Evening star., 1901-03-21
BOTH TO WITHDRAW
Strained Situation at Tien Tsin is
Thus Relieved.
ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE LORDS
Lansdowne's Version of the Origin
of the Difficulty.
RUSSIA THE AGGRESSOR

LONDON, March 81. 4:51 p.m.-In the
house of lords today the foreign secretary,
Lord LansdOwne, announced that Russia
and Great Britain had agreed to withdraw
their troops from the disputed territory
at Tien Tsin and reserve the question of
title and proprietary rights for subsequent
examination.
Lord Lansdowne supplemented the an
nouncement by explaining that this dis
pute concerned an extensive area on the
left bank of the Pei-ho river. which the
Russians occupied in the autumn and
claimed by right of conquest. Subsequent
ly the government was informed that China
and Russia had reached an agreement
placing the area under Russian occupation
The area, however, comprised plots be-
longing to the Northern Chinese railroad,
and was, therefore part of the security
of the British bondholders.
The line was part of the railroad re-
Gently transferred by the Russians to
Field Marshal Won Waldersee who re-
transferred it TO the British. The necessi-
ties of the allies required the construction
of a siding on one of the plots referred to,
and the presence of British workers on the
plot was treated as trespass on Rus
sian territory 1t was subsequently al
legged that the Russian boundary marks had
been removed by the British.
WaIdersee Asked to Mediate.
In those circumstances the government,
March 16. telegraphed to it's representative
in China that 1t thought the rights of the
British or Russian troops to occupy the
disputed points can best be settled by Field
Marshal Won Waldersee, as the command
er-in-chief; and General GaseIee, the Brit
tSh commander was instructed to request
the field marshal TO settle the immediate
differences, reserving for future examina-
tion the question of the validity of the al
legged private rights
General Gaselee was also instructed to re-
frain from using force except to repel ag-
gression-
The more staid afternoon papers, with
recollectIouS of the earlier Chinese eXag-
gerations, believe the Tien Tsin difficulty
Will be readily solved by diplomacy. In re-
gard to the suggestion in the Shanghai dis
patch that the Russian squadron has de-
signs on Corea, the papers think it highly
improbable that Russia has any present in
tention of risking naval war with JAPAN
which, they consider, would unquestionably
follow any forward movement of Russia in
the hermit kingdom.
The Japanese minister. Baron Hayashi
Iadasu, In an Interview today, does not at
tach any importance to the dispatches from
Shanghai and Kobe. He SAYS that if Rus
Sla had any important designs on Corea she
would require an army and not a fleet The
minister had no information regarding the
reported mobilization of the Japanese fleet
Inc News From Pekin.
PEklN, March u (noon).-The situation
at Tien Tsin is the same. A detachment
OF British marines have replaced the Sepoy
troops on guard at the danger point. The
authorities do not anticipate any trouble
The soldiers on both sides are reliable and
not likely to commit any action which will
involve the situation.
The ministers are working in perfect
harmony and everything is progressing
satisfactorily. The questions remaining to
De decided are the nature of the guards
along the line Of communication with the
sea and the razing of the forts which be-
ing purely military matters, the generals
will decide and will report their decisions
TO the ministers.
Statement From st. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, March PA semi
official statement has just been issued to
the effect that commonplace incident at
Tien Tsin has been terribly exaggerated bv
the British press until it has almost as
srmed the gravity of casus belli Ac-
cording to the statement the trouble was
dbe 20 the British troops trying to forcibly
possess disputed territory. The statement
recltes that the matter is manifestly a
question Tor diplomatic treatment and the
russian government has no doubt but that
II viii be amicabiy settled to the satisfac-
tlon OF the governments at London and St
Petersburg.
Arranged by Won WaIdersee.
BERLIN, March 21.-The correspondent
Of the Associated Press has learned from
good authority that Count Won WaIdersee
during his brief stay in Tien Tsin yester-
day succeeded in his mission which con-
sisted merely in inpreventing bloodshed among
the allied troops. Beyond this, it is claim
ed in official circles, Germany will remain
perfectly neutral
According to Russian accounts which
nave reached Berlin the question at issue
IN Ilen Tsin is not controversial and the
RUSSIAN claims to the territory where the
trouble occurred are indisputable Be
sides the Russian flag. it is said Russian
boundary marks We're exhibited which the
British soldiers did not respect
Situation Reported Unchan-ed.
TEN TSIN, March 21-(Afternoon y
The situation here remains unchanged
Both the British and Russians abstain
from any overt acts of hostility. There are
about one thousand white British troops
III the vicinity. The Russians are not nm
herous 1t is rumored that French de-
Itchtnehts at fang-tsung and Lang-Fanp
LaEe S oeen warned that they may be wanted
at Tien Tstn. " '-'eo
ADtICES MORE HOpEEUu