Evening star., 1914-08-17
Kiau-Chau Protectorate In
China Is on the Yel-
low Sea.
ISLANDS IN PACIFIC OF
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Seat of Government Is in Bismarck
Archipelago Other European Pos
sessions in Far East.


Chau. protectorate in northeastern
China. on the Yellow sea, and in the
Pacific, German New Guinea, composed
Of Kaiser wilhelm's Land. the Bis
marck archipelago. the Caroline Is
lands, the Palau Islands. the Marianne
Islands, the Marshall Islands and the
Samoan Islands Of Savaii and Popiu.
These Pacific islands have an esti-
mated area Of ss.1So square miles ana
a population of 357.s00.
Kiau-Chau has an estimated area OF
200 square miles. This is exclusive OF
the bay with an area of about 2oo
square miles and the neutral zone OF
about $500 square miles, having q
population of 100000. The estimated
population of Kiau-Chau is 16s,s00, OF
which the whites number 3.Ss6. almost
exclusively Germans and including the
garrison on peace footing.
Germany's Pacific possessions. the
first of which was acquired in 1884 and
the last in 1899, are administered oy an
imperial governor. Kaiser Wilhelm
Land. on which copra, sago and precious
woods abound, has popuia.ioan ,oa 0a
white men, virtually all Germans.
Seat Of Government.
In the Bismarck archipelago. composed
of eight principal islnads, Herbertshohe.
the seat of government Of the Pacific
possessions, Is located.
The Solomon Islands are owned In
part by Germany. smaller ones to the
east Of Bougainville having been trans
ferred to Great Britain in 1899.
The Caroline, Palau and Marianne.
the latter sometimes known as the
Ladronne Islands, all form part Of the
German New Guinea protectorate
for about s4.0Oo,OO0. The native popu-
lation is $1,000. with about 200 Ger
mans.
The Marshall Islands are two chains
ited, and have been German since 1868
In a population estimated at $4,000.
less than 200 are European. nearly all
German. The chief export is phos-
phate.
The Samoan Islands. belonging to
Germany are Savaii and Opolu. with
an area of 1000 square miles. They
are-paramount among Germany's Pa
cffic possessions for their strategic i'm
portance, and are fertile and well wa
tered.
Apia. the principal port. has regu-
lar steam communication with New
Zealand and Canada. wireless station
has been erected and others are under
Acquisition of Kiau-Chau.
,Germany's acquisition Of Kiau-chau
the evacuation Of which Japan ha.
demanded, followed closely upon tn,
acquisition of areas of interest and
spheres Of influence In China by for
eign powers. Until 1895 no foreigI
power. aside from the Portuguese ant
English, had been allowed to hold pos
session on or near the coast Of China
Japan acquired Formosa by treat,
In that year, Russia secured a con-
cesston for the Manchurian railwa!
and France obtained a rectification OF
the frontier of Tongking.
Germany's seizure of kiau-Chau, in
retaliation for the murder of German
November. 1897. and in March the port
with adjacent territory, was leased by
China to Germany for ninety-nine
years. The district was declared pro-
q. 1898. and its administration was
intrusted to the navy department.. with
q naval officer as governor.
In November. 1897. Russia obtained
a atwenty-five-year lease Of Port Arthur
and Talienwan. with 500 square miles
OF territory. and secured a naval base
and an ice-free port. In the folIowins
May further concessions gave Russia
virtual control Of Manchuria, and q
tended into Mongolia
Inc Russo-Japanese war. however, lin
TIED Russia's activities there and result
ed IN Japan's acquisition Of Port Arthur
IN order to preserve the balance of DOW
er, Great Britain. April 2. 1898, leaset
Wei-Hai-Wei on the same terms as thos,
in the Russian lease Of Port Arthur
In February. 1898. Great Britain hai
established Its influence, without claiming
exclusive privileges. in the Yangtze val
ley These concessions were followed b,
similar privileges for France, which, Apri
13 1898. leased the port of Kwangchau
wan. on the southern coast, for ninety
nine years.
June 8 following Great Britain LEASED
for ninety-nine years a 20O-square
mile extension Of territory on the main
land opposite Hongkong. and about tn,
same time Japan secured non-alienatioI
pledges concerning the province O.
Fukien.
Italy demanded a lease of Sanmun
bay, but did not press 1t because of popu
lar opposition as expressed at home t,
. policy Of expansion.
The Open Door.
All these territorial negotiations led vi
to the celebrated international "open
door, declaration. While England hat
long urged the policy Of equality Of op
portHnity for all nations in Chinese trade
the United States accomplished the frs
broad recognition Of that principle.
As a result OF negotiations by Johr
Hay, the American Secretary of State
Great Britain. Germany, France, Italy