Show DESIGNS UPON CHINA I B F Pierce of Huntsville inquires What are the desigsof the different European powers on Chin I I I is a rather difficult question to answer an-swer inasmuch as each of the poWers in question is trying to keep its intentions inten-tions secret from the others I one may judge from actions and hungry looks they all want the entire realm But a each realizes that the others have longings in the same direction and power to make it uncomfortable for any one inclined to monopolize the find the necessity for a mutual understanding under-standing and a friendly partition becomes be-comes apparent i a equitable and satisfactory di vision of China could be effected by some disinterested power or party no I time would be lost in a general appropriation appro-priation of the fragments of the an cent empire The powers most interested in the caving project are England Russia France and Germany Recent events have developed interests which the United States may feel called upon to guard and Japan is not willing to let the case go by default But the four powers frst named are gaining a foothold here erecting a fortification for-tification there establishing a garrison in another place and war vessels flying their respective fags are uneasily pa trolng the China coast The minute one suspects the other of getting a larger slice of territory than she has trouble may follow I it does England Eng-land cannot afford to be confident or insistent She ha not the friendship of a single one of the other power though she may have that of Japan which is a seondrate nation no longer and the best wishes qf the United ed States whatever moral encouragement encourage-ment that may be But there Is very I little likelihood of this republic being drawn into a war over the Chinese carcass car-cass British diplomats have been making friends with Germany which power continues to view England with jealous eyes and to her undoubted naval nava strength can oppose the strongest army in the world Russia is chafing under Englands eternal vigilance her guard of southern Asia and her influence at the gate of the Black sea Franc is the traditonary foe of England and while the establishment of a liberal government in France theoretically the-oretically approximates it to that of England the race differences still find sour expression and the questions of right in Canada arising from those difrences work against amity Nor is it possible to find the least I harmon between Russia and Germany Ger-many they stand in awe of each others oth-ers main strength which is prodigious in both Then Germany and France are mortal mor-tal enemies after yentysix years of outward endurance France has never forgiven her enighbor for a certain humiliation hu-miliation the loss of her provinces and the levy of enormous tribute and Germany Ger-many is watchful let a retaliation should be undertaken Of all these countries only two are on terms of outward amity France and Russia And in this diyision of China their claims fortunately for this amity He many degrees apart I The union of these two forces against either one of the other would be almost I invincible and the union of any two against another would result in one of I the most deplorable and destructive wars of the century I Therefore while the Pbwers have designs upon China they are totally unable to agree to a partton and so I keep the plans and specifications a closelyguaded secret I |