CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 21 June 1898, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

China.

The Times states that the Hong-kong-Shanghai Bank has agreed to advance to the Chinese Government a loan of 16,000,000 taels (about £2,---250,000) on obtaining a contract for the extension of the railway from Tienstin, which now ends at Shan-hai-kwaD, to the treaty port of Niuchwang, in Manchuria, in the northeast corner of the Gulf of Liaofcung. M. Pdvloff, Charge d' Affaires at the Russian Embassy in Pekin, protests against such a contract, urging that China is bound not to accept loans on the security of the railways north of Pekin, exoept from Russia. From Shanghai it is repoifced that France claims the port of Foocbow, and demands railway rights in the 1 province of Fokien (opposite the island of Formosa), of which Foo. chow, which is an important tea port is the chief town. Russia is reviving her claim to Kinchow in the Liaotung Peninsula. Lord Salisbury, Prime Minister, speaking in the House of Lord?, said that although an immediate catastrophe was not expected, the fate of China oould only have one issue unless her army and navy were thoroughly reorganised . She seemed willing that Captain Lang (the Government's naval adviser) should reorganise the navy, and negotiations were now proceeding to secure men with a free hand for the work of the Foreign Office. The Government intended to use every effort to suppjrt the English capitalists in China,

A violent altercation has occurred between Li Hung Chang, Foreign Secretary to the Chinese Empire, and Sir Claude MaeDonald, British Minister, respecting the concessions made to Britain. Through Li Hung Chang's influence Weng Tung Ho, Imperial Tutor and head of the Imperial Revenue Department, who is an Anglophile, has been dismissed from office.