Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
THE MANCHqRIA DISPUTE
ENGLISH APPRECIATION OF THE
AMERICAN PROTEST TO RUSSIA.
How Ambassador Cassini.s ExDlana-
lions Are Received in
London.


States at all events regard Russia's sep
arate agreement with China seriously, and
have issued strong protest against it.
An identical note has been sent from
Washington to all the allied powers, as
well as to China, stating that the United
States consider it ineXpedient for the Chi
nese to make any Independent arrange
ment with any foreign power while peace
negotiations are going on at Pekin This
is a repetition of protest which the states
made nearly a month back, and again at
the beginning of this month 1t was then
quite justly laid down that any cession of
territory must be approved by the other
powers, and that the present time was in
oppOrtune for cessions of any kind Every
one knows that this protest was aimed at
Russia account of her occupation of
Manchuria and the separate agreement
which she is compelling, or has compelled
the Chinese plenipotentiaries at Pekin to
sign Naturally enough, Count Cassini
the Russian ambassador at Washington
tries to talk Mr.. Hay over. He assures the
United States government that the agree
ment has no permanent significance what
ever AS is Russias way in hushing up
disagreeable scandals, he takes care to put
nothing in writing, but he maintains YER
bally that Russia wishes to abide by its
circular telegram of last August in which
the government of the tsar solemnIy de-
clared their troops would at once be with
drawn when lasting order was established
in Manchuria, and the railway construc-
ton was sufficiently protected. The word
ing of the promise is characteristic of Rus
sian diplomacy. Could anything sound
fairer and more straightforward? And yet
how easy it is to slip through such loop
holes as lasting order" and Sufficiently
protected!' One never knows when
order may be lasting or protection be suf-
hcient. And at the end of all comes the
still more dubious phrase, provided the
action Of the other powers does not place
any obstacle in the way" That sentence
If they attempt to interfere with Russia s
game.
An endeavorer to thwart her purpose in
Manchuria would afford her exactly the
excuse which she desires. As Is usual in
Russian diplomacy, she wins either way,
and the real value of all her protestations
of innocence, self-sacrifice and good faith
is accurately established by the telegra m
from Pekin which tells us that all this
time Russia is insisting on the immediate
signature of the agreement, and threatens
to use coercion If the Chinese plenipotcn-
tiaries delay it beyond the appointed date.
A Parallel Case.
If We want further proof of her methods,
her behavior with regard to the islands off
the Liaotung peninsula provides an exactly
parallel example. 1t will be well renem-
bered that a few weeks ago Admiral Alex
cleft refused Admiral Seymour's claim to
put down piracy in some of these islands.
The plea was that the islands were ceded
to Russia by the convention of 1898. By
the publication Of the report Of the special
commission which delineated the new from
tier for Russia. we now know how far this
plea justified, and the report is only
another proof of Russia's INSCRIPTIONS
dealings where the absorption of further
territory is concerned We publish the de-
tails of the report in another column, and
- GS,,f1 IN of how hot ~, n
Russia has acquired twentyfour islands.
with a population of nearly 10000 people.
Among these twenty-four are the Elliott
and Blonde Islands, commanding the whole
of the Gulf of Corea, and rendering it i'm
possible for US or any other power to send
trading ships or men-of-war into those re-
gions without Russia's consent. Yet at st.
Petersburg it was officially denied that
Russia even put in claim to these islands,
and no doubt she induced some people to
believe her, Just as there may be some
politician still at large who believes her
assurances that she Is only making an
understanding with China now in order to
give back Manchuria more easily when the
occasion comes. We learn from the same
commissions report that, besides acquir-
ing all the islands that might possibly be
useful to her round the Liaotung peninsula
and In the Gulf Of Corea, she has secured
the provision from China that the Mao
tao Islands shall not be coded to any for
eign power.
The Islands absolutely command the en-
trance to the Gulf of Pechili, and the ap
proach to Pekin. We can scarcely doubt
that this clause Is but precursor to Rus
sias own occupation. She will then hold
every key to northern China, and we may
continue to command the advantages of the
open door as long as we please. 1t is con-
stantly and justly said that we ought to
come to some definite arrangement with
Russia as to the future position of both
powers in the far east. Nothing could be
hnffa hut hot 1yfp1 Of no ont fc
possible with a government whose diplo-
matte met hods cannot be accurately char
acterized by English people without i'm
politeneSS?