The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-27
WASHINGTON INTERESTED IN THE
REPORTED TREATY AMONG
THE POWERS
FORMAL PACT is UNLIKELY
NOTHING MORE THAN MUTUAL.
UNDERSTANDING is EXPECT
ED BY DIPLOMATS
AMERICA NOT PARTY TO IT
This Government Not in Il Position
to Enter Into Amy Treaty Agree
ment, but VIII Have No Objection
So Long as Existing Trade Rights
Are Preserved-PrOtest offered on
Behalf of China

So Long as Existing Trade Rights
Behalf of China,
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-In official and
diplomatic quarters much interest was
manifested today in the plan put forward
In the London cables of a treaty among
the great powers defining spheres of in
fuence in China. That anything in the
shape of formal treaty is to be made
between the powers interested in the
future of China as the outcome of the ne
gotations now in progress is not be-
HeVed, though an understanding Of a less
formal nature is possible.
These negotiations followed the frank
request of Secretary Hay upon some of
the governments which had already given
him verbal and informal assurance of the
continuation of all our treaty rights in
Chinese territory, to have these agree
ments reduced to form 1t was not re-
garded as necessary to go beyond that
point, and, although it frequently hap
pens as the result of initiating negotia-
uons that the scope of them is broaden
ed far beyond anything originally in con-
temptation, it is believed that such will
not be the case now, and that there will
be no necessity for general and formal
treaty.
1t would be extremely difficult to frame
any such convention so as to secure the
approval of the United States senate
without protracted struggle that might
disclose disagreeable weakness in the
fort would be sure to arouse opposition
from the considerable element In the
United States which Is unalterabIy op-
posed to any sort of foreign entangle-
ments
or course this statement applies only
to the United States, and there could
be no objection on our part to the other
powers joining in a treaty covering for
eign rights in China, provided there was
nothing in the agreement obnoxious to
our just and proper claims On the whole.
having In view the highly satisfactory
utterapces In the French chamber of
NJ Delcasse, the French minister of for
eign affairs, respecting the maintenance
of the open door in China, there is felt
in official quarters to be reason for eX-
pectfng a successful outcome of the ne
gouations on this subject opened by the
United States.
CONSIDERED A FEELER.
At some of the foreign establishments
the proposition was considered "feeler, -
resulting from the recent inquiries made
by the American government as to the at
titude Of the great powers. Other influen-
tial members of the diplomatic corps
pointed out that the plan was the logical
1TNTlzI ffrN,l Al,
tween Russia and Great Britain, by
which the spheres of influence would be
defined
The Chinese legation views the PROPOSE
ton as purely conjectural and the Chi
nese minister, Mr.. WI Ting-Fang, when
his attention was directed to the matter
regarded it as preposterous
This is about the most refreshing sug-
gestion we have had of late" remarked
Mr.. WI. What! Can it be seriously pro
posed that document shall be formally
drawn up concerning us in China and
emma shall not be a party to it? 1t can
not have escaped attention that China is
sovereign nation, and when it comes to
writing treaties concerning her interests
and territory, this sovereign nation is
quite likely to have considerable TO saw
on the subject
1 hardly think any of the great and
self-respecting powers would give coun-
tenance to a plan such as is outlined
1t is as though a party Of your neigh
bors met and agreed how they would oc-
cupy your house One would take the
front door, another would select the side
door, others would appropriate certain
rooms. And all this without consulting
you, the owner of the house. Such a
course by individuals would seem strange
indeed, and 1t would amount to the same
thing among nations
or course all things are possible. and
1t Is dfhcult to say how far a plan once
entered upon may proceed Willie the
Individual may be quite secure in his resi-
dence 1t is of course always within the
bounds of possibility that a band of rob-
bers may arrange to enter the house and
carry away the belongings For that
reason 1t is the part of wisdom for the
individual to be on the lookout against
such moves. But it is not to be supposed
that nation stands III any such danger
as the great nations would not cOunta-
nance such a course. So that the sug-
gestions of a treaty of this character an
pear to me to be entirely visionary"
AMERICAS POSITION.
AT one Of the embassies 1t was noin+ed
out that the United States was hardly
nkely to become party to a treaty de-
timing the spheres of influence Of other
of American influence was defined. and uD
to the present time it has been definitely
understood that the United States did NOT
seek any sphere Of influence, but merely
untrammeled entrance to all Chinese
ports. AS to the other powers the view
prevailed that they would be quite likely
to favor such comprehensive treaty as
the one outlined in the London advices
as it carried forward the arrangement
between Great Britain and Russia bv
which the former secured a sphere Of
influence in the Yang Use valley and
Russia directed her activities to North
west China.
Since returning from abroad the Ger
man ambassador, DR.. Won Holleben. has
stated that the German policy in Kiao
Chau was distinctly that of the open door
and Count Cassini, the Russian ambas-
sador has stated the same policy as to the
Russian port of Talien-Wan The Brit
ish position favorable to open ports is
well known, and since Lord Pauncefote's g
return occasion has been taken to reiter
ate 1t. Beyond this however, there has
been nothing from any of the foreign rem
resentatives concerning the future Of
China, and without exception the repre-
sentatives Of powers having interests in
China state positively that no instruc-
tions have been received as to treating
with reference to China. This applies also