Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-29
THE CHINESE SITUATION.
European Powers Are In Doubt as to What
They Should Do.


New York Sun, Monday.
The continued absence Of reliable
news or information Of any kind re-
garding the situation in China, Is very
significant, and goes to confirm the be-
lief that there Is a serious divergence
of views among the powers. The
French government is taking steps
that point clearly to a desire on its
part to have a free hand, either to CO.
operate with other powers or to act
alone. The reason for this Is not far
to seek. Events are taking a form In
northwest Africa that may at any mo-
ment callfor action on the part Of the
French government. In the face of the
possibility of trouble with Morocco, In
volving perhaps, complications with
England, it would be in the highest de-
gree inconvenient for large bodies Of
French troops to be working In co-ope-
ration with British troops in China.
France, therefore, is assuming an at
titude of reserve and waiting on
events. The sudden resembling by the
Belgian government Of the decision to
send a contingent to China is a symp-
ton Of the hidden currents running un-
der the surface Of European diplomacy
at this moment. So is the prolonged
Interview between the German en-
peror and the Prince Of Wales at HON.
burg, while Lord Salisbury remains on
the German side of the Franco-Ger-
man frontier in the Vosges. The
change Of policy in Italy with the ac-
cession of King Victor Emmanuel to the
throne has also to be taken into ac-
count, tending as it does to drawing
closer together Of the continental Eu-
ropean powers in the groups into
which they are divided, and to the
carrying on Of relations between the
groups through the powers exercising
the more active or predominating in
f1uence in them.
It has been rumored that some time
ago overtures were made by Russia
and France to England, for partition
of China, England being offered the
Yangtse valley, the others approprla-
ting the northern and southern prov
inces and that England refused. What
truth there may be in this it is impos-
sible to say, and the only thing that
lends color to it Is the saying attribu-
ted to the German Emperor some
three months ago, that Germany was
not going to be ignored in any settle
ment Of the Chinese question. The
probability is that the rumor was put
about as a straw to test the direction
of the political currents. Be that as 1t
may, for more than two months before
the murder Of Baron Ketteler, IN Pekin,
there were mysterious rumors going
about that an explosion was to be look
ed for in China at any moment, with
hints that the agitations going on
among the Chinese were fomented by
foreign agents. The basis of these re-
ports was probably the fact that asy-
lum had been given to well-known Chi
nese political agitators on British ter
ritory and that one or two Of them. had
received omen protection. This alone.
would he sufficient to alarm the reac-
tionarv party in China and cause 1t to
cOunI6T1HI1Ce lI't i'ii WI '''''"'iN''
and bands having for object the exnul-
sion Of all foreieners from China. and
the extermina tion of those Chinese
who. bv reason Of their change Of re-
rieion were more or less under the po-
1itical prot ection Of the countries whose
missionaries had converted them.
The present suspense is undonbted'y
due to the fact that the contineents
and warships of the various powers
now on their wav out to China. have
not vet arrived. When thew have. we
NAV expect to see matters taking de-
ci1ed turn.
The last news concerning the mill
tarv situation leads to the expectation
of more fighting in the neiehborhood Of
Pekin. A division. 10000 strong. OF
German drilled troops under Yuan
Shih Kai. governor Of Shantung. is re-
ported to be on the march to the capt.
tai, and the Japanese cavalry sent IN
pursuit of the Imperial party has been
obliged to fall back before large body
Of Chinese horse. Other Chinese troops
are reported coming from the west.
The latest official information at
Washington from Pekin is only down
to Sunday, the 18th.