Rising Tensions Over Manchuria
Definite news concerning the real situation in China is difficult if not impossible to obtain. There has been a wild whirl of speculation in the air during the week, rumors of preparation for war, of marching troops, of diplomatic intrigues, of secret conventions signed or unsigned; and among all the chaff the kernel of truth has been hard to discover. This much is known; the powers are not a unit in regard to settling with China, and the nations are jealous, and their anger is increasing, with a strong possibility of war. In all the moves of Russia there is no other indication but that she is determined to hold Manchuria, while Japan seems willing to risk a war to keep her out of that territory. The latest rumors are to the effect that Russia is about to break off diplomatic relations with China because of China’s refusal to sign the agreement concerning Manchuria. China, by invading Russian territory last year, made a move which Russia can use to her own advantage. She can now declare war against China, and obtain as the spoils of war what China, by the advice of the other powers, has refused to give her. In case Russia makes this move, Japan is to be reckoned with. According to a report from Yokohama, Japan has ordered Japanese shipping companies to hold their vessels in readiness for transport service, and cruisers on the reserve list have been put in commission. Japan feels that she will never have a more favorable opportunity than now of attacking Russia, while the great Siberian railroad is still uncompleted. The situation is certainly not promising for the peace of the world. The capital of the great steel trust recently formed now stands at $1,404,000,000, and is rapidly absorbing other great steel interests. At its present rate of growth and absorption of other interests, this mammoth organization will soon be in absolute control of the steel industry of this continent, and in partial control of many other industries connected with the production of steel. The Pennsylvania Steel Company, for the purpose of opposing the great steel trust, has purchased the entire stock of the Spanish-American Iron Company, of Cuba; but according to the unerring course of trust tactics, this is only another step toward the absorption of the whole by the larger corporation. It may not be, and probably is not, the design of the Pennsylvania Company that this should be so; but it will eventually be forced into the greater combination for the protection of its own interests. There has also, during the week, been another great combination, by which the copper and silver interests of the country come under one management, whose directors are the directors of the Standard Oil Company. A recent report at the State Department at Washington tells a dreadful story of the wholesale suicide of women in China. When a Chinese matron is abused by a white man, she notifies her own family and that of her husband that on a certain date she will take her own life. No remonstrance is made, and invariably the woman carries out her plan. If she did not commit suicide, she would be ostracized by her people and be compelled to change her mode of life completely. The fate of an unmarried woman is the same, only that instead of her committing suicide, her relatives are permitted to put her to death. So extensive have been the crimes of white soldiers that in many villages and small towns the women have practically disappeared. What a terrible record so-called civilization is leaving of its doings in the land of the heathen. The liquor-paid press of the country is attempting in every possible way to make it appear that by the removal of canteens from the army, the number of saloons is increased, the temptations to the soldiers to drink bad whisky increased, intemperance in the army increased, and the cause of temperance sadly hindered. In order to make this appear, false reports have been circulated concerning rioting and drunkenness in places where the canteens have been abolished. The New Voice, in its issue of March 28, takes up the challenge of the liquor organs, and shows in a forceful way the falsity and true animus of these charges. A concerted effort is to be made by the liquor element to disparage the anti-canteen law for the purpose of securing its repeal. Large English firms which have been unsuccessful in competition with similar American firms have formed a combination, or trust, for the purpose of holding their own against the American corporations. Austrian manufacturers have held a representative meeting at Vienna to discuss the question of American competition, and arrange the commercial relations of the two countries on a reciprocity and equality basis. The spirit of combination against the rapid advancement of American influence and competition is permeating both Great Britain and Europe. A crisis seems to be approaching in European industries. A great many and very serious strikes have occurred in France since the close of the great exposition. The strike at Calais caused considerable loss of life, and the loss of a vast amount of money to local industry and to the laborers themselves. The strike at Marseilles, which is nearly ended now, cost the city in the neighborhood of $8,000,000 a week. The coal miners of the great Northumberland district, England, have had to submit to a reduction in their wages amounting to 21 per cent., and one of England’s great iron companies has reduced the pay of its employees 13 per cent., while the number of the unemployed is increasing. The largest vessel ever built was launched at Belfast, Ireland, on April 4. The name of this great vessel is the Celtic. She has a displacement of 33,000 tons. She has nine decks, and capacity for 2859 passengers besides her crew of 335 men. Her tonnage is 3,600 greater than that of the Oceanic, and 12,500 greater than that of the Wilhelm der Grosse. Aguinaldo has taken the oath of fealty to the United States; but what disposition the government will make of him has not yet been determined, and it is declared that there is considerable embarrassment in official circles over the matter. Reports from the islands indicate that the natives are surrendering in considerable numbers. A report from New York City states that the sum annually paid by gamblers and the promoters of other kinds of vice for protection from police raids in that city is $3,600,000; and this vast sum of money goes into the hands of men who are paid by the city for the very purpose of protecting its inhabitants against law-breaking and every kind of vice. The anxiety in Russia over the domestic troubles of the past few weeks has not abated. The great numbers of idle men who have joined the discontented students, is giving the government much uneasiness, as it is known that the army, upon which Russia puts her chief dependence, is honey-combed with nihilism. In the village of Grosswarde, Hungary, while a sect known as the Nazarines were gathered for worship in their church, a mob locked the doors and set fire to the building. A frightful scene ensued. Ten of the Nazarines were burned to death, and 45 more or less seriously burned. The last census of Mexico shows such great numbers of persons in rural districts who are living together without regard to marriage laws that the government is planning to take steps to remedy the evil and bring about better moral conditions in these districts. One of the attractions of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo is to be a series of bull fights, “with the cruelty and blood-letting left out.” The imagination is supposed to furnish what the anti-cruelty laws of the State will not permit in the performance. On account of the anti-Jesuit riots in Spain and the fear that others will follow if religious processions are allowed during “holy week,” the officials of Madrid have prohibited such processions, and other Spanish cities are expected to do likewise. During the month of March the British army in South Africa lost 112 men killed and had 296 wounded, tho the press reports did not indicate that engagements of any particular importance occurred during that time. An examination of the accounts of the Russian Imperial Controller-General shows what are believed to be systematic defalcations for a period of five years, ending in 1898. The sums not accounted for amount to $33,000,000. A typographical union of New York has maintained a boycott against the New York Sun during the last two years. This did not seem to prevent the Sun’s daily appearance, and the boycott has been declared off. Famine and typhus are reported to be raging throughout the governments of Kherson and Bessarabia and portions of the government of Kief and Taurida. The mortality is 30 per cent. of the entire population. It is reported that the difficulty between Russia and England over the dismissal of an English official from the financial service of Korea has been adjusted, and that the Englishman keeps his place. Private advices received from Colombia state that the revolution is far from ended, and that the rebels are steadily gaining strength. Fighting is reported to be going on all over the country. According to a Washington despatch, the President has appointed P. C. Knox to the post of Attorney-General, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Attorney-General Griggs. An attempt was recently made to get a bill thru the Massachusetts Legislature permitting the playing of golf on Sunday. The attempt was a failure, and the Massachusetts “blue law” holds. The first trial under the new Kansas law, which was passed during the Nation anti-saloon excitement, resulted in “no verdict,” the jury failing to agree. The sultan of Turkey has sent 3,000 troops to Tripoli because of what he regards as Italy’s threatening attitude.