REMARKABLE GERMAN DEMAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12609, 25 June 1904, Page 5

REMARKABLE GERMAN DEMAND.

ASKS FOR LEASE OF CHINESE . LAKE. By Telegraph.—press Association.— t ; London, June 23. Tills Standard's ', correspondent 'at Tokio • reports that Germany is persistently urging the Chinese Government to grant it the lease of Tung-ting Lake, :in the: Yaagtsekiang Valley, . for . the , purpose of holding nival manoeuvres. » _ The demand is attracting considerable attention, and t doubts are expressed as to whether the reason given for the lease covers Germany's real motive. ,'>,:,...., , Germany's action in thiß matter At such a delica.te juncture id deeply regretted in Japan.

Tung-ting Late* is in the valley of the TanK-tse-kian'tt, or the Blue or Great River of China, and is about 800 miles from, its mouth. ' The river, after a. course of 3&w miles from the mountains of Tibet, falls into the Yellow River, i near Shanghai. It in navigable for 1000 miles from its mouth. If Germany Were to establish a naval station on this lake she would obtain a dominating influence in China such as no other nation except Russia has obtained, In 1902, after the troubles at Pekin, the Powers held possession- of Shanghai,. and it was arranged that the place Should be' evacuated. Germany, however,. put forward the condition, which Great Britain resolutely and successfully opposed, that rib privilege, political oreetiliohlxd, should be granted in future to any Power in the Yang-ts<> Valley. Great Britain would never allow a foreign power to obtain control of the' Yang-tse Valley, as that would be it menace to the trade of Burma. As the application tor a leas© is one that was certain to create & diplomatic hubbub there may be something in it more sinister than even appears on the surface.