Loxp Satissury, in defending the Concert of Europe against the charge that its action perly to be compared to a steamer-roller, was disastrously slow, said that it was pro-which would, of course, be beaten if it attempted to race with the poorest hansom cab. Now, as the Times says, the steam-roller has puffed and groaned and revolved ity Ay-whol with " provoking simulation of progress, but it not moved." In fact, it has broken down again. The Times of the 20th ult. says The most determined optimist must confess to a feeling of discouragement, if not of dismay, on learning that the Concert of Europe has once more broken down over the preliminaries of Cretan autonomy. Three weeks ago it seemed aa if the Powers had actuall agreed upon Colonel Schaeffor as a candidate for the post of Governor-General. It was known, of course, that the Saltan would object, 38 ho objects to everything, but it was also known that he would have to give way it'the Powers were unanimous. For a time it that they were unanimous in rejing Colonel Schaeffer as a man in every way suitable for the work of pacifying Grete wader European authority. No objec: tion was raised in any quarter, while from most came more oF less distinct expressions of positive approval and satisfaction. It is true that his candidature never took official form. No Power appeared desirous of actually proposing the candidate upon whom all were ostensibly agreed. But this amiable reluctance o take the ive has been so characteristic of the action of all the Powers in the Cretan business that no great importance was attached to a delay which, after all, could not be regarded as abnormal, Events have unhappily proved that this ex-
ifed... treme caution was in this case fully just This breakdown will, as a matter of course, be represented as victory for the Sultan, and will make him all the more difficult to deal with in other matters. It will go far to neutralise the good effects of the fosson read to the Turks at Mersing. The Saltan pertly, no doubt, because he seemed likely was strongly 0 to Colonel Schaeffer,
the hatred of the Turks in Egyyt,.by conduct sscseed, and partly because ho incurred which ought to recommend him to the Powers. The success, for so it will be regarded, of Turkish opposition to this candidate will stiffen opposition to the next. It may be that the Powers do not collectively pay much heed to the Sultan's objections, but it seems that there is always some Power willing to make capital out of humoaring the Salta at This cert of petty intrigue la ea all faure the expense of the common policy of Europe.
brought Cretan' autonomy tos. standstill by with the paltry jealousy which has agai rejecting a very passable candidate without producing another to take his place.
We have not heard that the opinion of the Concert of Europe has been taken on! In any case it is not: at present necessary to the question of the German occupation of Kiaochou, though, no doubt, Lord Salis-Offices of Burope and America were made bury's sppesls to the diferent. Fore with the view of getting some. concerted action taken. The Berlin: ce lent of the Times wrote on this subject on the The intelligence that the German cruiser division in East Asia has received orders to proceed to the coast of Shantung, in which Province German missionaries wore recent] murdered by the natives, and to demon immediate satafaction, continues to cal forth comments and suggestions in the o the Colonial. party. The Berliner Nachrichten nds that the great Bay of Kiaochou, on the south of the Shantung Promontory, would afford an excellent point @'appui for the German fleet in East Asian waters, and has, in fac, long been regarded by Car: man commercial circles in China as a worthy object of German ambition," The journal farther south and Russian further north, the just quoted asserts that as English interestalio German occupation of the Bay need not affect them, Besides, after all, Germany did not join France and Russia in settling the differences between China and Japan in order to strengthen French or Russian interests, but rather to promote her own. "These can only be secured by the occupation of a harbour suitable for the German mercantile marine and the navy in East Asis." Further delay will only serve to diminish German prestige in China, And if other Powers should object, it is the daty of Germany to remember that she lis too long paid consideration to the claims to ise her legitimate aspirations.
others and that it is high time for others The Post, which states that Kinochou is the immediate objective of the German cruiser flotilla, is not informed as to whether it is the intention of Germany to take posscasion of the bay, but has no doubt that in view of the recent insult to the German flagond to German officers at Wuchangfu, the Government "will press its claims against China in an emphatic manner and will also demand guarantees against a repetition of the outrages."
On the 16th ult. the Times treated the news editorially in a somewhat tentative manner, as the following extract shows By the steps it has taken to obtain redress for the recent murder of two German mission. aries the German Government has shown a Hnstesd of wasting time in making remonjust appreciation of the Chinese character. stronees at Peking, which would assuredly have been met as usual by the innumerable dilatory devices of Chinese diplomacy, the Gormazs have landed a force in Risochos Bay, in order to bring to bear the only kind of la: fluence that Chinamenseem sbloto understand. That bay is said to be the nearest place to the scene of the murders. Whether that be the case or not, it is a very convenient and ad. vantageous place for the German fest, and will no doubt servo as well as any other for the purposes in view. Kinochou Bay, which is situated some distance to the south of the
completely landlocked and entered by a Shantang peninsula, iso largo sheet of water comparatively narrow channel. Itmay, therefore, be readily imagined that it would form an admirable naval base for any Power maintaining fleet in Chinese waters. The German Press, aware of its merits from thia point of view, is already revelling in the thought of a permanent occupation. In this respect it probably outrans the ideas and intentions of the German Government, one thing to occupy a Chinese harbour in order to obtain redress for palpable tion of the place in perpetuity. Other nations but quite another thing to contemplate rotenmight find themselves compelled to transfer their sympathies from Germany to China-were occupation to continue after the actual dispute has been settled.. Russia in particular might be tempted to regard such occupation as an unfriendly act, since she is known to have recognised the strategic! advantages of Kis chou long before the German missionaries ame to violent end. Tt is probably coincidence - that. these unofficial promy to seizure of the harbour appear im after the interference of Russia with the ap. lication of fands which it was hoped that akey would spend in German dockyards.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.