The Thames Star. Resurrexi MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1903.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10498, 14 December 1903, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1903.

THE K3OMIN& CRISIS IN TliE,

HAST.

As -was 'expected; the eva'idmatioa of M'aneibuiria 'by the Bussdanß has proved to bo little than ai farce and it is evident that taking aidvaair taige .of the delays Russia, will fight before she relinquishes herl hold on the newly 'acquired! Extern possessions. We eotpirfessed this opinion months .ago whea Riuie&ia's: duplicity was plainly reveaJed, and that. wia.r h'a® beetn averted for so long, panticur larly as the Japanese aire reported! to be adopting a firm aadl wairlike attitude, i® undoubted testiomony to the diplomaioy ©xercised by the l'epresenbaitives of other 1 powers.,So fair as. the present position is concerned most people are by thk time aware thait the authorities who manage the foreign relations' of the Middle Kingdom haive little hope left of weakening tho hold of the Czair tijpoini the Manichuirian provinces, and -possibly.- haiv© had owr-mastering inducements fpi" resigning themselves to inevitable fate. The heigihit of their moSest amibition would be to "save the face" of their imperial mas.tei\ and to obtain somie ouitward isyinbols) of retrocession whtolii oouldba duly in deoreesi- But Japan, haa a keeni andl in> modi aba interest in the settlement. />1 the qiuestiion. In -common with all -die other Powers which Earvo commercial relations with. China., Japan, must attadh the very greatest imporfcance to f.bsioP.utje fraedjom. <Jf aiaaesis fjo the markets of the Northern as well as the other prtmnoes, and wicmld naturailly flonitead 1 that thiere 'will bo

no guarantee for thet security of th« oj>en door if one European nation per isiistsl iini anlaiinjbaininjgl a; iposjition of «lxeLuisi!vje| -Or ieKoeptiiomal authority within :tha territories But this consideration—substantial as it must be (pronounced!—is, after 1 •all, secondary' from the point of the main ambition . of the. Island Empire- Corea is the splhera wihidh the Mikado 1 .and hia 'counsellors haive miaa'ked out as the ■; peciuliai" field for the energies of their ©nitenprisiing 1 nation. Already tiheir aneroluvnte ihavtn established agencies wd settlements in many parts of the Hermit Kingdom. Their diplomatists are active at IS'eoul, and throughout the whole Regionl have already acr quired! an influienciei wiliidh; almost ■aimiooinbai -.to ascendancy. Even in tihe iniiilitary organisation, they have o looting iof oonjsidferable advantage. Whait the precise intentions- of the Russian Foreign Office may be imnnt be left to conjecture. Admiral Alexeieff, who ;haisi been oreaitedi a Fully commissioned representaivo of +h<3 Czsir in the Far East, may caniceiVably be instructed only to us© Corea as a iinaamis of bringing pressure to blear upon the Cabinet of Toikio in tihe matter of Manchuria. However this miay be, the Russian authorities hiart"e aoquiired, or d-aim to haive acquvred!, dgilits in the Go ream bordef which would fatally impede the acctomiplißhmen,t of Japanese aimsThere have beem reportsl, fairly well attested, of movements of troops and stores which could only ba explained on the assiuiuiiptioni that the contingency of hostilities) Was- in view. At Pott't Artliiur, and elsewhere in Manchuiiai, ekiborato preparation® on <» largje scale (have been uiidisguaise'dly mad^; ,'burt the pretext always given is a/pprehension of attack on the pairt of Japan- Ctonlvansery;, there is growing excitement among the Mikado® subjects, andi it' earn haiTdly be questioned that there ia activity in all the fighting depairtments. The isisue, short of wairliiike action, is not dlifficiuilt to ; foresee. Even if the soldiers off the ■ Cwn" are moved—in aooordanoe with ' the stipulations of the eotnvention- - fi Joim! tlhelr present ciantonmentsi and posts on strictly Chinese territory, they wall isimiply be transferred to t!he proximity of the gireat arterial linsv of railway, and, quartered there nominally for the protection of tho traffic, will be atv&ilable at tihe *ii,ortest notice for resuming effeative amd extended eon'tTOl of the Whole terxitory. "