Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-03-12
ny01J,.'0 POSITION Inn.
Is Not Seeking to Gain Permanent
Control in Manchuria,
1t Is Said.
NO ALARM AT CAPITAL OVER RuMoRS.

Position Maintained by the United
States Against Partition of China
Has Been Readily Agreed to by
Russln-Thc Alarming story Pub
Iished Mt London.
Washington, March 1.-THE official
CORES pondence that has passed be-
several powers interested in the Chi
nese question discloses the fact that
Russia, suspected as she is by Eng
land, and perhaps by some other
powers, of planning to seize and hold
Manchuria as her own, has upon
every occasion when opportunity
served to draw forth a statement of
her motives, declared .emphatically
that she had no such purpose.
On the 10th nlt. the United States
addressed strong representations
to China through Mr.. Conger and
Prince Ching and Iii Hung Chang.
China was told that the United
States could not approve any secret
negotiations between China and any
individual power looking to the con-
cession of territory to such power.
And it was further insisted that, to
be valid, any such concession of ter
ritory should be given only with the
assent of all other powers. To still
further emphasize the warning
against the beginning of division
of China, it was significantly stated
that the United States did not re-
gard the present as an opportune
time for making any concessions of
territory or even for conducting ne
gotiations for such concessions.
On March 1 the state department
took steps to acquaint every one of
the powers interested in China with
the instructions it had given Mr..
Conger The result was to elicit from
nearly all of them expressions of aP-
proval of the doctrine laid down by
the United States and foremost
among the powers which accepted it
was Russia.
No Agreement with Britain.
The United States government has
not entered into any secret or open
agreement with Great Britain or
with any other individual power,
however strongly it may sympathize
with the British desire to insure Nam
churia against seizure. On the con-
trary our government has from the
beginning discouraged such special
alliances as to China and has adopt
ed the practice of informing every
one of the powers of the contents
of any statement it has addressed to
any one of them. It is felt here that
the greatest strength of our position
has lain in tins frank and open meth
cd of negotiations, and there is no
disposition to abandon it now.
Conference with Hay.
Count Cassini, the Russian ambas-
sador, called at the state department
Saturday and was closeted with Sec
rotary Hay for half hour. AL
though no statement can be extract
ed as to the nature of the inter
change, it is believed that the am
bassador took occasion to again as
sert the sincerity and propriety of
Russia's purpose relative to Man
churia.
Russian Ambassador Interviewed.
New York, March ia special to
the Herald from Washington says:
Count Cassini, the Russian ambassa-
dor, cannot understand the reports
that Russia has Interior designs in
Manchuria In an interview he said:
"There ought to be no doubt concerning
the position OF Russia In Chinese AFFAIRS
1Jor attitude 6 the same TODAY 1t was
on August Is last. when she declared thai
'as soon as lasting order shall have beer
established in Manchuria, and indispens-
able measures taken for the protection OF
railway construction which, according tc
formal agreement. China has assured, Rus
sia will not fail to recall her troops from
these territories of the neighboring en-
pire, providing that the action of the Other
powers does not place any obstacle In the
way of such a measure
Our railroad interests in Manchuria arr
very valuable and highly important. no
only to our own trade, but to the trade o
America and other nations. and as coun
Lamsdorf, our minister for foreign affairs
has said, 1t is necessary for the Russian
military authorities 10 arrange with thu
Chinese, when reinstattng them In author
ity modus vivendi to prevent recur
renee of disturbances near the Russian
frontier and insure the protection Of thu
railway to Port Arthur.
"Russias policy has shown that she doe!
not contemplate Selling Manchuria. Had
she desired its acquisition. preteXt coult
have been found in the invasion of hel
territory by the Chinese. The best proc
that she has no Interior designs Is showi
both by her refusal TO take advantage o
this pretext, and her cordial cooperation
with the United States and other nation
to restore peace and order throughout TIL
Chinese empire"
Declaes Crisis Has Arisen.
London, March IA crisis ha
arisen in far eastern affairs which
in the opinion of the British govern
ment is graver almost than the trou
bles which originally turned the eye!
of the world toward the orient II
this crisis secret negotiations are
going on between the United State.
and Great Britain with view tt
thwarting what both governments
consider determined attempt or
the part of Russia to plant hersel
permanently in one of the riches
tracts of the Chinese empire.
The conference held Wednesday be
tween United States Ambassado
Choate and Lord Lansdowne, the fol
eign secretary, had nothing to d
with the Nicaraguan canal affair. t
quote from British official, 9Th
Nicaragua controversy is a mino
matter compared with the presen
situation" What Mr. Choate did wa
to receive from Lord Lansdowne a
nn,..n yt l..<l o,. 1,p