New-York tribune., 1901-03-29
BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.
cT-ARDED STATEMENT BY LORD LANs-
DOwNE IN PARLIAMENT.

IF RUSSIA WOULD ONLY SHOW THE MAN
CHURIAN AGREEMENT ALL MIGHT BE
FoRGIvEN-Too MUCH MYSTERY
London. March 2s.-In the House Of Lords to-
day Lord Lansdowne, the Foreign Secretary
announced that no further military operations
by the British troops in China were contem-
plated for the present.
When Field Marshal Count Won waldersee
rdered preparations for the recent expedition
the British Government instructed General Case
lee 10 communicate with the home government
before participating therein. The compliance Of
China 10 the demands of the powers is hardly
II such character TO justify the withdrawal
of the allied forces. but the British Government
hoped 70 be able. before long 10 withdraw or
reduce its forces in China. Negotiations were
necessarily slow. with a refugee government
On the broad questions. however. there wa. a
practical unanimity among the powers The
allies had agreed they Were not at war with
China, and desired to derive no territorial ad-
vantage from the present events They also
recognized the binding nature OF the existing
treaties and desired TO maintain the .open door,
IN commercial and economical questions while
within the spheres where existed preferential
rights there should be equality Of opportunity
for all the powers concerned. The British Min
lister at Peling had been instructed to he mod
crate in his demands. and the government only
desired 10 strengthen the guards sufficiently 20
insure the safety of the legations In regard 70
the question of indemnity. now under discussion
il had been decided that the claims should be
forwarded by the powers in one lot As 10 the
source whence the indemnity should be paid n
was not desired 10 impose on China any crush
ing burden. BY doing so would be acting con-
20 he olic Of
which was 10 respect the existence Of China as
power. He did not despair of seeing China
reformed. The people possessed many good
qualities.
THE WARNING TO CHINA
Both the British and German governments
had informed China that II was not desirable
while negotiating with the powers as a whole
that she should enter into a private arrange
ment involving territorial OF financial conditions
with any other power.
Russia had again assured Great Britain that
the occupation of the British railroads was only
temporary and without prejudice TO the inter
ests involved. Great Britain had not waived
her rights in connection with these railroads
nor had she ignored the interests of the share
holders.
As 10 sources Of revenue, he thought the mari
time customs might be readjusted so as TO i'm
pose a real instead OF a nominal per cent ad
valorem duty. Certain free articles ought to be
subjected TO duty, but caution was necessary
lest the interests Of British commerce be dam
aged.
Lord Lansdowne. referring TO the Anglo-Ger-
man agreement, said that when this was being
negotiated the German Government gave Great
Britain TO understand that, in the German
view, Manchuria not a place where they
considered they had any influence. He thought,
hrr-e
much attention. pointing out that the only two
treaty ports in Manchuria were New-Chwang
and Talien-Wan, WITH regard TO which explicit
assurances had been given by Russia Lord
Lansdowne said he had seen newspaper re-
ports suggesting that Count Won Biilow the
German Imperial Chancellor had interpreted
the agreement differently from Great Britain
Dut the point dld not seem vital, because all
the powers, including Germany, had repeatedly
declared that their policy was TO maintain the
integrity of China.
In regard 20 the reported Manchurian agree
fent Lord LansdOWne said he was not in a
position 10 pass final opinion on the matter
The government would not criticise in any
carping spirit any arrangement regarding Man
churia which was in the nature OF a rnodus
NlFendl. IL was suggested that the versions of
the treaty published were simply trial balloons
on the part Of some official or pure inventIons
designed TO bring about a misunderstanding
AN APPEAL FOR RUSSIAN FRANKNEss.
Lord Lansdowne added:
Nothing would give us greater pleasure than
10 cooperate with the Russian Government in
exposing such an unworthy object. II Russia
would only, by communicating the real text OF
the agreement enable Great Britain to put an
end TO this misconception we should be pre-
pared TO cooperate with her.
What initiated against any such hopes ha.
been the mystery in which the negotiations have
been involved throughout Count Lamsdorff
the Russian Minister OF Foreign Affairs had
however, informed the British Ambassador at
st. Petersburg Sir Charles S. Scott thai 3,
was the purpose OF Russia TO arrange a r7odrs
vivendi with China, with the object of preventing
disturbances in the vicinity of the Russian
frontier and she had no intention of seeking
that guarantee in any acquisition OF territory
or in any actual or virtual protectorate over
Manchuria- If the document really fell within
the language used by Count Lamsdorff his
majesty's government would certainly not OBJ
leCt TO ii.
Unit these uncertainties were removed Great
Britain could not do otherwise than adhere TO
The view that IL was not desira BILE that China at
a time when she was negotiating with the whole
of the powers. should simultaneously enter into
2 private and separate arrangement involving
territorial and financial conditions with another
power. That was the language the government
had used to China. and il almost precisely
the language which had been used by the Ger
man Government His majesty's government
would be tenacious in matters Of principle In
matters Of detail they realized they must not
would use their best endeavors TO bring the
present negotiations 10 close and terminate a
situation which was inconvenient and fraught
with danger 70 all concerned in the negotiations.
YANG YUS TIMELY FALL.
&. Petersburg. March 2s.-Last Monday, when
the vrorld exnected that the Russo-Chinese con-