The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-31
RUSSIA 5 CUTE CANE
Pushes France Forward to
Attract Powers Attention.
BEAR BUSY ON RAILROAD
Must Have Them Finished for
Vital Reasons.
BEAR BUSY ON RAILROAD

matters has not been prominent, but she
has acted as the power behind the throne
in pushing her ally. France, TO the front
IN a way which may react disastrously
for the credulous Frenchman, unless he
withdrsws from apparent designs
Russia Is busy with the work OF COM
| pleting her Siberian railway branches TO
New Chaung and Port Arthur. and until
these lines are finished and she is there
| By in a position TO supply her garrisons
BY these interior railways with reinforce
u.ent sand military stores, she does not
dare TO provoke crisis in the Far East.
and thereby render her ports liable TO
| capture by a blockading feet Of British
| and japanese ships. cutting of supplies
from seward and starving the garrisons
into capitulation. The completion Of these
! railways is. therefore. of vital necessity,
and. in order 10 keep the attention from
being drawn TO them. she has instigated
the French into taking steps calculated
10 attract the attention OF the Foreign
/ powers. while she PUSHES the railway
work night and day with her immense
! army. aided by thousands Of Chinese
collies.
For the last year France. presumably
upon Russias advice, has been advanc-
ing her prominence in Chinese affairs.
| until today she has become the real dis
| turbing factor in the Far West. Her
| boundaries IN Tonkin have been gradual
| " extended until she not only has an
nexed the neutral zone, which the agree
ment of ten years ago defined to separate
Tonkin and China, but has advanced
! into the Chinese province OF Kwaang-Si
/ and has asserted her territorial claims
! to the extent OF collecting taxes and ar
resting natives for refusal to pay the
| same. Last spring she secured from
! China by secret treaty the right TO build
a naval hospital upon a point Of land
/ on the coast south OF Macao. and the
/ terms OF the grant amount practically to
/ a cession Of the territory Nothing
/ would be thought OF this were it not for
! the promonotory ceded commands the
/ western entrance 20 the harbor OF Hong
/ Kong Englands chief naval station in
+ the Far East. and by its height is
/ easily capable OF being strongly fortified
! and. therefore. a menace 10 traffic enter
ing or clearing from Hong Kong. Can
ten. and Macao
| Last November the French consul at
Chefoo. without any authority beyond,
perhaps, the Instructions from his home
government hoisted the French flag up
on kung Ting Tao. the largest island OF
the port OF Chefoo. and claimed It as
French territory, basing his claims upon
the graves of a number Of French sol
diers who died during the war with China
in 1873 and were buried on that island
The flag was kept flying and the islands
treated as French until the present month
July), when a Japanest war-ship anchor
Cd near the island. and. without in any
way consulting the French admiral who
was near by, landed her sailors and held
target practice and drill daily near the
French Flagstaff. until the flag was hauled
down IN short. the plucky little Japs
simply blufed the Frenchmen into a with
crawaI OF their claims
At present there are in Chefoo harbor
and its vicinity almost an entire naval
force in Asiatie waters OF France, Great
Britain and Germany. with a good sprin-
king Of German and Chinese ships. The
French squadron was presumably assem-
bied at Chefoo FOR the purpose OF a Joint
demonstra ton with Russia 10 counterfeit
that OF Great Britain and Japan. The
Russian feet is at anchor at Port Ar
thur. just across the Gulf Of Pechili.
about 100 miles distant. the British at
Wai-hei-wai. thirty miles distant: the
German at Kauchou, 20 miles away and
the remaining JAPANESE war vessels in
their own ports within easy reach Of the
theatre OF operations
II is the general belief that the French
intend to seize Ghetto port and its neigh
boring territory. provided the British.
japanese and Germans do not prevent
them. IN this move the French have the
moral backing and advice OF Russia. but
the wsy Mascovite IS entirely too far
sighted 10 do more than advise. for he
realizes that AT the first outbreak Of war
the combined AngIo-Japanese feet would
capture or destroy all the French and
Russian ships on the high seas and block /
ade the remainder at port-with the pro- /
tect Of starving them out after running /
them into port. The crednlous French. /
however. do not seem 10 view The matter /
in this light and continue 70 carry on /
their schemes OF territorial extension
which may al any moment involve them /
IN a rnaTatirne war which could not r.. 4
suit in less than the destruction 81 their I
Eastern feet and loss Of Tonkin. But
al this serves TO keep attention from 4
Russia's railways, building through Man /
churta and 70 her garrison ports
AS one looks at the condition OF az
fairs in Chinese diplomacy. all appears 10
be calm and moving smoothly. but the
gathering OF The heavy fighting wa--ships
Of yae European nations Interested indi-
Gates that the smooth surface Is not
true Indication OF The un5ercurrents ready
20 rise 70 the top at any moment when
the diplomats in Pekin shan fail u agree.
and their respective home governments
direct armed interference IN defence OF
what they may consider their riSh.s.
The Anglo-Japznsse alliance has been net
~ the Franco Russian not 70 the poEers.
While the Germans whose naval force in
China Is comparatively snail. have made
70 declaration saG stand ready 70 proas
hy any turn CT TIE wheel
The Angio-Japanese alliance can rut
IN the field q operations II Chinese
waters within a weeks tine eleven first
class batfse-saips. tventy-eighr arnorad
cruisers. and aboa1 ninety-ave cruisers
and torpedo vessels, while the Franco
Russians could meet shen zith only
seven battle-Ships nineteen arnored
cruisers. and about twenty gunboats and
rc-r.esfo vessels trrzS giving -he former