Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-04-11
DOUBT AND EXPECTANCY.
Attitude of the State Department In
Relation to the Status of
Affairs in China.
MINISTER WI IS EVIDENTLY WORRIED.
The Apparent Contradictory Nature
of Different Dispatches in Rela-
tIion to Russia and China Has =
Tendency to Keep the Diplomatic
Omcials Guessing.

Washington, April s.-The Chinese
minister was an early caller at the
state department to seek information
as to the report, based on advices to
the state department, that there had
been an interruption of the diplo-
matte intercourse between Russia and
China. Mr.. Wu had not been advised
of any such development, and the in
formation before the state depart
ment was so contradictory that it did
not permit any clear explanation of
the real state of affairs.
A Doubt Arises.
The doubt arises from the fact that
Mr.. Rockhill's latest dispatch docs
not mention any such disarrangement
and the officials feel bound to accept
this as pretty strong evidence that
prior limitations of discord have not
taken actual form. Yet the dispatch
received from Mr.. Squires, the Ameri-
can charge d'affaires, in the absence
of Minister Conger, appear TO have
been quite explicit that the difficulty
already had made itself manifest. 1t
is thought possible at the state de-
partment that the circumstances to
which Mr.. Squires refers occurred
prior to the receipt in Pellin Of sle
last Russian note, and that the trou-
bic may have been adjusted subse'
quently.
An Attitude of Expectancy.
The state department maintains an
attitude of doubt and expectancy
and is not yet prepared to admit that
there has been an interruption of in
tercourse between the two countries
either limited or complete.
Aside from the Geographic advices
there are some attending circum
stances which indicate that at least
some STRAIN or partial Interim ticn Of
| intercourse has occurred. The fact
developed in Washington, about q
week ago, that Russia had delivered
| to China what amounted to an ulti
matum on the signing of the Man
churian agreement. This followed
the usual course OF untimatums anC
! fixed a definite limit of days within
which China could act. 1t also con
veyed the clear intimation that un
! favorable action by China would LEAD
to severance of diplomatic relations
between the two countries.
| The Limit Has Expired.
The limit of time fixed is believed
TO have been one week and to have
expired last Wednesday. China die
not sign within the time limit and thu
next day, Thursday, Russia addressed
her note to the powers which ha
been accepted as removing the pres
sure over the Manchurian agreement
This at first seemed to be waiver o
her prior intimation of an INTERRUPT
ton of diplomatic intercourse, anC
yet there was no such explicit waiver
and the latest advices from Pekin re
porting that an interruption has nov
actually occurred, seem to be directl,
in line with the threat previously con
veyed.
In case there proves to be an inter
ruptfon of the relations between Rus
STA and China, ii is not expected t
lisarrange the negotiations between
the powers and China or between
Russia and the powers. 1t probabl.
would be confined to a termination
of the close ententelong maintaine'
between Russia and China.