The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1897. EUROPEAN DESIGNS IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 300, 28 December 1897, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1897. EUROPEAN DESIGNS IN CHINA.

For tho cause that laois assistance, For Eho "WTOII3 that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And tho good that yn can do.

The attitude which according1 to a statement of the Hong- Kong 'Daily Press' published in our cables tonight three of the chief European Powers have taken up with regard to China signalises the opening of a1 new chapter in the new Eastern Question. The first chapter had its climax in the wonderful and unexpected triumph of the Japanese over their neighbour, and at the time it looked ver}r much as if the history of the Chinese Empire for many years to come would be written in Japanese characters. At the outset Europe was almost as much dazzled by the victories of the plucky modernism of the Mikado's .subjects as these were themselves, and the 1 conquest of China by the islanders seemed a not impossible confmg-ency. And. although the leaders of the Japs, no doubt- understood the difficulties which stood in the way of such a small country swallowing' up the. hng-e empire in wholesale fashion, it is not less likely that they dreamt of such a Gargantuan act of deglutition as not entirely outside their capacity in the future. At all events they had some grounds for supposing that their victories had secured them a sort of prior right to dictate to China, if there was to be any dictation, and to have a fist in the Chinese pie where other Powers could only have a finger. But the ambition and power of Europe was to much for the rising Eastern state. If Japan had only won the victory of Wei-hai-wei 50 years ago,then she might have hoped to .see herself the arbiter of the destinies of that part of the world, and the history of the planet might have been changed. She came too late upon the scene, at a time when the appetite of the Western nations was whetted for territorial aggrandisement, and the rivalry of commerce was driving the traders to force their way into new markets at the point of the bayonet. . . .

It was foolish to have believed it possible that Japan would be permitted to have a-free hand in the far East. The proximity of Bussia to China, and the well-known ambition of the Northern Power, made such a thing- most unlikely, even if the other nations of the West were content to see the Chinese Empire disposed of in that fashion. Japan herself may not have realised this for a long- time, but scarcely had she reached the zenith of her success than the matter was made painfully plain to her. When she might have played the role of conqueror in a manner pardonable in a country half drunk with success, the menacing finger of Russia put limits to her triumph. . Then poor Japan realised probably the real position. She had opened the gates of China, but not for herself only to enter in; she had in a sense cooked the dinner, but she was not to be permitted to sit down and discuss it alone. There is no need to recapitulate the recent policy of Eussia in the, far East. Ever since the defeat of the Chinese, the Russians have been in a hundred ways impressing their influence, on the Chinese, and have succeeded so well that" the Chinese Government is now said to regard Eussia as their only friend. Eussian counsels prevail at headquarters, Russian money is constructing railroads and paying off the country's war loan to Japan, Eussian officers are drilling the Chinese soldier, and Russian engineers reconstructing the effete fortifications. Eussian influence is everywhere paramount.

But Europe is not a whit more likely to suffer the supremacy of Eussia to pass unquestioned than the Northern Power was to let Japan have her way. Germany, by a skilful little manoeuvre has gained a footing on Chinese soil, and the Kaiser's brother has gone with a second fleet to Chinese waters to 'boom' Germany there. France has her eye in the same direction, and is sending1 ships. Austria even scents the prey afar off, and demands to be considered in the division of spoil. Lastly, Great Britain, who has certain rights of conquest in those latitudes, views with no little apprehension the weakness and supineness of China, and intimates that if concessions are made she must be a party to the transactions. It is

therefore plain that the whole situation is entirely changed from what it was a year ago. Japan has slipped into the background in spite of herself, and has become a secondary factor in the Chinese puzzle. All-control-ling Europe has once more asserted its indomitable energy and ambition, and practically says that it will shape Chinese history as it has done African. Events in the last few years have proved the absolute futility of vaticination in matters of this kind, but everything- points to China becoming very soon as great a battle ground for the energies and rivalries of Europe as Africa has ever been; and if it is so, the danger is that the struggle for predominant influence will be one infinitely more fierce than "it has been in the Dark Continent.