The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-25
Ezes Throughout Lndana Chronid BY Journal Correspondents
PRICE FOR PANAMA is
LOSS IN THE FAR EAST
Col. Charles DENLY Declares Paw
ing the Way for the Canal Has
Cost Oriental Dominance.
CHINA NOW IN DANGER

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Dec. 24-Colonel
Charles DENLY. of this city. who was minis
ter TO China for twelve years under Presi-
dents Cleveland and Harrison, says in
interview that the price we pay for Panama
is our loss in the far East. The statement
in full follows:
1T is unfortunate that at a moment
when important events are transpiring in
the orient Involving the partition of China.
tied. We have consistently set our face
against partition, and now that we have
acquired the Philippines, our voice in de-
tense or justice and right would have been
potent 1t is not too much to say that since
we have become an Asiatic power we can.
II we Will, exercise a preponderatng in
fiuence in the far East
while it is evident that the great Eur
opean powers are influenced by selfish con-
slderatlons in this, that they all covet the
a ac9 OF new territory in China. we
Russia, as is known is making a great
effort TO absorb Manchurla. England is pre-
pared, When the time comes, to annex the
valley OF the Yangtse. 1t is gravely stated
that France encourages disaffection in the
southern provinces in order that she may
step in and put down the disturbances,
and then appropriate that territory. Ger
many, too. Is waiting for opportunity
TO seize the whole of Shantung. We alone,
or all the great powers, openly, and above
board, have proclaimed strenuous antag
onlSm TO partition. OF course the talk on
the platform, and in the press, about build
ing a navy equal or superior to the COM
Dined naVies or the whole world, and then
d dictating the enforcement of the Monroe
doctrine In China, is visionary. l think
this people. this calm, self-respecting re-
pubic are not going to surrender COM
pletely to militarism, and utterly and en-
tlrely reverse the practice and teachings Of
the first century of our existence We are
not going to emulate the boy who puts
chip on his shoulder and invites another
boy to knock 1T off. Nations do not like
to be threatened. No one should undertake
now to say what our course should be on
a hypothetical case. We should not jump
events happen in diplomacy that no man
has ever dreamed of before. A few months
before we took the Philippines no man ever
limited, or imagined, that we would do so.
NO man even suspected, before the event
happened, that Germany would land bat
TALON or marines and take possession of
a large part of Shantung. Nor did any one
anticipate the subsequent seizure of Chinese
territory which was made by the other
powers. We all know with what unex-
pected suddenness the secession of Panama
government took place.
In view of these, and many other sur
prises which might be cited, 1t is not wise
TO lay down a fixed rule for future action
How can any one tell to-day whether we
ought to intervene in Chinese matters or
not! ! mean by active warlike intervention.
L
not to publish our intention. But that we
might have interviewed by diplomatic action
to prevent partition Is possible and probable.
And there is no doubt that such Intervention
would have been respectfully needed, and 1t
might have been successful The Panama
business has stopped the wheels of prog
ress: We have procured our good friends,
the European powers, to recognize the new
republic. We have already had intimations
in the press that we would not intervene In
the matter Of the Russian seizure of Man
churia. We cannot afford to ask favors
and not return them. We cannot expect to
work our will in this continent, and control
the balance of the world as well. The par
ttion of China must pay for the partition
of America. II is all very sad that the
purely business operation of constructing
canal a few miles long could not have been
carried on in a business way and without a
new departure liz the science of government
which startles the world and sets a-grinning
the disembodied spirit of the Confederacy
1T may come out all right as things
mostly do come out all right under Amer
lean management, but it will be sad If the
great canal shall be made wet with the
blood OF American or Colombian soldiers
before yet the water of either ocean has
touched it. AS to who is to blame, or wheth-
er anybody is to blame will not undertake
to judge. We must wait for the facts
Nevertheless it is regretable that we must
pay the price for Panama by the loss of our
influence in the far East"