New-York tribune., 1901-03-28
CHINA's REFUSAL TO SIGN.

China refuses to grant Russia's demands for
partitioning Of her empire. That is the gist or
the news from what is to-day the worlds chief
centre of news. Not only has the time given
| for the signing Of the agreement passed without
| such signing but the Chinese Government has
| apparently declared its unwillingness to sign
and has expressed its reasons therefor. We can
1 easily imagine what those reasons are. No ma
ton likes TO commit suicide II was quite evi-
| dent 10 China that If she ceded Manchuria, Mon
| golia and Turkestan 70 Russia one Of two
| things would happen. Either the other powers
would forcby interfere to prevent the consum-
nation of the bargain or they would make COM
pensatng seizures of territory for themselves;
either of which courses would be fatal 10 China
There is no idea that the United States would
do either of those things. But Japan would
seize Fu-Kien, Germany Shan-Tung and more
Great Britain the Yangtse Valley and Thibet
and France Yun-Nan and adjoining territory.
But the United States seems not to have been
a negligible factor in the case. On February
10, Washington dispatches made clear
yesterday, this government gave 10 China one
of the clearest and most emphatic warnings any
nation ever received to the effect that "it would
he unwise and dangerous in the extreme" for
her 10 sign this agreement with Russia. If any
other government gave such warning the world
has not been informed of the fact. 1t will be
we'll 10 take that warning Of the United States
into account when considering the influences
which led China 10 make her present stand
against Russian spoliation
How long such resistance will or can be main
tanned and what will be Russias rejoinder are
matters of interesting speculation. Some say
the Chinese refusal Is final and absolute. Others
assert that negotiations are still in progress and
the desired assent. That will probably depend
upon The attitude and conduct of the other pow
ers. If they leave China to her own resources
there is no question 10 what the end will be-
Russia will triumph, and will make the terms
all the harder for this delay. If, on the other
hand, the powers give China their moral support
for the maintenance of her territorial integrity
and the open door. the parttionng of the en-
pire and the exclusion of all but Russians from
half of il may be indefinitely postponed, If not
altogether ayerted. Certainly it would seem to
be 10 their interest 10 take the latter course
III must he. If they were. as IL is 10 be assumed
they were, sincere in their advocacy and ad-
herence TO the principles OF territorial integrity
and open door when the United States moved
for the adoption of them as an international
agreement little more than a year ago and
again at a much later date China is taking
them at their word She declares so II is said
her unwillingness 10 enter into any agreement
which will or might place an embargo upon any
one of the:h-that Is she wishes TO maintain
the open door. 1t was well said year ago
that IL was one thing 10 get the open door and
another thing 10 keep ii.
There is talk, chiefly at st. Petersburg of
notifications of the agreement Ii is reported
that Article VI has already been dropped and
Articles lY, and VIII have been modified
Article VI was designed 10 exclude all foreign
ers but Russians from the Chinese military
services in the northern provinces Article "
| has been changed merely so as to hermit the
| importation Of arms and ammunition into Man
churia-quite safe, if all trade is 10 be In Rus
sian hands, Article has been changed only
III as much as was necessary to coincide with
the dropping of Article VI And Article VIII
| has been altered so as TO let China huiId rail
roads in Mongolia and Turkestan but not 50 as
10 LEI any one but Russians enter those conn
trles Tor industry or commerce. Such mo1id
cations OF the agreement do not therefore
touch the main point ISSUE which IS the
practcal annexation of half of the Chinese EN-
| pre- 10y Russia and the exclusion therefrom of
all foreigners except Russians-the shutting and
locking OF the open door Such are the concIu
slons which now seem inevitable from the best
information At hand, information which there