The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-27
DANG ER OF SECRET TREATY WITH
 ANY POWER POINTED OUT.

l ottlCp, IldS UeEH LQIIllSllNQ cb COPJ OL
 the twelve-article agreement which
 Russia expects to have executed At l the same time a supplementary agree
 ment may be executed at Pekin.
 In view of the present aspect of the Manchurian incident the state depart ment to-day made public the text of ISecretary Hays memorandum to the
 Chinese government, handed to Minis ter Wu on March i. This memorandum
 was the outcome of information that China was negotiating secretly with some of the powers for the transfer to them of valuable territorial concessions. Part of this information was that Chi na had arranged to transfer Manchuria | temporarily to Russias control, Be- | lieving that such a course would be the first step In the territorial dismember- ment of China, the memorandum, which amounts to advice and warning to the Chinese government not to make any territorial concessions, was prepar- ed and handed to Minister Wu Later the secretary of state asked all the powers to subscribe to the principle that no concessionary arrangement should be made by any nation with lHlIld WlluUul llle COHSelll Ol dii tHS other nations interested in the settle rnent of the eastefn question. There was practically unanimous concur renee in the principle Russia subscrib- ing promptly. The memorandum of March was read to the cabinet by Secretary Hay to-day, and when the meeting adjourned 1t was given to the press. The copy as furnished by the state department is in the form Of a circular telegram to the American rep resentatives in Berlin, Vienna, Paris, London, Rome, Tokio and St. Peters, burg, as follows
 Department of State, Washington, March 1, 1901.
 "The following memorandum, which was handed to the Chinese minister on February 19, Is transmitted to you for your information and communication to the government to which you are &C., credited:
 ""The preservation of the territorial integrity of China. having been recog- nized by all the powers now engaged in Joint negotiations concerning the in juries recently inflicted upon their min isters and nationals by certain officials anu SuUJGClS Ol lut- SiillitsC NihPiiOt " is evidently advantageous to China to continue the present international un- derstanding upon this subject It would be, therefore. unwise and dangerous in extreme for China to make any ar angements CT to consider any prepara- tion of private nature involving the surrendering of territory or financial obligations by convention with any par ticular power; and the government of the United States, aiming solely at the preservation of China from the danger indicated and the conservation of the largest and most beneficial relations be- tween the empire and other countries, in accordance with the principles set forth in it's circular note of July g. 1900, and in a purely friendly spirit toward | the Chinese empire, and all the powers in the negotiations, desires to express it's sense of the impropriety. inexpedi- | ency and even extreme danger to the | interests of China of considering any private territorial or financial arrange lnents, at least without the full knowl- edge and approval of all the powers TOW engaged in negotiations
 HAY"
  be carried out, it Is still the contention 1f the state department that nothng has occurred to change the status of the United States toward the "open 1oor" as applied to any part of China, including Manchura. AS far as writ len pledges can commit power, Rus iia stands pledged to accord 'to the United States the "open door" if she akes control of Manchuria either di- 'ectly by annexation of indirectly, but luite as effectually, by the means pro- posed in this Russo-Chinese agreement. That is the view of the state department md that view Is endorsed by the entire abinet
 The administration believes that the ecret agreement between Russia and ,hina is in violation of the spirit if not he letter of the general understanding o which all the powers subscribed last and the United States govern 1ent is prepared to use all its moral uasion and influence to prevent It's !. Further than that, owever the government Is not prepar- d to go The president and members the cabinet believe it Is conceivable nat Russia is entitled perhaps to some q eparate guarantees from China for the U of it's railroad concession In a [anchuria, but not to the extent which a is understood the czar's government | to obtain by the secret treaty This a overnment has information regarding d lis treaty, and while there is no indi- ? ,tion of the exact nature or source of p ,is information, it is considered accur- e Le and definite. fc The president and cabinet, it Is un- n srstood, have no direct information a the imminent rupture be- \ veen Russia and. Japan, or its extent, n 1t the developments are being watched a ith eager interest. Generally, it is )t believed here that there will be a il ,liislon between the two powers, as 0l ere is a strong impression that Japan ould not undertake q war with Russia 4 ngle-ha handed, and there is no indica- on that she would be joined by anoth-
 power h,