THE FAR EAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 13

THE FAR EAST.

London, May 31. The military officer at Kiao-chau reports that the German fleet in Chinese waters is paralysed owing to Russia asd Britain havicg purchased the entire coal supply for the East.

Reports from Canton state that th« chief of the Black Flags is arranging with "tha chief of the Liken (or inland taxation office) to resist the opening of the ports of Kwantuug and Kwan-gsi to foreign trade.

Hongkong, Jane 1.

Bince the British entered into the temporary possession of Wei-hai-wei surveys of the harbour and fortifications show a greater expanse of deep wattr in the harbour, bat the fortification's are weaker than was expected. Tokio, May 31. The Japanese Diefr, by a majority of 60, rejected the motion condemning the Government's Chinese policy. >

Speaking on April 13, at York, Lord Ch&rieft Befetf ord expressed his rugreb that the Government did not take Wei-bai-wei before they did. The Rugfiians had gone into Manchuria, bad a nftval base there, and in 10 years' time would have a railway from Russian dominion -into the North of Chins. The Russians would certainly drill the Manchurians in the northern part of China. The Manchurians were far and away the finest fighting race in China. IE the British Goverament were goiDg .to protect the trade aud cemmerce in the Yang-tse Valley the people must know that it would eventually, be * military operation. If we did nothing until events occurred we were certain to run into » most shocking war in 10 or 15 years' time, and, more th*n that, were certain to lose the _whole of the Chin* tr*de. , He was very -nervous about the Weft Coast of Africa, and, referring to the Cabsn crisis, Lord Charles Beresford pointed oufc that neither Spain nor America was 1 under the Declaration cf Parif, and both would have the right of searching mercantile shipping - tinder a neutral flag. That -would ba a very serious state of affairs for this country.