It is evident from Lord Lansdowne's statements as to China
that while the British, in concert with the Americans, and, we suppose, the Japanese, are willing to listen to Chinese representations, they are greatly fettered by their wish not to break up the " Concert of Europe." They have, for example, succeeding in limiting the area within which Chinese troops may not approach Tientsin, but they have failed to allow the Chinese authorities to garrison their own city, the native troops being still limited to the outskirts. In the same way negotiations are still going on about the railways, the real object of which is to make Pekin easily accessible by railway from the coast to the European Powers. As regards the indetnnity, again, England would be willing to accept silver, but hesitates because other Powers are still demanding gold. About Manchuria Lord Lansdowne was evidently nef over-confident, though he pronounced the latest agree- ment between Russia and China " not unreasonable." The whole tone of the Chinese section of the speech was excellent, but the Concert of Europe is revealed as a nearly unmanage- able instrument.
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