Powers Demand Indemnities as China Faces Partition
THE world-powers are trying to avoid the partitioning of China, by requiring indemnity for each of themselves; when everybody knows that China could not possibly pay the indemnities that will be demanded, and that each Power will hold territory as security for this indemnity. Italy, which had about the smallest interest or army involved, demands seven and a half millions of dollars; and the pope enters a claim for twelve millions for “losses of the church.” What, then, are likely to be the claims of Russia, Germany, Britain, and the United States? And thus, as a leading journal remarks, “Indemnity is easily made tantamount to annexation.” Later: The London Daily Mail says that Russia has placed her claim at five hundred millions of dollars. THE NEW YORK Times calls attention to the indication that some of the Powers that have definite and separate objects and interests in China, “are evidently trying to use, not only their own respective forces, but those of the Powers which have no separate objects or interests, to obtain their respective ends;” and says that the United States is one of the Powers whose forces they are trying to “use.” Who could reasonably expect anything else?