The evening times., 1898-09-20
THE ATTITUDE OF RUSSIA.
Count Cassini Speaks of the
Policy of His Country.
THE CAR SEEKS PEACE
There Has Been No Change fn the
America-She Desires Only Friend
Iy Relations With other Nations.
The Eastern Question.

Hartford, Conn.,, Sept. 20-A special dis
patch from Narragansett Pier gives an
interview with Count Cassini the Rus
sian ambassador in which he says:
There has been absolutely no change in
Russian sentiment or policy toward
America, nor does there exist reason for
such a change within my knowledge.
Russias policy does not conflict with the
interests of America in any part of the
world-no more in China than in England.
Russia seeks only peaceful and friendly
relations with all other nations
The. correspondent reminded the ambas-
sador that the American people were now
asked by English writers TO believe that
some of the continental powers had sought
to arrange a project for international in
! tervention on behalf of Spain in the re-
cent war, and that this plan of action had
been defeated by the refusal of Great
Britain TO be a party TO II or even con-
sent to see other powers engage in ii,
thereby placing this country under new
and special obligation to the British pso-
pie.
i never heard that there was such a
piopooitioIi ny dllS VI tic pOhSISi SSllu
Count Cassini. "'On the contrary all the
powers carefully maintained their neu-
trality throughout the war between Amer
lea and Spain
Coming to the question of Russian de-
velopment in the Orient, Count Cassini
said:
In building the Siberian Railroad 1t
was found that the route necessary TO be
followed in reaching Vladivostock was a
very difficult one, made so especially by
the existence of areas of almost impassa-
BILE marshes. The engineering problems
/ presented by that route were practically
| insurmountable. We also found that 1t
( was absolutely necessary TO cross Chinese
Manchuria in order to obtain an ice-free
port, which was essential to enable the
railroad to be commercially successful
enterprise. Our Pacific port of Vladivos-
took, on the Siberian coast, Is closed by
ice during the winter months. We are
not building railroad simply for the pur-
pose of laying down steel rails, or for the
fun of the thing. 1t must have traffic
! when IL is built in order to Justify the in
/ vestment. and so we sought terminus
! TO the southwark, where the ships of all
nations could come at all seasons of the
year. We obtained from the Chinese gov
! ernment lease OF territory for a term
! of years, like the lease of Kiaou Chou by
the Germans. and Wai-Hai-W by the
! British.
I'm making the arrangements we were
/ not animated by hostile purposes toward
any other power. The only sure and GER
| tain revenue which the Chinese govern
ment possesses is its maritime customs
and portion of them were pledged for
| the payment of our loans TO China The
| administration of the maritime customs
| is in the hands of an Englishman, Sir
| Robert Hart but we did not undertake
| to remove or disturb Sir Robert Hart
| We are represented as hostile TO the in
| terests of other nations in China, but we
| have not objected to or sought to pre-
vent other nations from increasing their
commercial privileges in that country.
! When the English acquired an extension
of territory near Hongkong we said
! nothing against it, and the Germans have
had a free hand in the Shang-Tung Pen
/ insula, where they have obtained very
valuable privileges. Furthermore it
should be remembered that Russia and
China have a common boundary OF some
5000 kilometers-near 5000 miles-in ex-
tent. that We have a close relation to
! China exceeding that of any other pow
| err"
In regard to the future of China he
! said:
There will be no partition of China.
There were 429 100000 OF people in that
| country when the last effort was made
to obtain count of them. 1t is huge
population in a vast country. But | do
| not expect to see il divided. In extending
the great Siberian Railway TO the Yellow
Sea, the purpose of Russia was not TO
| acquire annex Chinese territory but to
secure commercial outlet from Siberia
| and to provide necessary commercial IA
cilities for our vast northeastern terrific
ry as well as for the parts of China
| through which the railway will pass"
Upon the subject of the Philippines the
ambassador had no opinion TO express,
his attitude being merely that of an OBJ
server OF what is happening in that part
| of the world. AS to the question of the
acquisition OF the Philippines by this
| country. Count Cassini went no further
than to remark, 1T is a very grave prob
| em"-meaning that it is very grave
| problem for the people of America.