Tue New York Journal of Commerce of the 29th of December last has an article with the above title, in which this important subject is treated at considerable length by a writer who shows a clear appreciation of the situation, As long as England held the first position in China politically as well as commercially, the other nations knew where they were, to use an effective if popular expression; but if Lord Salisbury carries out his apparent intention of gracefully withdrawing from that eminence in favour of Russia backed by the money-bags that hold the savings of the French people, every. other nation is forced to reconsider its own position. Appreciating this, the Journal of Commerce begins its article by saying: "The question of what should be done by the United States to safeguard at the present crisis its commercial interests in China seems likely to engage more and more attention as the gravity of the situation in the Far East increases. The first sentiment among New York business -men was one of indifference. Starting with the conviction that this country cannot possibly become a partner in the territorial partition of the Middle Kingdom, the conclusion seemed to follow that it was a matter of comparative indifference to us how European nations should apportion among each other
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.