The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-09
DRAGON IND THE BEAR.
RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND
RUSSIA APPGAA. 10 BE SOME
WHAT STRAINED
MINISTER WI WANTS TO KNOW
Called at the State Department. ut
Washington Yesterday in Search
of Any Information
In Sight.

WASHINGTON, April S.-The Chinese
minister was an early caller at the state
department today to seek information as
TO the report based on advices to the
state department, that there had been
an interruption of the diplomatic inter-
course between Russia and China. Mr.
Wa had not been advised of any such
development, and the information before
the state department was so contradict
tory thatsit did not permit any clear ex-
PLANTATION Of the real state of affairs
the doubt arises from the fact that
Mr.. RockhilPS latest dispatch does not
mention any such disarrangement, and
the officials feel bound to accept tn 8
as pretty strong evidence that prior In
timat1ons Of discord have not taken act
ual form. Yet the dispatch received from
Mr.. Squires, the American charge DAFT
flares In the absence of Minister Conger
appears to have been quite explicit that
the difficulty already had made itself
manifest. 1t IS thought possible at the
state departing Mt that the circumstance
to which Mr.. Squires referred Occurred
prior to the receipt in Pekin of the last
Russian note. and that the trouble may
have been adjusted subsequently,.
The state department maintains an at
titude of doubt and expectancy, ard IS
not prepared to admit that ths@ has
been any interruption of intercourse be-
tween the two countries, either limited
or complete.
Aside from the Geographic advlces,
there are some attending circumstances
which indicate that at least some strain
or partial interruption or intercourse has
occurred. The fact developed in Wash
1ngton about a week ago that Russia had
delivered to China what amounted to an
ultimatum on the signing of the Man
chnrian -
usual course of ultimatums and fixed a
definite limit of days within which China
could act. 1t also conveyed the clear
intimation that unfavorable action by
China would lead to a severance Of dip
lomatic relations between the two coun-
tries. The limit Of time fixed is believed
to have been one week, and to have eX-
ptred last Wednesday. China did not sign
within the time limit, and the next day,
Thursday, Russia addressed her note to
the powers, which has been accepted as
removing the pressure over the Man
churian agreement. This at first seemed
to be waiver of her prior intimation of
an interruption of diplomatic intercourse.
and yet there was no such explicit
waiver, and the latest advices from
Pekin, reporting that an interruption has
now actually occurred, seem to be di-
rectly in line with the threat previously
conveyed.
The peculiar state of diplomatic rela-
tions between the Russian foreign office
and the Chinese minister at St Peters
burg give further evidence that friction
has occurred. The illness Of Yang Yu
was the cause ascribed for his failure to
sign the agreement. There is good rea-
son to believe that the Russian authort-
ties did not regard this sickness Of Yang
Yu as occurring in good faith but look
ed upon it as a device to avoid action.
The st. Petersburg dispatches now state
that Yang Yu's sickness has so increased
since his last interview with Count Lams-
dorf that he may have TO withdraw This
is accepted here in well-posted quarters
as delicate intimatfon that the Rus
sian government has expressed it's dis
approval in such a way that Yang Yus
withdrawal will follow in consequence.
But there appears to be an outward
| avoidance of any rupture. It is expected
that Yang Yus term ended about year
ago, and that he then asked to return
to Pekin. The government acceded and
Quail Chun was appointed as his success
sor. Owing to the Boxer uprising, DUAL
Chun did not go to St. Petersburg, but
tsung Ii yamen. Should Yang Yu retire
now, it will be claimed that it Is in
the prior programme.
In case there proves to be an inter
ruption Of the relations between Russia
and China 1t is not expected to disar-
range the negotiations between the pow
ers and China or between Russia and
the powers. 1t probably would be con-
fined to a termination Of the close en-
tente long maintained between Russia
and China.