U N IV E R S IT Y O F O R E G O N M O N T H L Y
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■ macy. Russia has, by this time, occupied all Manchuria, whether
I her purpose be the military one of armed conquest, or the more
■ peaceful object of developing a world commerce on the Pacific after
I the completion of the Trans-Siberian railway. This great railway,
■which will enormously strengthen Russia’s position in the far E ast’
is soon to be finished, and its extension through Klanchuna appears
to be a work of the near future.
If the present movement continues, the lower part of Manchuria
■will soon go the way of the northern provinces, until the whole
■serves as a naval and military base for the Russian power in Asia.
It is not necessary for the continuation of this process th at China
■enter into direct conflict with her grasping neighbor. It is much
■ more likely that Russia will .devour Manchuria bit by bit while the
■authorities at Pekin are in difficulty elsewhere. This has been the
■policy of the Czar’s ministers in the past, and they are not likely to
■adopt any new methods in the immediate future. In any case the
■ultimate result will be the same; without foreign aid China will be
■unable to arrest th at advance of Russia which is now tending
■ toward the complete annexation of Manchuria.
■ Bearing in mind these phases of international politics as exhibited
■by some of the European powers, it is easy to understand why a
■majority of the Chinese generally feel th a t foreigners of every-nation
are objectionable. When they see foreign governments, having gra
tuitously obtained valuable leases and concessions, preparing to
■gridiron their country with railways, they fear these innovations
■will hasten the extinction of ancient and sacred customs, and th at
■the foreigners will eventually rule the empire. So the Boxers sud
denly sprang out, as a thunder-stroke, from the northern provinces
■with, their ominous war-cry of “ Sweep out the foreign devils! China
for the Chinese! ”
■ Since the arising of this unlawful disturbance all the foreign powers
jhave been busied saving the lives of their representatives and sub
jects or citizens at Pekin, and preventing the attacks of the natives
|n other cities where their people dwell. But when this work is ac
complished, and its end is likely to be at hand, their mutual jealous-
|es, which so far have served to keep China entire, will soon revive.
1 lle struggle between their respective schemes and interests th a t has
been going on now for many years past, may come to a more acute
p a g e . The foreign powers will probably be obliged to choose some
lone to occupy the throne, and the candidate favored by any one of
| e m may well be suspected by the others. There is nothing in pol-
itics and diplomacy so fertile of misunderstandings and suspicions
Ultimately leading, perhaps, to armed conflict as the attem pt of sev-
eral mutually jealous powers to exert joint control over some other
government or territory. It is chiefly for this reason th at those