The Anglo-Russian Agreement.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9825, 26 July 1900, Page 5

The Anglo-Russian Agreement.

That Britain and Russia would act together in the settlement of the Chinese question was predicted six weeks ago. The special correspondent of the Daily Mail in Copenhagen reported early in June that a very important person, who is in close touch with the Russian clique, had iuformed him that Russian diplomatists were working for the preservation of a good understanding between England and Russia.

In support of this view he referred to Russia's attitude iv regard to the South African war, and in other parts of the world, too, Russia had done nothing in the direction of taking advantage of the chance that offered.

"No," he, went on, " the two Powers will continue in their work of peace, and, in my opinion, they will march on arm-in-arm during the forthcoming developments of the Chinese question. I mean by this that they will protect their European subjects and regulate the lingering dissolution of China.

"The immediate duty of this diplomacy will be to stave off a catastrophe in China in the way I have described. China must not be allowed to become the 100-years' menace to the peace of the world that Turkey has been to the peace of Europe.

" But now, as I have said, we may safely say that the Chinese question will not disturb the peace of the world policy, at least as lar as our imagination can foresee, for the two Great Powers are agr.ed.

" As a result of this the world will not find itself threafened by even the suspicion of a catastrophe, and though Japan may perhaps prove restless, yet that A-iatic Power will probably come to see that the leading nations of the world arc determined on tho preservation of peace."