Mr. Batrour, who is in charge of Foreign Affairs during Lord Salisbury's absence, is to make a statement of the Government's Chinese policy before Easter; that is the Cabinet want a week to make-up their minds whether En, laud is going to do anything, and what she is going to do. This shows how unnecessarily we have excited ourselves here. Members of the Cabinet have stated distinctly that we would fight to preserve China as an open market, and would not sanction the partition of the country. To us it seems, and the mistake if it is one is excusable,* that the seizure of Port Axthur by Russia and the complete Russian control of Manchuria which goes with it, is an interference with freedom of trade in North China, whatever promises Russia may make to give herself time to consolidate her position but the Government at home see nothing pressing in the situation, No wonder that we hear from Peking that the British Minister is gloomy and downcast owing to want of support from our Foraign Office, and feels hist: thankless one; but at least all English men in the Far East appreciate his efforts to maintain our prestige. We trust that the arrival of the new U.S.
Minister will not be long delayed, and that he will come with instructions to act in unison with Sir Claude Macdonald, our interests in China and those of the United States being the same.
As we have already remarked, Russia's hand was forced by the British suggestion of Talienwan as a treaty port, and she has had to go faster than she intended, but her designs are really much more extensive than is generally realised here. In the first place she wants Talienwan at once, in order to begin there the construction of her railway to Petuné, vid Kirin, Talienwan is a convenient spot to land materials, which will be carried northward by the line as it is built. The building of the line mean the ruin of the treaty port of Newchwang, unless it also can get a railway, but it seems that Newchwang must lose the enormous trade of the great district that the Russian railway will serve. As showing how anxious Russia really is for freedom of trade and equality of opportunities for all, we may note her demand that China shall dismiss all her English and American engineers in the North and put Russians in their places.
Russia is now trying to get HE. Sheng to accept Russian financial aid for the building of the Peking-Hankow line, the Belgian stalking-horse having served its turn and being now thrown aside. Russia will, of course, have a zo on the line, and in due time foreclose the mortgage, take the line, and thus secure her own approach by land to the Yangtze Valley. She has already got a concession for a branch line into Shensi. The Russian Chargs @Afaires at Peking says openly that Russia must have northeast China to repay her for the enormous sums she has sunk on the Amur. Why china should pay for these losses is not very clear. But ith Russian railways in Manchuria, later on a Russian line to Peking, and thence to Hankow, the whole of North China will be Rassian, Already Russian officers in full uniform are constantly seen on the trains, bearing themselves everywhere as if they were the real talers of China.
If it were possible to get our Government to look ahead, as Russia does, we would ask it to ponder this programme.
Russia carries it out, as it is supposed she intends to do, how is England going to protect the Yangtze Valley, with a quarter of a million or so of Rnasians slowly rolling southward? We comfort ourselves with the conviction that if the worst comes to the worst, and we find it impossible to stop the partition of China, we shall compensate ourselves with the Yangtze Valley; but has our Government thought how the Yangtz9 Valley is to be defended with all North China in the hands of Russia and Germany, and Russia with a wedge driven right down to Hankow? Unless we are prepared to create a large Chinese army with English officers, the retention of the Yangtze Valley would be a grave difficulty. Our policy is to firmly insist, in concert with Japan and with the wforal support of the United States, on the maintenance of the independence and integrity of China, There are surely some Chinese statesmen to be found who will not join in selling their country to Russia, And, as we have already said, Russia is net prepared to fight, and will yield to firmness, Reviews,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.