The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-26
The Oriental Crisis.

The time allowed by Russia to China to
sign the convention which in effect cedes
Nancha4-ia to the former. expires today.
The CONSENSUS Of opinion in enlightened
quarters IS that. convinced of the hope
Iessness of European Intervention, the
Chinese Government viii sign. Whether
that action be taken or not. the result
will be The same Russia viii hold what
she has seized and take more at the first
opportunity China VIII have the rnortih-
cation Of realizing that her treacher0Us
diplomacy which has won against every
body else, has been putty in the hands Of
the Russians. It is evident enough that
the Chinese thou ght it quite safe to play
with lire At St Petersburg by entering
into secret negotiations, and if, in their
course, the Cars Government should in
sert exorbitant demands or insist upon
things calculated to irritate or alarm the
other Powers. so much the better At the
proper time Ii Hung Chang would expose
the game in all its exasperating details;
Ehereupon all the other foreign devils
would fail upof- Russia and war would
ensue which would soon become Euro
pcan instead Of Asiatic. and China would
then be able to side with the strongest
party and rescue her independence. ana
resume her old happy state Of Isolation
1t happened quite otherwise Russia
knew a thing or two more about Euro
pean. japanese, and American interven-
ton than d:d China The latter foolish
" put her head in the bag and Count
I-dmsdorf pulled the string The loss OF
Manchuria. Songolia. Kashgaria, and
Turkestan IS the-Grst result Of that fool
isnncss- Its ultimate consequences are
Yet TO be seen. One Of them viii be the
general partition Of China among the
Powers. or at least Of those regions Of
tie Empire near the coast or easily &C
cessibIe from it. Another may be war be
tween Japan and Russia
As far as the ManchUrfan question Is
/ concerned. no other State Is expected to
( back the actor OF Japan, beyond fling Il
( formal protest against Russia-s violation
! OF her declarations and her agreement
with the other allies not to make scpar-
/ ate terms with China. II is possible how
+ ever. that the dismissal of the British
/ Superintendent OF Korean Customs. Mr.
/ GIcLeavy Brown. at the fnstigation of
! Russia. may bring complications caIcu-
/ lated TO involve Great Britain and per
hsps another Power in the strife 8Ir
/ Brown has been e-nfnently successful in
protecting aud promoting international
| trade interests in Korea. and his remov-
| al is resented in Berlin and Washington
/ quite as much as il is n London
/ The Japanese squadron hitherto report
! ed as bound for Masampo, Korea, IS now
/ sad TO be heading for Annoy, IN the
/ Province Of Fo-kien, which is only sepa-
rated from the japanese island of Formo-
81 by the strait OF the same name
! This movement may Indicate that, in
/ case Russia shall actually acquire Man
/ churia, Japan viii demand the port of
/ Annoy and the hinterIand of Fo-kien as
| compensation. II the Powers can agree 10
| grant that. then perhaps the Mikado may
not deem it mandatory upon him to
! engage IN war He may cor slider that. in
the matter OF Korea. he can count upon
/ foreign aid in the future Nevertheless.
| there are serious fears admitted in all
the great capitals today that an Oriental
/ war may be unavoidable.
! Whether that is to happen or not. the
situation as it affects the mi, ed States
in either event could not BE- much more
/ unsatisfactory. Russia has shul US out
( Of Nieuchwang, and the trsde Of Man
/ charia and the regions beyo it. Tie
! prospects are that the sane thing VIII
/ happen IN Korea where or? commerce is
Of Importance. The one otner entrepot
for our productions. and which has been
/ regarded as peculiarly under American
/ commercial influence is Annoy Should
I that port be taken by Japan. the United
States viii be ia a bad way; for all the
| other important places on the coast are
under mortgage in one way or another
! to our trade rivals.
! This Is all We are likely 20 get In return
for playing the double role Of disintcr-
ested and trusting friend to China. and
Of catspaw to Russia. It is the triumph
Of our Russo-Chinese cut and scuttIe
/ policy