Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-02-12
JAPAN AND BRITAIN.
NOW LIABLE TO GET BULK OF
CHINESE TRADE.
American Merchants Think That We
Would Have Better Opportunity
With Russia as Competitor.

Washington Letter: Considerable
chagrin is felt here among our diplo-
mats who claim that the United States
has lost the opportunity Of q CEN
fury in China through the conclusion
of the Anglo-Japanese treaty. Brit
aims shrewd move is commented upon
everywhere. being regarded as mas
ter stroke In snatching from the hand
OF Russia the greatest chance for ag-
grandizement that she has had for
years.
No one doubts that the position which
the new alliance will give England and
Japan in China will mean the suprem-
acy OF those two nations there instead
Of that Of Russia, and the practical un-
doining Of the work done to build up
our interests at the time Of the late
trouble.
1t will give Japan the opportunity to
recover from her financial depression
by building up trade with her popu-
lous neighbor, whilst Britain will recov-
or that supremacy which she has grad
ually been losing in the Orient
BY no other means could Britain have
checkmated the carefully laid plans Of
Russia, and In no way could she more
effectively have blocked the plans Of
American merchants for increasing
their trade In China by means Of the
open door,"
To Russia the blow is temporarily a
crushing one. as it means the loss Of
millions Of dollars worth Of anticipated
revenue to her. Her Manchurlan rail-
way projects are now set back till such
time as she can assert her will in North
ern China by sheer force Of arms.
Her carefully laid plans would have
made her mistress Of Asia inside of a
decade had they remained unchecked.
Being In possession already Of rail-
road trunk line, from Moscow to Vladi-
vostock and Port Arthur on the Pacific
she had pushed forward new line
from Andijan, In Russian Aurkestan to
Hankow, on the Yank-tse- Kiang. The
network OF railways projected on paper
Is too complicated to enumerate here.
From Andijan on the Central Asian
railway the first division was TO extend
900 miles to Kashgar, the capital of
Chinese Turkestan, debouchlng thence
TO the south, and connecting with the
sacred city Of Lhassa; thence through
Bhotan, and northeast TO the head
waters OF the Hoank-ho; thence to Sim
gan-fu, where the Chinese government
found refuge prior to It's return to
Pekin. The intended eastern terminus
OF this system to be some point on the
Pekln-Hankow railroad.
With the completion Of this road
Russia would possess a parallel to the
Trans-Siberian line, through the very
heart Of the territories which she hopes
to annex In Asia.
Should the present treaty enable
Great Britain to checkmate Russia's
plans In this direction and advance her
own schemes for a railway across Az
ghanistan through Burmah TO the OBJ
jective point Russia is aiming to reach
1t may put Russia's plans back to q
serious extent.
No one doubts that Russia's stay in
Manchuria was planned for a perma-
nency and that Manchuria was to have
been only a stepping stone for furth or
aggression In Northern China.
1t is not believed here that Russia
will ever abandon her Asian schemes
even II she is compelled to defer them.
The great question Is how Great Brit
ain and Japan will utilize the advan-
tages they have undoubtedly gained by
q coalition in the East Should they
attempt aggrandizement at the expense
Of other nations, and especially that OF
the United States, there is little doubt
that this country will find an ample OPP
portunity for revenge by standing aloof
when the time comes for Russia to defy
the two opponents Of her plans, which
may not be so far away. In any case
the United States will be the immediate
loser by the substitution OF Great Brit
ain for Russia as the leading CONNER
cial power in the East as she will be
a much more formidable competitor
than Russia could have become to us
for many years.
BERNARD SHAW.