Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-12
CHAPTER III.
Rumors Of War.


AS the year wore on some of the inter
national difficulties centering round kiao-
Ghau,. Port Arthur and Hainan reopened.
In England more than all the old unrest
revived.
What added to this unrest was the fact
that some of the items OF the rapidly-suc-
ceeding patches of news were quite mex
plicable.
From the beginning of the year 1t had
been known that Germany had not made
so brilliant a bargain in the acquisition OF
Kiao-Chau as she had imagined. The ter
ritory placed under her sovereign rights
had been strictly limited by China, and
granted only as lease. When Prince
Henry of Prussia arrived with the Deutsch-
land and Gefion, he found that there were no
'-laurels to win and nobody at whom TO
strike out with his absurd mailed INST.
Moreover, on much the same terms as
Germany obtained kiao-Chau, and, later In
the year. Russia obtained Port Arthur
Britain obtained Wei-hai-wei ana Mlrs pay.
What then was the surprise of the Worid,
including the Germans themselves, when IN
the middle of December came the news
that China had ceded large addltionai
region to the kaiser absolutely without con-
ditions.
There was not a single brain in Europe
which could divine the motive of this VIZ
tual gift.
At this time Ii Hung Chang, recalled 10
power by the emperor at the beginning or
a at1s e1 in Peking. But in the short
space OF two months he had ac-
quired the habit OF taxing .so na nu
clement IN Chinese politics, the far-seelhs
oriental European. the much-toiiing mem.
Der of the tsung-li-yamen, the omniscieHs
Yen How Already Yen had swung hlihseii
into the position of the virtual ruler VI
China. r,,,nr
haunted as the old statesman had always
been by the vision of dlsmempernnehl Inu
downfall which overhung CHINA, selnetllhs
like an angel of Eight. Here was announcer
hratn which saw as his had all along seen
only far more clearly, and with powers
of invention far vaster to avert the ealas-
trophe. ,a l.,
words which old ii long remembered. one
night as they smoked together alone on a
moonut veranda DO let us be honest
with ourselves. your eXcetiencS 'ou
agree with me that the yeiloW IN i,ia -,
dooned-;f the white man Is not; IN your
heart YOU think 1t. Then let us say II III
definite words; for as soon as ever we iiaNs
said 1t. we have gone halfway toward
graphing with our fate
"Ah / have said 1t often ana often,
answered IL but to what good?'
III YOU believe that now is the time TOT
action, as / do you have the matter III youi
own hand
",ro me II is clearer than the moonlight
there The facts of the situation seem 10
stare me III the face.
Speak Yen How.
II will speak, your exceuenes' 10 i,s
II seems that if we could supply motive
Ia the combined Japanese and Chinese ma
tons to traverse Asia and the caucasus,
and then to overrun the Europe OF looas'
there is no power on earth that could per
manently check the oFefWheihiis hioilie''
tum of their progress.
.It is nonsense, my son. said Ii, with
pull at his long pipe.
Mote this, replied 1en.'I only say
that | believe-for who can be sure! Inc
white man is strong and stern; his froWn
is dreadful. ] only say that l beneVe-
though a host of four hundred Hiiiioils
cannot be mown down in day, your eA-
celIency. The threats of the Maxims might
grow hoarse and burst at this task: SUM-
perhaps YOU are rght-perhaps talk non
sense | did not seriously mean TO pro
nose a march against the Maxim thunder.
But I have a thought-a thought suppose
China and Japan can take away me Max
inns first and then march afterWard
speak your meaning, Yen How, said
Ii; .all is dark to me-
I'VE wish the white races killed. an
swered Yen; well, there are two ways,
are there not? We might kill them our
selves-that, you say, is nonsense Inc
other way is to get them to Kill one an
other"
LIS pipe came from his mouth, and the
outer corners of his eyes screwed up into
an expression of the most exquisite en-
joyment-
mutual slaughter" Yen How went on, I'VE
can kill. Their lands will be weak with
loss Of blood, their treasures will be eX-
hausted-there will be no Maxims there
any more"
At these last words his own eyes, too,
wrinkIed up into delicious merriment.
THE trump card is in the hand of China
he said.
How the white races were to be made to
destroy one another Ii never asked. though
the conversation lasted far into the night.
He knew we'll That, at least, was simple.
England" said Yen as they parted, ''she
is the worst. All the others against her
A few weeks afterward the cession
large additional territories in China TO Ger
many was rumored.
And now followed, in Ispfd succession,
series of the most startling, the most mex
plicable reports
II seemed as If China was not waiting
for dismemberment from abroad but was
dismembering herself willfully, with pre-
cipitate frenzy.
First came the intelligence that France
had been besought by the Chinese govern
ment to assume the protectorate, without
conditions of IIainan and Yun-nan.
These few lines of telegram threw Eu-
rope into state of fever 1t was decided
by every one that II the intelligence was
true no earthly consideration of risk would
keep the rapacious hand of the Frenchman
from grasping at this plum.
In a week or so 1t was definitely known
that the news was true, and that France
had accepted the offer. Rumors Of war
filled the air. The world was agog, and
every spot was an arena for discussion.
Only one man was silent-the British for
eign secretary. The newspapers besought
him for word he remained wrapped in
taciturnity. A deputation of merchants
waited upon the under secretary: he an
swered only with a few strong words of
hope.
At this time Yen How's"name got into the
papers It was said that this mysterious
man, whose dazzling rise in the celestial
empire was sketched. had recently taken a
fresh journey to Toxic. Then a vague tele-
gram. printed In England in small nonpa-
reil type, appeared, stating that the prob
able object of Yen How's renewed journey
was to conclude secret treaty between
China and Japan. But the report was I'M
substantiated.
The real bomb was yet to burst into the
midst of Europe. 1t was hurled by the st.
Petersburg correspondent of the Daily
News.