The times., 1901-03-10
NO FRICTION WITH RUSSIA.
Our Position Regarding Manchurih
Along Established Lines.


There is apparently not the slightest
danger that This Government will be
drawn into any strained relations with
Russia over tfe agreement for Russian
control of Manchuria until order shall
have been established there. The de
spatches from london telling of crisis
in the Chinese troubles on account of the
Russian-Chinese compact may he true SO
far as they relate to Great Britain's at
titude, hut it is certainly not true that
this Government is actively supporting
the British Government in it's reported
attempt to make Russia withdraw from
Nanchuria
For the Unitcd States to assume such
an attitude might be construed as a viz
tuaI insult by Russia, as within the past
few weeks the Government of the Car
has assured the United States Of its in
tention to act in accord with the wishes
Of all The Powers in regard to the ac-
QUESTION Of territorial rights. To insist
in the face Of this that Russia does not
intend to withdraw from Manchuria when
normal conditions have been re-estab-
iished there would be probably to cause
Russian enmity toward America.
The London dispatches are evidently
based on misunderstanding of what has
recently taken place between the Powers
on February 49, the State Department.
having learned that China was likely to
enter into private arrangements with in
dividual nations for the transfer of terri
torial and other concessions, handed a
memorandum to Minister WI Ting-fang
setting forth that this Government could
not regard such a condition of affairs with
equanimity. The memorandum was, in ef-
feet, a notice to China that concessions
must not be granted without the consent
of all the Powers. About the same time
the Government sent instructions to its
Ambassadors and Ministers at the CAPT
tion was taken by the Powers in regard
to securing concessions from China. The
position of the United States set forth in
these instructions was that there should
be no granting of territorial or other ma
terial rights by China, and that no ma
ton should acquire such rights by force,
without the consent of all the Powers.
This note was the outcome of information
that certain land in Tientsin was to be
seized by a certain foreign nation. To
the principle of unanimous action by the
Powers in such cases all nations inter
rogated assented, Russia among them.
The assent given was a verbal endorse
ment of the policy maintaining the integ-
rity Of China unless partition were ac-
complished by mutual arrangement.
On March ! copies Of the memorandum
handed to Minister wa were mailed TO
the American representatives in Europe
and Japan. The copy addressed to Am
bassador Choate has probably just
reached him, and this communication may
be that to which the London dispatches
refer. 1t was said at the State Depart
ment yesterday that there was nothing
more TO the matter than above stated.
! Count Cassini, the Russian Ambassador.
| called at the State Department yesterday
to make enquiries about the London sto-
ries and was assured that the United
| States had not entered into any arrange
ment with Great Britain to force Russia
! out of Manchuria, and that nothing had
! been done by this Government to impugn
the assurances of Russia in regard to
| concurrent action by the Powers in re-
] lation to concession