Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1905-10-08
ENGLAND MAY
ABANDON CHINA
CONSIDERS EVACUATION OF
WEI-HAI-WEI
Britons Believe This Policy Would
Give Freer Hand In Working
Of Open Door Policy
In Empire
Special Cable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald.
LONDON, Oct. 1T is now reported
that Great Britain as the result of the
definite evacuation of Port Arthur is
considering the desirability of entirely
evacuating Wei-hai-wei. No decision
has yet been actually come to- and
there is Ger ain divergence of opinion
as to just what step should be taken,
but on the whole the balance Of opinion
appears to be in favor of the evacua-
ton, and there is ground for the belief
that this course will ultimately be
taken.
The feeling is prevalent, not only
throughout Great Britain, but through
out the whole of Europe. that possess
sions in the orient, at least the China
Japan section, do not pay in dollars
and cents. 1t is felt that the Chinese
and the Japanese should be left to
work out their own destiny, and that
any attempt to reserve citi, $ and con-
troll them by means of a chain of forth
fications will result in expenses in
connection with armies and navies, be-
side which the cost of keeping up the
military establishments in India must
sink into insignificance. In other words
the backward movement of the Eur
opean nations in connection with the
acquisition of possessions in the orient
is economic rather than military or
naval.
1t will be recollectod that several
questions en- the subject were asked
in the house of commons last ses-
sion, and that on March 4, 1905, Mr..
Arthur Lee announced that there would
be no change of policy as to the place,
but that in view of far eastern uncer-
tainty the admiralty had decided to
press no expenditure.
Questions Material Returns
To define the exact position of Great
Britain ii is necessary to state briefly
the precise conditions of the tendency
of the colony These are the con-
ditions as taken from the agreement
which was signed at Picking on July l.
1898. and subsequently ratified at Lon
don in October.
I'm order to provide Great Britain
with a suitable naval harbor in North
China, and for the better protection
of British commerce, the government
of his majesty. the emperor of China,
agree to lease to the government of
Great Britain and Ireland, Wei-hai-
wei. in the province of Stantung. and
the adjacent waters, for so long
period as Port Arthur shall remain in
the occupation of Russia
1t will also be recollected that two or
three years ago the BRUSH govern
ment decided not to use Wei-hat- Ell
as a military station, but merely to
retain it for commercial purposes; but
now the government is reported to be
coming to the conclusion that in order
to emphasize the integrity of China
and maintain the demand for an open
door in that country it is a right ana
fitting step to give up territory which
was acquired when Germany and Rus
STA started the policy of grab in the
far east by seiZinE respectively Port
Arthur and Kiao-chau.
With the evacuation of Port Arthur
by the Russians, and Wei-hai-Wel by
Great Britain, but one western power
would retain a forcibly acquired lease
in northern China and that would be
Germany at Kiao- Chau which she holds
on q ninety mine years lease. How
long she would remain there If England
follows Russia and abandons Wel-hai-
Wei. Is the question which is every
where being asked in diplomatic circles.
German policy with regard to emma
has been characterized by blunders
without number PRINCE blSlldIck
rightly remarked when speaking of the
telegram about the acquisition of Kiao-
chau. that the taking of Kiao-chau
would be q new opportunity for new
follies in German foreign policy.
Tn to the present Germany has spent
MANY millions of dollars in fortifying
Kiao-chau. where she has about 5000
men. This autumn she proposes to
spend another 100000 900 and to get the
authority of the reichstag afterward.
But the question that is everywhere
beine. asked and is likely to be asked
in the reichstag is Does it pay?"