134
RUSSIAN DESIGNS UPON CHINA AND BRITISH PROTECTION.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
desire to force on a war if she can help it, though she may be prepared to face one if in the pursuance of her designs she finds it (Daily Press, 6th August.)
inevitable. She will not easily be turned Papers received by yesterday's mail in-aside from those designs, but she will prefer dicate what has led up to Lord SALISBURY'S to attain them by diplomacy. Her present recent declaration that Great Britain was
policy, we imagine, will be to continue the prepared to support China against any
use of threats and cajolry upon the Peking Power committing an act of aggression Government with the view of foment- in consequence of China's having availed
ing difficulties and herself of British assistance in the con-
wearying Great Britain into ન્ર formal and recognition
effective of spheres which would mean virtually the partition of of influence, China. Great Britain, wisely or unwisely, has expressly declared against such partition and assumed the responsibility of maintain- ing the integrity of China. The policy may be a good one, but only if it is pursued with a full recognition of all that it involves. If Great Britain is to maintain the in- tegrity of China she must be prepared to apply coercion where necessary and assume service of the Empire. some measure of control over the public
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RAILWAYS AND ANGLO-RUSSIAN
RELATIONS IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, 10th August.) The English press, Reuter informs us, regard the Anglo-Russian relations in China as critical and apprehend complications. The stock market also is reported weak, Nevertheless we think there is but little cause for uneasiness, and that the complica- tions will be resolved without resort to arms. Russia is not yet prepared for a great naval war. She will prefer to preserve her fleet and trust to time and the course of events to enable her to reach her goal. The crisis is, however, one of some importance, and the acquisition of a naval base by Russia in the Red Sea shows that she is preparing to make herself unpleasant when opportunity offers. It is much to be regretted that Great Britain and Russia cannot agree as to their respective policies and each pursue its own course without getting in the way of the other. There is room enough for both without incurring risk of collision, but un- fortunately Russia does not seem to think while on the other hand we have in Great Britain a powerful jingo party who would like to fight Russia out of sheer racial antipathy and who lose no opportunity of seeking to aunoy her. The present crisis arises out of the question of railway construction. As Lord SALISBURY remark- ed the other day, two countries cannot construct the same railway, and where there cannot be peaceful competition the defeated party in the contest is not unlikely to prove sore and resentful.
[August 13, 1898. lation is substantially accurate, though the phraseology may be shaky owing to the translation having been made from Chinese into French and from French into English, the original French text not having been available. Taking the translation as it stands it does not appear on the face of it that the line is intended to be under the direct control of the Russian Governinent, any more than the Newchwang Railway will be under the control of the financed by the Hongkong and Shanghai British Government on account of its being Bank; but there is no doubt more behind the contract than appears on the surface.
is really critical. Russia and Great Britain We do not, however, think the situation
supremacy in the Far East for mere senti- are not going to embark upon a struggle for
ing shut out of participation in certain con- ment or because one party may object to be-
cessions.
It will not be impossible to find a modus vivendi in reference to any such com- plication, though there may be some little difficulty in reconciling diverse interests. Of course we cannot allow Russia to iguore our claims and interests, but if we showed that we were not unwilling to recognise her mission in Eastern Asia and had no intention of checking its legitimate development it is possible that some trouble in the future might be avoided. At the same time we think the Court at St. Peters- some plain burg should be treated to speaking. Diplomatists like M. Muravieff would be all the better for a plain intima- tion that it will in the long run pay better
to treat Great Britain with courteous frank- ness than to attempt to jockey her. The complication is really due to the Muscovite's inability to realise that straightforward dealing is more consonant with the honour and prestige of a great nation thau mendacious and elusive statements made with the deliberate purpose to deceive. But allowance must, we suppose, be made for a nation which still lags far behind in the path of progress, and whose statesmen adhere to micthods in vogue at the com- mencement of the century, but strangely out of place at its close.
