Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-07-25
MINISTERS TO AGREE
Upon the disposition of the Province
of ManChuria.
SETTLING CHINESE QUESTIONS,
The Part Which Russia Claims Now
o2en-Compiications Are Likely to
Result.

washington, D. c., Specil-ft is un-
terstood to be the desire Of some Of
the great powers that the disposition
OF Manchuria should go before the
m'alatels at PcEll and be finally de-
termln9d by Joint agreement among
the powers. Although no definite
step Las hecn fGlen in that direction.
1t IS be:lg d!scUsscd by fOreign repre-
Bent3tlYes stationed here, who fully
expect that the pian will be adopted.
Russia, it is expected, will be reIuc-
tant to agree to it,
Attention has been directed to the
matter by reports that Russia had re-
suned direct negotiations with China
concerning Manchuria, and also by
yesterdays CablegTIm stating that u
Russian proclamation was about to is
sue establishing Nu ChWang as a Rus
sian port. AS to the ltrOlt that Rus
5ia will proclaim Nu ChN4Eg to be i
LusSlan port, II IS Icin, eG out. in Of
fetal diplomatic quarters that Nu
ChWang is a treaty port. and as such
10 cpCIi " Tic CO!IlIGtiGkt u jlib "DG III,
under the existing tariff regulations
with China, and foreign merchants
have the right to trade and to conduct
eat2hnshnicn ) there These rights
Of trade could not be divested, in the
opinion Of diplomatic officials, by a
Russian proclamation unless the pow
eTs had previously given assent Thus
far there has been no request from
Russia or China for any change in the
status Of NJ ChWanS as one Ct the
treaty ports.
In a spirit which has aroused the
keoneSt admiration Of the State De
paftment, the Japanese government
has met the difficulty growing out OF
the preference Of her request for an
increase Of her indemnity, owing to
depreciation in selling prices Of Ja-
panose bonds, by Withdrawing that re
quest. The result IS a substantial
loss to Japan. She asked originally
for $23 100000. This figure was more
moderate than any Of the powers
which took auy prominent part in the
Chinese campaign and represented
the barest expense Of the undeItaA-
ing. 1t was fixed upon the idea that
the payment was to be made i'll cash
by China. COnfedeTated with the bond
payment the Japanese asked that the
allowance he Increased TO 3z7, coo, GEO
in bonds to make good the loss she
would suffer through the sale OF the
bonds. = loon as some Of the other
nations found that the allotment as
originally fixed was in danger OF be
ing disturbed they came in with
increased demands and thus it is that
Japan, finding that insistence upon
her demand would blockade the ne
gOtiations at this phase, has with
drawn her request for the present
at least. 1t is safe to assume that the
United States government will do
what it can to secure compensation
for Japan.
Mr.. ROckhill, our special commits
siOner at Pekin, has been instructed
to give the assent Of the United States
to the proposition to increase the
Chinese customs dues iii order to pro-
vide means for the payment of the
international indemnify. Our govern
ment is still opposed to this project
and the instruction is sent only i'll
deference to the universal wish for
a speedy conclusion of the negotia-
tiOns at Pekin. 1t is learned that the
hitch in those DnOOtjafiNDS the most
bathing that has yet occurred, is due
entirely to the issue raised as to the
increase Of customs