The evening times., 1900-07-26
JEAIoUsIES OF THE POWERS.
Practical Dangers of Conflicting In.
ferests of Nations.


Orr N the Chicago Times-Hersld)
The conflicting interests and jealoIsies
of the European powers already weaken
ing their attack upon the Chinese iusu--
gents is very old story in European his
tOTy.
By means Of fl that ingenious and ac-
COmplished military politician. Philip OF
AacecOn, conquered and eXriugUisheI The
Greek states. which were u4able 10 unite
against him.
The Ottoman Empire was founded chiefly
because Greek and Latin Christians hated
one another more than they did the Mos
lem And the GenOese and Nenetlsus fur
nished Turk aud Tartar with firearms they
never NyIIId have had otherwise. JusJ as
the Germans have furnished the Chinese
with better weapons than the allies now
have.
When the Turks finally captured Con
stantiuopie Chrisrendom was so excited
that the common fear reCOlCiIed the powers
for time Crusades were preached, but no
one joined CT led one. and they turned
again to the more coz genial work Of per
scouting heretics or fighting each other.
"HaG the union OF the Christians eqUaIed
their bravery says GibbOD. mad every
country from Sweden &c Naples supplied
it's just proportion OF men and money, it is
probable that CCnStanunOple would have
been delivered end that the Turks might
have been driven beyond the He.lespont or
the EUphrates-" Instead ot that the Turz
invaded Europe, and caused even the Pope
10 think o. putting the Alps between b m
self and this foe.
The remarks of Eneas Sylvanus on the
state OF mlGd in Christendom at that time
sound as though they might have been
printed yesterday In some Berlin, Vienna,
OF London paper about the jesIousies OF
the European powers and Japan. in this
Chinese cyclone Christie nGom. he SAYS
is body without head; a republic
without laws and magistrates. Every
State has separate prince and every
prince d separate interest. What elo-
quence would unite so many and disccrd-
ant and hostile powers under the same
sJGndard2 Could they be assembled in
arms who would dare assume the Office
Of general? What order could be main
tanned? What military discipline? Who
would undertake 20 feed such an euor-
nous multitude Who would understand
their various languages or direct their
stranger and Incompatible manners
What mortal could reconcile the French
with the English, Genoa with ArragOn
the Germans with the natives OF Hungary
and Bohemia? II small number be en-
listed in the holy war they must be over
thrown by the !nfidels-if many by thCIr
own weight anG confusion
All the evils growing out OF the presence
of the "Unspeakable Turk in Europe
the enslavement of Greece for four cen
turies the massacre Of hundreds Of thou
sands Of Greeks, Cretans. Bulgarians. and
Armenians-have proceeded from the ina
bility Of the Christian powers 10 settle
upon any weIl-defned, harmonious policy
The practical difficulties pointed out BY
Sylvanus $50 years ago now threaten 10
paraIyZe military operations in the pro-
posed campaign against Pekin. The forces
are "a body without a head" What eIO-
cuence will unite so many and discordant
and hostile powers under the same stand
ard 20 Who will dare assume the office
OF general? What order and military dis
cipiine can be maintained?' What NOR
tai can reconcile the French with the Eng
iish?" The Russians with the japanese ,
If a small number be enlisted they NAV
be overthrOwn by the Chinese; "if MANY.
by their own weight and confusion"
Who in the face OF these complications
and diffIu uulties Will venture 10 prophesv
the outcome Of the conflict between dis
cordant allies and that vast mysterious
weird. and comparatively unknown foe
the Chines,- Empire? II may be only a
hobgobIin that will vanish as soon as il is
resoIuteIy encountered. But on the other
hand. its symbolic dragon may not be the
mere myth and phantasm it is generally
taken for. but have behind it a dreadful
reality.
1t surely will. unless the allies attack
ing it are ALLIES in some thing more than
name.