The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-24
MAY YET BE WAR
.cAIN THERE is A TURN IN THE
RUssO-JAPANEsE TALK.
BY DIPLOMATS AT PEKIN
THE IDEA OF WAR SEEMS TO BE
ENTERTAINED.

ys.ia,s Aggression and Her Belief
THAT She Can whip Japan Easily
viii. II Is said, Result in Japan
Rainr GOaded beyond a Point of
r,durance-Fears for China Are
1soIt-Her Glory Departed-She Has
No strong Statesmen.
palm Dec. 23.-That there is only
- faint prospect that war between
Ionan and Russia can be averted seems
a. he the opinion of the two members
&c tho dinlomatic corps at the Chinese
canital whose opinions regarding the
,rasent critical condition of affairs in
Tbe Far East. are probably most val
nable. namely, Japanese Minister
1rcbida and Sir Ernest Mason SatoW.
Their views in fact are no secret.
Minister Satow was connected with
the British diplomatic service in japan
for a quarter of a century he Is
one of the greatest living authorities
on Japanese history and literature, and
is in constant communication with the
foremost statesmen of Japan. he Is
ouoted as saying that any one VINO
inagines that Japan will not fight Tor
what she couceives to be her greatest
interests does not know the Japanese
people.
Minister Uchida is an adherent of the
.Young Japan party and has always
advocated war. if necessary. to secure
the evacuation of Manchuria.
The optimistic feeling in some quar-
+ers concerning war between Japan ana
Russia are not shared by the other
di,Jouats at Pekin, whose knowledge
of the present situation of AFFAIRS ell
titles their opinion to the highest con-
alteration. 1t is positively known thaC
the Japanese government has Drawn
the line for a settlement beyond winch
If will not make any material conces-
sions and that she is determined 10
foht before Welding what she considers
10 he her vital interests. 1t is beneVeu
that unless Russia comedies nnpoItdi i,S
Ioints another exchange OF notes Will
precipitate matters.
Must Evacuate Mnnchuria'
If is also believed that Japan VIII
refuse any arrangement holdlhg III
ahevance the question of the evacua-
ton of Manchuria, which was one Vi
the terms of the proposed arrange
ment recently announced from 81.
.z1SAlstr.sand which 1t is now sup
posed Mas Intended by the Russian
govern tnent as a "feeler." This would
he a violation of expressed pleuses
eiveakto Japan and China
Minister Uchida is reported to nave
said he would be obliged to resign MS
post in the event of such an agree
The most dangerous factors in the
situation are the confidence of the
Russian officials in the Far East that
q war would mean an easy victory TOT
Russia and the challenging tone OF
the Russian officials and newspapers;
The Intelligent Chinese orlclaIs
await developments with the deepest
anxiety. eThey foresee the many perlls
naaSanins China in the event of war,
and the possibilities that pdTtitloll
of the empire may result from China
Inability to maintain the neutrality OF
her farbors and subjects.
The Younger officials and the news
papers discuss the possibilities OF an
alliance between China and Japan,
but the. only available Chinese troops
are the is, 900 Japanese-trained men
of Yuan-Shi-Kai (who was recently
appointed commander of the Imperial
army and navy who might tight I'M
der foreign leaders, but whose present
officers are incompetent and Of doubt
full courage.
Decadence of China.
Sir Robert Hart, director of the
Chinese imperial maritime customs,
said to-day that he feared China would
be the chief sufferer should war oc-
cur, for she might be ground between
the two millstones.
The. decadence of the Chinese gov
eminent has never been more COM
pltely displayed than in these times
when her ministers go from legation TO
legation imploring other governments
to help China without any thought OF
China's helping herself. There Is an
solutely no strong man among the rul-
ing ministers-no Prince Chung, Mar
quis Tseng, nor Lii Hung Chang-ail
are venerable Conservatives, ike
Prince Ching.
WI Ting Fang, the well-known ex-
minister to the United States, tells his
official friends that he despalrs OF
China's future. ,-,.
Il see no hope" he says, FOR emma.
The partition of the empire sooner or
later is inevitable"