Show A CHINESE TENSTROKE It is significant news which comes from China via France Tho Chinese rebels in certain of the provinces have been making i it exceedingly lively for foreigners in their J I neighborhood For months past they have I been driving and killing Christian men j i outraging Christian women and destroying I tho property of those good people who have j gone from Europe and America to save the i souls of the almondeyed disciples of CON I TUCIAS Stories of the awful butcheries have been coming with startling regularity j I and with each the suspicion is intensified that whilst tho imperial government j to outward appearances sets its i face against the doings of its 1 subjects it is not at heart displeased with I theso outrages and butcheries Matters I have come to such a pass that latterly the I j I great powers of Europe have been consulting I i consult-ing with each other as to the propriety of i joining forces in making and enforcing a j j demand upon the Emperor that he will give a money compensation for the damage already dono and will see to it that foreigners for-eigners are protected against his people in every part of the empire Newspaper readers have been expecting every morning morn-ing to read that France Germany Great I Britain and perhaps the United States had ordered war ships to China with in j structions to their commanders to unite in L i such a formidable demonstration as would I i fetch the Chinese authorities to their senses and cause them to put forth vigorous vigor-ous efforts for the suppression of lawlessness lawless-ness in the interior provinces But whilst waiting for this announcement announce-ment the news comes that England has I come to an understanding with China by which mutual aid shall be rendered in the event of certain contingencies Those contingencies are readily understood as being be-ing an attempt on tho part of Russia to go eastward The ambition of several generations gener-ations of Russian rulers has been to extend tho eastern boundary of the empire and that ambition has been gratified occasionally until Great Britain became alarmed for her Indian empire and a few years ago interfered to prevent further encroachments on tho part of Russia upon the potty states which were being absorbed Not daring to proceed in the direction of India latterly Russia has been increasing tho army on the Chinese frontier evidently with the view to an early readjustment of the boundary It isms is-ms easy to understand why China should seek an alliance with Great Britain and why the latter should not be averse to the combination It is a case of mutual protection protec-tion against tbe encroachments of a foe who becomes more dangerous to either the further ho proceeds beyond his present beunds In view of yesterdays cable news wo do not apprehend that the European powers will carry out their intention to make i threatening demonstration in Chinese waters These powers will not act without with-out Great Britain and the latter can do better by keeping China as her friend Meantime everybody will be reminded that it was long ago the boast of ILl HUN DHAXG the Chinese premier that the way for China to avoid trouble with the western west-ern powers was to keep on good terms with one of those powers when that government rnment would stand between China and her enemies the battles being those of diplomacy instead of bullets Tho wily old LI has been rightly styled the BISMARCK of China and never was his peculiar diplomacy diplo-macy employed to better advantage than informing In-forming an alliance with Great Britain at his critical time |