Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-12
Russia and ENGLAND.

There Is a ticklish problem on be-
tween Russia and England just now
and the solution of it is a matter Of
world wide interest.
For more than a hundred year:
Russia has been struggling to get tc
a seaport that can be kept oper
throughout the year, and England ha:
been standing in her way.
With territory so vast in extent ant
population almost innumerable, Rus
sia has within her borders resources
beyond estimate, and needs only 6
fair opportunity to become the great
est manufacturing and commercial
nation of the world. England realizes
this fact with especial keenness, be.
cause she has for a long time held the
position to which Russia aspires, and
she has good reason to believe thai
if Russia ever secures the open ports
she needs the balance will only be q
matter of time.
Russia has sought the sea by way
of Turkey, through the Dardanelles
and the Mediterranean, and it was or
this account that the Crimean wal
was fought. Next the Bear tried tc
make his way to the Indian ocear
through India; the Lion stopped him
at Herat,. There was some snarline
but no fighting. Russia backed down
The next move was through Man.
churia, but this was checked by ia
pan, with the assistance Of England
and now comes this present effort tc
go down through Persia.
England and Russia have for many
years maintained their spheres of in.
fiuence" in Persia, and have been get
ting along very nicely, apparently, but
within the past few months the fric.
ton has been growing stronger and
stronger, until now the situation looks
pretty serious.
A time established game Of empire
is to lend money to a weak or incom-
petent government, and when the
government finds itself unable to pay
to take its territory Often times wher
the debtor government surprises the
creditor by showing signs Of ability tc
meet it's obligations, the debtor be-
gins to put obstacles in the way, just
as is sometimes done in private life
Both England and Russia had loaned
large sums in Persia, and both for the
same purpose-primarily to have q
hold on that country. Because OF
Persian incompetency to begin with
and maybe with Russian British con.
nivance in the second place. Persia
had gotten to where she could nc
longer pay, and it looked as If the
Situation was about ripe for the credi-
tors to step in and foreclose. But
Persia stood off the bad day by secur-
ing the services of an able, self-reliant
American, w. Morgan Shuster, who
soon got the finances of the country
into better shape, and who has made
it clear that If left alone he will be
able to pay out.
But the Bear has not been rejoicing
at the prospect of getting his money
AS a matter of fact, he had never
expected to get it back in the shape
of what was honestly due him, and he
did not want it that way. And when
Shuster began to prove himself such
a competent manager the Bear began
to grow ugly and seek other ways of
making trouble. That is what the
matter is now.
And England is in a considerable
quandary. She still does not want
Russia to gobble Persia, because If
Russia does gobble Persia she will get
what England has been trying for
more than a hundred years to keen
her from getting.
OF course, England has no lack of
confidence in her ability to lick the
Bear, as she has done before, but the
situation does not exactly suit. Ger
many is another rival of England.
hardly less formidable than Russia.
and it is understood that Russia was
behind England in the recent pretty
serious little affair wherein England
made Germany back down out of her
position at Agadir in connection with
the Moroccan dispute.
1t is hardly to be assumed that If
England backs up against Russia in
the Persian matter, Germany will
take the side of Russia but still the
whole situation is more or less en-
barrassing, and just what is to be the
outcome of 1t is difficult to foresee.