Daily inter mountain., 1899-03-08

OF RUSSIA
Count CaSSini ReiterateS His
Remarks
AMERICA IS WELCOMED
As a Factor in the Council Of Nations
That Must Settle the
Eastern Question

New York, March S.-A dispatch 10 the
World from Washington says: The Rus
sian ambassador. Count Casslnl. VINO
was for many years ambassador at re-
kim and who obtained from emma the
first important concessions regarding the
Siberian railroad, speaking of the Cha
| nese situation said:
"There are so many ways of viewing
| the 'open-door' proposition and 50 many
! interpreta tons to be placed upon IL that
! 1T is a delicate subject to discuss. TOOK
| issue with oLrd Charles Berestofd ana
J. think made my position plain NOW
new aspect is presented ana we are laceu
| with the proposition which Italy's action
in China has made possible. Russia's at
titude is not changed by this action. We
! have never opposed the open door. and
| consequently we can take no other attl-
! tude than that which has been o1nclally
| announced from our foreign of1lce many
! times.
But we are wondering what our great
| neighbor to the west, the United States,
will do in this emergency. 1t would seem
! now that the United States will be forced
! by the necessities of the case to take part
! in the delibe1 dtiOns of the natonS col-
| corning China's commercial existence.
| AS in Russia, there are IN the uhlteo
! States tremendous interests at stake, a
world in itself. where the wealth OF a
large part of the country seeks an oullet.
| OF course, / can speak only for Russia.
| but there seems a similarity OF interests
! to guard and to promote.
Russia is at the entrance or her m
dustrial and commercial development,
| and she will endeavor to shletd this de-
! yelopment from all that might retard it.
| We have vast countries just awakening
| from the lethargy of centuries ana be
| coming grain lands and pasture couh-
| tries, and from the outlet on the ChneSe
sea we hope to enter the commercial
i world ia the four quarters OF me siop4,
Y With our Siberian railroad we WIFI carry
to Europe the treasures of India and on
China The tea product alone Will bring
| rs, an annual income of 600 roubleS.
Other staple products yield propor-
toinate figure. 1t is then hoped to eX-
tend our merchant marine across to your
great western country and bring your
over-abundance into Asia and Africa.
For this reason Russia would elect
the United States a fctor in the council
of ntions that must of necessity govern
the east. We have never, of1lclally or
cnGfficially. protested against the Ameri-
can occupation of the Philippines. On
the contrary, we have Welcomcd lhc
United States in coming nearer to us as
one friend welcomes another. 1t has
been the socrce of much qualification to
me that Mr. Hitchcock. lately ambassa-
dor to St Petersburg, has told the Amer
lean people about the attitude of Russia
before and since the war with Spain. IT
would be expected that Russia's ambas-
sador here would say that nothing hos
tile had been done against your country
by his own country; his position would
be otherwise untenable. But Mr.. Hitch
cock Is disntcrested witness, and when
he has so cordially and so eloquently re-
iterated what l have sand to the Ameri-
i can people for many months I am, o1
i course. deeply grateful. Russia main
tains her old historic attitude toward thus
great nation. She was one of the first
to aid the founders Of this republic anc
She has been throughout its growth q
sympathetic and sincere friend. During
the civil war she did her part when its
existence was threatened, and If during
the war which has just been fought tht
United States needed the aid of RuSsia
, it would have been given as freely ant
as fully as in the past.
There have been many to assert very
, different things Of Russa's feelings to-
ward America, and there are still some
, who say that Russia has ulterior inten-
lions in endeavoring to draw the United
States into the Chinese question. Time
and the authority of your own ambas
, sador at st. Petersburg have proven the
falsty of the proposition, and Of the
second il can be said that Russia is
not trying to draw the United States
into the Chinese question, but if thC
United States, to protect her vast com
mercial interests, sees fiji to seek a voice
in deciding this important issue, Russis
will be the first to welcome her and tC
; cooperate in finding a just and satsfac.
tory solution of it's difficulties"