The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1897. THE PARTITION OF CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 302, 30 December 1897, Page 4

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

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1897. THE PARTITION OF CHINA.

For tke causa that lasts ass__-_u_e_, For the "wron-j that needs naast&nce, For the future in tho distance, And the good that -we can do.

Our cables to-night indicate a quickening of the world's attention in the series of events that are trans-

piring- in China. The aggressive activity of Russia and Germany in that part of the world is exciting the suspicions of the rest of Europe and of. the United States; and the rapidity with which these two Powers have followed up one step by another, us if 'they were developing some previously arranged plan of concerted action, gives good ground for entertaining grave doubts as to their ultimate intentions. To what lengths the ambition of Russia may urge her, and the friendliness or helplessness of China invite, it would be ' difficult to say, but the probabilities are that she meditates no insignificant coup when the time is quite ripe.

Germany, if forced to withdraw from Kiaoehau, will certainly secure a naval station elsewhere; but that is not likely to satisfy the Kaiser, who it has been rumoured has designs on the Island of Formosa. China would doubtless be very pleased to see that island, which 'was wrested from her by the Japs, pass into the hands of the outer barbarians, since it is never likely to be hers again. For the Chinese hatred of their little neighbours is much more intense than their aversion to the European, little as they love the latter, and this hatred the Germans will be able to turn to good account in advancing- their own interests in China.

The 'westernising' of China which must inevitably follow the invasion of the European will have stupendous effects on the industrial conditions of the world generally. In the November number of the 'Fortnightly Review' there is an article by Mr J. B. Kershaw dealing with this interesting question. According to this writer the competition of the East is already beginning to make itself felt.'The nations of the East are commencing to manufacture articles, and commodities for which they have hitherto been wholly dependent upon the nations of the West. Russia, India, China, and Japan are now aspiring to become manufacturing countries, and though, excepting in the case of Japan,we may expect the development of manufactures to be slow, still this double pressure of competition from the East and West must increase our future difficulties.' In support of his views he quotes some very significant figures. For instance, he tells us that 'in- 1876 England supplied 82 per cent, of the total cotton yarn ' imported into Hongkong, China., and Japan. In IS9-1 the percentage had fallen to 14*$, the produce of the Indian and Japanese cotton mills having entirely displaced the Lancashire cotton Though up to the present date the injury to trade with the East has been confined, as regards our own

country, to the cotton and jute manufacturing industries, there cannot be the slightest doubt that it will extend to others.' The figiires that would seem to indicate an increase, of British exports are, according to Mr Kershaw, very misleading. They are really due to an increased demand for manufacturing machinery, and although for the present such exports may give an advantage to the engineering- trade, they must in the end detrimentally affect British exports of the manufactured article. It would look as if the efforts of Europe to create a taste for European articles in the East was to be fraught with dire results to the West, for with the consumptive taste there is also developed the productive ability to cater for it, and the races we looked on as profitable customers for our manufactures become our competitors.