Tae Reuter's telegram that we publish this morning tells us that the home papers generally applaud the outspoken statement of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. In this the Press of China is with them; the policy at last adopted by our Government is that which we have constantly urged during the past two years; that we do not want to annex any portion of China ourselves, and do not want to see her partitioned; but we will have the door of China kept open to the commerce of the world, and we will, even if necessary at the cost of prevent that dyer being shat against us. It would have been better for all if that statement had been made two years ago. What was wanted were the words that have now been spokes "even if necessary at the cost of wat for Russia is only "bluffing and a Continental statesmen believe us to be a nation of shopkeepers, they believe that when our trade is threatened we will fight; though we will put up with any amount of insolence as long as our commerce is not in peril, As Germany has determined, as we have already announced, to make Kiaochou open port to the trade of the world, as open as Shanghai, there will be no trouble there. Now, for Sir Claude Macdonald to see that Russia gets no privileges in the North, nor France iv the South, that are not as freely extended to all other commercial Powers.
The Germans in China are as avxions for this freedom as we are, and in this we are equally sure of the support of the United States and Japan, hile Austria, Italy, and Spain are certainly. on our side, So is, uatunuly, the genins of France, but for ihe moment she is misled ' by her 11g' Liaison with Russia, to-whose care she hins blindly confided her purse and her policy; just as we sometime see a heautifal and clever woman give herself up in a fit of infatuation to some; big man, who in everything but main strength is far her What is: there in the conditions that England asks of China in return for a loan on; terms that no other lender can afford! to,, offer, to ich France and Russia! can object with any show of reason? If Ruissia has, as she professes, no desire to annex Port Arthur, but merely wishes to use it, "s she does Nagasaki, as a winter station for her ships, why dogs she object to the opening of alien Bay? If alien Bay is a treaty port, there is the more reason why the Manchurian railway should be extended to it, If Nanning is made open port, will'not the French have the~ same facilities of trade as every other Power, and will not their railway from Tongking be benefited Russia does not want China partitioned, and what Russia does not want France does not want, so why should they object to the stipulation against the alienation of the Yangtze Valley? What is there objectionable our being allowed to carry a railway from Burma ito Yunnan, when we have not objected to Russia carrying her trans-Siberian railway into Manchuri or France carrying her Tongking ra way into Kuangsi Surely this jealousy is quite unworthy of France, at any rate.
The clouds seem to be lifting, but they will gather again, and the last state of China will be worse than the first, if she does not make a better use of the time that is now being given her, Only. in the honest application of well~ considered reforms lies her hope of averting ultimate partition.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.