Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-04
ENGLAND AMAZED
ATTITUDE OF AMERICA DIS
PLEASES THE BRITISH.
SAY OUR COURSE is COWARDLY.
Will Not Accept Share Of RESPONSIBLE
ity-Tools in the Hand of Rus
sian Diplomacy.

New York. Sept. "A dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
Explanations of the American circular
note which have been cabled here from
washington have caused great astOnish-
ment. Whatever the state department
may nave meant to convey. Downing
street understood the United States gov
ernmen to be supporting Russia's pro-
posal for immediate retirement from Pc
kin. The British foreign office has re-
celved two disagreeable surprises in the
last week. 1t was justly annoyed at find
ing that Russia after all her declaration
of affection to the international concert.
had calmly given orders for the retire
ment of the Russian troops and legation
without even waiting to hear what the
other powers thought of the movement.
But the attitude of he United States
was almost equally disconcerting. The
British government thought it was EMIT
led to rely on American support in the en-
deavor to settle the Chinese question eff
f~ectually. The British official view is
that this retirement from Pekin is only
advantageous for Russia, which kills
three birds with one stone. In the first
place she has her troops free for use
where she wants them just now, namely
in Manchuria: second, she limits the ex-
pediture of money, which in the present
condition of her finance is highly desir-
able; third, she prevents the possible re-
moVal of the Chinese seat of government
from Pekin, where, for reasons of her
own, she particularly desires that it
should remain. But in general, non-Rus-
sian interests believe the withdrawal is
a mistake since The Chinese will simply
believe the powers are afraid of them.
There will be no reorganization, no
permanent safety for foreigners and no
guarantee of an 'open door," If Great
Britain, in her effort to secure a durable
settlement once for all, could rely on SOL
id American backing she could put her
self at the head of a commission of at
least four powers and so defeat the Rus
sian project. Were England and Ameri-
ca united on this point, Japan certainly
and German probably. would join them:
but without the United States the COM
bination would fall through md Eng
lands efforts to arrange the eastern QueS-
ton without partitioning China or with
out leaving that empire in a condition to
invite future intervention, may have to
be abandoned.
English statesmen thought that they
had a right to u On American aid in
pursuing an unselfish policy which is for
the common benefit of the civilized world
and they will be deeply disappointed to
find that they are mistaken and that
Americans regard for the "open door,
and Chinese integrity is limited to words.
L iC oIIIC lIlS III tlI . oSNCu ~
accept some amount of responsibility 1t
hastily effaces itself and executes a pre-
cipitive retreat.
Active communications are now pass,
ing between Londo and Washington and
London n Pekin. The final decision OF
the British government can be easily pre-
dicted. Unless some prospect is held GU
of active support of the non-retiremen
policy by the United States. it is proba.
BILE the Russian example will eventually
be initiated by all the other powers
France, in any case, will follow Russia
Germany may do the same though with
great reluctance sooner than separate
from her eastern and western neighbors
England, undre these circumstances viii
naturally feel that she is not called upor
to incur the risks and burdens of a winter
occupation of Pekin and will also with,
draw after a vigorous protest and at,
tempt to convince the allied government:
of the grievous mistake that is being
made.
1t should be recalled that with TAXI
harbor closed by ice and Russia holdins
the northern railway it would be yer,
difficult to onvey supplies to an army o
occupation in winter without Russian co
operation.
Before sending a circular to the queen
representative abroad, giving them a de