struction of railways or other public works. That Russia had protested against the financing of the Newchwang Railway by the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank we already knew, but according to Renter's Peking agent the protest was accompanied by a very definite threat. Telegraphing on the 7th July the authority in question states:-"M. Pavloff, the Russian Chargé "d'Affaires, has informed the Tsungli "Yameu that if the Northern Extension Railway is persisted with the Russian Governinent may be obliged to seize the province of Ili or Kuldja as compensa- "tion." Thereupon The Times came out with a very timely and trenchant article, in which, after referring to the importance of Newchwang and of the proposed line, it said: The Hongkong and Shanghai "Bank has provided a
sum of sixteen "million taels for the construction of the railway, so that the conditions of active Foreign Office assistance to British enter- prise as laid down by Lord SALISBURY "have been completely fulfilled. British capitalists have found the money and have negotiated the concession for a line of very great importance to a large British "and American trade. They are now con- "fronted with the action of the Russian "Government, which rudely throws its "sword into the scale, and threatens the "seizure of a province unless the Chinese "Government annuls the contract." The cynicism of the Russian Government is then commented on and our contemporary pro- ceeds--"But the real question for us is, What will the Foreign Office do to prevent the closing of an open door, and to prove the sincerity and value of its promises to give effective assistance to "British capitalists who actually find the money for definite enterprises?" There we may suppose the Foreigu Office made enquiries as to what was really passing, or it may even be that
(Daily Press, 11th August.) it had the information in advance of
With Russian aggression in the North and Reuter, but so far as the public is con-
French activity in the South, directed, as cerned the announcement comes through
undoubtedly both efforts are, to stretching the latter. Perhaps the telegram that came
across Ceutral China and thus dividing later on in the month, to the effect that
what every Englishman must regard as "St Petersburg advices notify a rebellion in
territory of vital importance to us, we look "the Chinese province of Kansu close to Logic and abstract propositions of equity with interest not unmixed with anxiety "the Russian frontier," may have had some do not count for very much in diplomacy and on the efforts of Lord SALISBURY to bolster connection with this matter. The reported international rivalries, but if Great Britain up China by the reorganization of its army rebellion appears to have been purely my claims the right to construct or finance and navy under the auspices of British thical, and it is difficult to avoid a suspicion railways in Manchuria, a dependency of officers. If complete control be given, such that the report may have been sent out as China which Russin aspires to have marked a force can be raised and disciplined as a sort of ballon d'essai to give Russia an al- out as her special sphere of influence, we would offer a serious resistance to the ternative reason or excuse for aggressive de- can hardly be surprised if Russia on her part Powers bent on encroachment on China's signs when she found it was unsafe to proceed seeks to make her influence felt in railway frontiers. There are those, whose opinion with them in prosecution of an open threat construction in other parts of the Empire, cannot be lightly disregarded, who main- against the employment of British enterprise where her presence may not be agreeable tain that such control, although it may in the development of China's resources. to Great Britain. The Lu-Han Railway be granted nominally, will never be so As between China and Russia the matter is, it appears, to be financed by the effectively; but putting that aside for the would, on that footing, remain as broad Russo-Chinese Bank, which virtually means moment, and supposing that everything is as it was loug, but it would be con that it is to be constructed with Russian as the Premier wishes, the real question venient for Russia to be able to say money or with money placed at Russia's which presents itself is, Will those British to Great Britain that the reason of her disposal by France. This naturally is officers be allowed to remain and lead their threat had been misunderstood. However not agreeable to British feeling, and the troops or command their war vessels in the that may be, Lord SALISBURY has risen to Shanghai brauch of the China Associn- event of China finding herself at war with the occasion and has uttered an unmistakabletion is said to have taken action in the any of her Western neighbours? Unless warning of “hands off." In view of that matter. A translation of the contract refer the Government have resolved on warning Russia, we may take it for granted, ring to the line in question has been pub-affirmative answer to this question, should will not attempt to carry her threat into lished by our Shanghai contemporary the the necessity arise, the reorganization of execution for the time being, for she has no 'China Gazette, which claims that the trans- China's army and fleet will be another
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