The evening times., 1900-03-21
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.
The MorId,. storm censre..

political situation Of an alarming char
acjer. there is evidence in plenty that the
Old World is standing on the crater of a
volcano which may become active at any
moment. Ministers and ambassadors may
insist that there is nothing about which
the public need be alarmed. but war pre-
parations are being pushed with what looks
like the energy due to an imminent ne
cessity in Great Britain France and Rus
sia. and all signs point to the extreme
danger II not the certainty OF an outbreak.
II yet remains to be seen how much or
how little the note which the St Peters
burg Cabinet is said to be preparing for
transmission to the British Government
may amount to. If. as is hinted in some
European quarters. il should take the form
Of a direct demand for definition OF Great
Britain's purposes in South Africa. in re-
lation to the political status OF the South
African republics after their subjugation,
the reasonable presumption is that interna-
iional trouble could hardly be avoided: and
should France join in the diplomatic move
ment. that would render the situation all
the more acute. Lord Salisbury is COM
mi'ted TO the policy OF resenting any hint
at Interference; and has taken particular
pains TO advertise the determination Of his
Government TO annex the TransvaaI and
Orange Free State to the Empire as soon
as peace is restored. In these circlni-
Stances such representations as il is ru-
mored Russia and France are on the point
Of making. would be more than likely to
TreciPitate a crisis from which the only
probable escape would be war
There may be nothing IN the gossin OF
fhe capitals I'm connection with this expect
81 "c0mmunique." but that such a thing is
among the possibilities is made quite con
C"iysblc 10y the activity with which Russia
il pressing her designs upon the Sultan's
possessions I'm Asia Minor. The railway
concessions demanded OF Turkey in thar
C11rter amount TO thing more than the
mere privilege Of developing the country
commercially. What the Car insists upon
s. tho right 10 build railways to the excll-
sion OF everybody else. the Turkish Govern
TsnJ included; and he also demands the
right 10 occupy the territory Of the couces-
sions with troops. as far as he may thiul
1t necessary for the protection Of his raj
way interests. The Sultan is inclined 10
resist. but his only available friend is pre-
occupied. and the one other power which
might possibly come TO his assistance ur.-
der some conditions, namely. Germany. is
not generally believed 20 consider the Rus
sian movement Of sufficient importance 10
her 60 interfere with it at the price OF
q war
Should Turkey be compelled to yield. The
result would be that Russia would at once
build strategic railways in Asia Minor. and
particularly one which would reach from
the BosDorus clear around to the Egean
Sea. thus ehectually Hanking the. to her
closed door Of the Sea Of Marmora and the
bardanelles. Il would be the occupation
OF Manchuria over again. and Abdul Hamid
would be completely and finally bottled up
and cut OF from retreat into his Asiatic
dominions when the inevitable time Of his
expulsion from Europe shall come. The
Russian pressure at Constantinople has
reached a stage where it appears to be bu;
. step or two short Of an ultimatum The
question is: Can Great Britain afford to see
the Turkish Empire thus 5isected. and it's
bar to the western advance Of the Musco-
yite power removed?
Il is net only over Asia Minor that the
war clouds gather. There are two other
storm centres. from either of which the
thunder and lightning Of armed conflict
may burst on little or no notice The
mobilization Of Russian forces on the
Afghan frontier proceeds apace, and on
any day We may hear that Russia has
occupied a pert or two on the Persian
Gulf But perhaps there is still greatpr
menace to the peace of nations in the sit,,-
alton at Pekin. To America this is the
point OF greatest importance, since it is
not improbable that the United States
might be drawn into hostIities in China
should certain things occur in that
quarter. There is great danger threat
encd TO our commercial interests by the
apparent inclination of the Empress
Bowsger to slam in our face the door
which the splendid diplomacy OF our
State Department thought il had definitely
opened Evidently, the Mckinley Admin
isrotOn thinks so, or a squadron would
not now be rushing toward the Gulf Of
Pe Chi Ii.
The present attitude OF the Chinese Gov
erument strongly suggests that it is being
backed in its reactionary policy and pur-
poses by some powerful European power.
and appearances would seem to indicate
RUSSIA as lhai power. But three nations
OF consequence have any particular cen
cern in maintaining the open door. They
are The United States. Great Britain, sna
Japan. All the others have entrenchsq
themselves in spheres OF influence. a1d 10
cur request that they respect American
treaty rights with China. they reilly
that We, too. were offered Chin ,se
mainland port and sphere OF influence. bnt
did not have the good sense TO accept
them. Now. in case China and Russia
were 10 close the northern treaty ports.
We should be confronted with the alterna-
tive OF commercial retreat from China.
which we could ill afford, or fight for
the trade privileges we claim in the En-
pire.
10 view Of such conditions. it IS not to
be wondered az that the feasibility OF
sending part of our Philippine army to
China is being discussed in Government
circles. IL is reasonably certain that
shogld china AID Russia act together in
az attempt to exclude Great Britain and