The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-23
Treaty With Russia is Finally
Rejected by China.
Result is Brought About by
Pressure of the Powers.
METHOD is A SECRET.
The Check is Regarded as Being
But Temporary.
The Bear il Still i'm ManchurIa
and Likely to Stay.

I
New York, March pa Times special
from Washington says:
The Russo Chinese treaty has been re-
Jected by China The powers opposed to
| the Russian acquisition of Manchur1a
| have won the first round and there is
/ every reason to believe that notes are
now passing between them with a view
to preventing any further efforts on
RusSla'S part to secure a convention
| with China The sudden face-about on
/ China's part is the result of work done
/ by other powers. The way in which it
l was done was a secret that is being
I closely guarded but it is certain that
l pressure from European capitals was
the cause Of China's rejection Of the
4 treaty.
This is. Of course, only a temporary
check to Russia She can now insist
that China accept the treaty making, If
necessary, some notifications IN It which
VIII give ground for reopening the sub
Ject 1t is to prevent this that according
to reliable information negotiations are
now going on between the powers.
The proof which the rejection of the
treaty furnished that rRussia's influence
at the Chinese court is not oInnipotent
has eventually given encouragement to
the opposition powers who believe that
the game can be blocked as far as the
treaty is concerned. However, even if
they succeed in preventing Russia from
concluding any kind of agreement with
China they VIII not have made any pro-
churia-
JAPAN WANTS TO BE SHOWN.
London. March 2S-The foreign Office
takes a pessirnistic view OF the immed-
late situation in the east in spite of the
settlement of the Tien Tsin question and
entertainS grave fears that the relations
between Japan and Russia may shortly
reach the danger point.
Judging from information obtained in
various official quarters in London,
Japan has confided to at least some of
the powers a determination to oppose at
any cost any secret negotiations made
between Russia and China by which the
former could secure territorial or other
advantage contiguous to Korea.
The British government has received
no official confirmation that the Jap
aneSe fleet is modifying, but it would
not be surprising to learn that such were
the facts a highly placed British Off
cial said to a representative Of the As
ISOLATED Press today:
All japan wants is a free hand
against Russia This she has got so far
England and Germany are concern
ed. and, I presume, so far as the United
States government is concerned although
I do not imagine for one moment that
any of the powers mentioned would be
drawn into a fight between Japan and
Russia. If Japan sees nothing for it but
to fight she would have the moral sup
port of objections committed to paper
by at least two other powers against
secret treaties with China That is all:
but Japan seems 10 consider 1t Suf1i-
cient to provide against interference"
Confirmation of the foregoing defni-
ton Of the situation was afforded by the
secretary of the japanese legation, who
said, in the course of an interview.
While rejoicing at the fact that Eng
land and Russia have reached a pacific
settlement over the minor issue the
main questionable integrity Of the Chi
nese empire-remains unsettled. In re-
Spouse to pressure brought by Japan
upon Russia it was announced that Rus
sia's secret treaties with China had been
modified; but the terms have been with
held Until we see the treaties we will
not be satisfied that the modification
does not consist of words merely without
any alteration in the spirit. In this con-
tention we believe other powers will sup
port u.s."
1t appears that Great Britain would be
quite willing to refer the whole Man
churian matter to arbitration on the
lines of The Hague conference. The Tien
Tsin affair is not considered important
enough to be disposed OF in this way, |
and it viii Immediately become a matter
of diplomatic interchange between St. !
Petersburg and London.
MINISTER'S ARE TIRED OF IT
Pelzin, March 23.-The British head /
quarters here report the withdrawal of |
both the Russian and British troops |
from the disputed territory in Tien Tsin. |
II. Degiers, the Russian minister to |
China, believes that everything will be /
amicably adjusted at London and st. !
Petersburg and doubts the proba biIity |
of further trouble in the matter. General /
VOyron, commander of the French I
troops has ordered a new regiment to I
Tien Tsin to replace the one now there. /
French officers here think it was a mis- /
take to leave a regiment recruited in a 4
city at Tien Tsin. This regiment was /
of a tough Paris element At 1
a meeting of the foreign ministers, held /
this morning, the only question consid- /
cred was that of policing the legation Il
quarters
A committee OF commissioners has
been appointed to discover China's re- I
sources and report on her ability to pay /
the indemnity to be demanded to the /
powers
Many ministers are strongly opposed
to China having to pay to keep an army
Of ten or twelve thousand men here
for the next two years. thinking this en-
-ireIy unnecessary. Even those ministers
who were here during the siege are
tired of seeing Pel1in a military camp
They hope China viii be put upon her
feet as soon as. possible
CHINESE THINK JAPAN WILL
FIGHT
Shanghai. March 23.-There Is no con-
irrnatiOn Of the reported concentration of
Russian warships in Corean waters or of
the rumored mobilization Of the Jap
lnese fleet While foreign circles here
generally doubt that an outbreak of hos
ilities will occur, the Chinese are salts
led that Japan is determined to resist
Russian designs on Manchuria-
General Gaselee who has been in COM
nand of the British troops at Pelzin has
arrived here