The times., 1901-04-17
Circulation Statement.
The Chinese situation.

The administration has renewed red-
son to feel dissatisfied with the dlpIo-
,,,atic situation in Pekin, although why
II sbo,,id not have been anticipated, II
:, has not been. at the State Depart
,nent. = more than we can undeIS'aiiu'
It.bas long been evident that Germany
having, objects in view other thah thoSe
entertained by the United STATES anu
Russia has not been favorable 10 lhe
TTav plan of forgiveness to and hoIlll-
nal payment Of indemnity by emma
and believes that the treacherous Ceies-
riaie who murdered Baron Won ketteier
ami stormed the legations with intent
70 torture and butcher their inmates
deserve and should receive severe oo-
iect lesson. 1t is not our purpose at
this time to discuss the merit or oe-
merit Of the German policy. Assuredly
ii is one which meets with the approVal
of The other members of the Triple Al
1ionce Austria and Italy, and II was
rerorted yesterday that these lilie
Powers. Belgium, Holland, ana SPAIN
accading. had reached an understand
inc in virtue lof which they would op-
,oea the Hay scheme 10 cut down the
indemnity.
ON behaIf of the Administration it
was said last night that it is not yet
certain what course England, Japan
russia and France may take in the
connection: that some or all OF them
might side with this Government; but
surb an idea may be dismissed as hard
Iv worth attention. Heavy lndemnltlsS
mean what they are intended to mean
namely. the partition Of China, Wh'ch'
since Russia has broken the ice by tax
ino oyer nearly half the Empire. has
bec3n1c in the view Of some European
statesmen a political compensatory ne
cessity.
If we grant the premises, these con-
illusions are inevitable: Russia VIII not
onnose the Dreibund and its small sat@I-
lies in their demand for excessive
damages. simply because Russia al
rea,-v has what she wants out OF lhe
game and would be foolish to stand
in The way of the Central European
States lest that might be occasion fol
interference with her in Manchuria
Mongolia. and so on. France, with al
appetite for the extension OF her ION
1uin possessions, would have no ap'
4.arent reason to stand in the way o1
either her ally or of Germany, Austria
and ITALY. So. it would seem reason
able To argue that the interests Of al
the Powers. with the exceptions OF tbs
United States. England, and Japan are
identical. and that the reduction plaI
viii fail for the reason that territory
and not cash is the vital issue W.
NAV admit that, if her hands were free
Russia would much prefer to see TN
integrity Of the Chinese Empire pre-
served outside Of such additional por
tians of il as she may yet wish
acquire. But Russia has learned nov
to take what she can get without to
,,Uch waste OF blood and treasure, an
to bide her time TO secure the fuiines
of her desires.
What the attitude Of England an
Janan may be in the face of this ne'
development remains to be seen.
To the former. she has now two hun
dred and fifty thousand troops in III
deld IN South Africa. Her Ihdian from
tier is said to be threatened by on
hundred and eighty-five thousand Rus
slams. England is in no shape to SWIM
the switch Of an international schoo
master. The United States may
counted out. as its influence in the Coz
cert is nil Japan alone appears to
I'm doubt. That Power may change Il
aspect of affairs by some sudden ar
sensational movement. That too, II
mains 20 be seen. But that seriol
events are presaged by the deveiol
ments Of the past few days is not
be doubted