WAR IS CHINA.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1358, 6 February 1884, Page 2

WAR IS CHINA.

Months' a. 0, Earl Gram ille declared that, in the event of tvar ferealtinj? out liftwpeii Franco sfntt Ohfirsi, it would require all the moderation and for-tif;n'-rt;!or"'which tno Brftish Govern" wfrrn sAjsiblp of ipxorcising to prevent se.ious complic^ations ftnsnmsr ViW 'w'«'n -Ivm and the Fi-rr.^h. Aftnr n Uiii.qt period of tromblin^of h<- 'n.!--.- --! p f ,w! : '] nence and war, events have Cn'... .... Vi'hlch wi-11 havp. tho effect c" ■:. ::'■■" ":--. : : '■■.'.-.■ : ; ' ; -;i M" ; - ■■■■-■■ ;■■■■', ' ■"■• - juf-.t'y fca'-ori '."■"*•■. Granville. War is deoiared between France aud China ; the 'former Powov

' is sa id to have formed n pin;* or attack--1 ing (Janto i iv force, and i!i> litter is ' making vigoi'ousdttfensive preparations, i which .include the employment oi* i torpedoes to protuct the river appro ; . aches to the city — showing th:Lt, th<I Celestials are quite abiea-ii. of lir • times iv the matter of engines of u.?:;---l traction. It is unlikely, how.M-t»", ■ that the French will be sci foolhardy '• as to attempt to take Canto:: with the - forces which they have at, present iv or near Tonjuin, bat will ov/ait, thi' t .X'Mval of furfch«i*reinforwMie:us. ■ The- • dii.y hope which they have of boinj;. - iibi-. 1 to iliolat*) terms to China is> by > successfully and rapidly carrying o, > s<; i. s et coups before the Chinese h&v*" time to collect -their vast horJe.i oi' bvttvc ill-t •ainod soldiers.- That conr?-'--also holds out the only hope of IJritiiS'i eutangelement iv the <jii.»nol i*e.iu^ avoidod. Desultory and j>'/o ! jvacte>l . warfare, interfering with commercial intercourse" for a long period, is wha* will most try the temper, ot ib'.« British lion, who in thasc days ii! a. rather mercenary beast ; an ( l if Frauc« is wise,- that is the kind of warfare which she xvill avoid. , The "British int«»rc3is" at stall.are most important, aud ench as cat)" not l)o loft altogether Uiulufeiided. Besides the large num>>?r «>t" British subjects in the Chinese Empire, whoni' lives will bo placed ii)-jooptii<ly by the war, the trade of Britain «nd her dependencies with China is.wf vast proportions. The external commerce of China in 1881 reached tin* total value of £43,000,00 a Of this, more tliaa , one-half is with Britain, Bvitish India, and thn Colonies. India «:nds iuto China £8,0)0,000 worth of opium' every year, whil* the UniU'd Kingdom sends imports.- to. the value of over , £6 ,000,000. The tradrt bet .veon Cbiiiit and the United Kingdom alone reaches tho annual total of atont. £17,000,000, and the trade between China and India and the colonies very noarly reachestlie Barue figure every year. ■ Arnuriiu . has also, withm the past fow years, been opening up an extensive tradewith China, aud is not likely to view with complacency the prospect of iier commerce being cut off by Gallic aggression. Iv these eircuiDstanoeß it is< hut natural, that tho various powers interested should liava combined to guarantee thß secarity ot tljcir subjects aud their trade in China. It is altso undei'S^ooii that the Miinjiiia'Tseii^ ; has been negotiating a treaty witn. these Powers, under tohiel* they shall assist in the maiutenanno ai order and commerce ; aiid thia giveß to the position a most unfa voura bl« *speot for the Jfrench, who, as thf disturbers of ; trade and tmoquih'iyi Will lind ;' the _, eommeroial -'vcvld arrayi<il i agitniat them. The projooled Attu.'.'K i <»n Canton, if not- O!\ a valor ;••. • able poiuti is on ons 1 p-^citiarly r,'«.s l ceptible lo arouse the hosn'lity oi othor , Povs'ers. Thex'e are iv i-.ha^vii ya ; Jar^f nuinbep t-f puropnait 3i»bj«ci3, , i\. : -= i external trade is coufiderabte.fttid tiiw [ Bntisli 14a! lisoii of Hvnt; Koujr ia in - close proximity. The ag<«l Kmpiiror > j of Oer'many is said to have, prtidtoted t . a:* N;w Year's D*y that ISB4 -wotiM >J ue c* year of peace amongst liarbpeau i ijatiows ; l»ut desnit-e this Htal'-'inewt w» iiad ik difficult to Eec how a serious and 1 geneVfcl embroihnetit'is to ba fl. voided.