Empire and opening the way for a fresh Eu- /
ropean concert, with Peking in the place Of Con-
stantinople. England had begun by asking for
nothing except the open door and had ended by
taking a port and naval statior, and falling
into line with Russia, Germany and. france
Now that a crisis has cons with the