New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
RUSSIA ~ ASIA.

Russia's designs in Asia are much to the fore
lust now in news ana comment Much Of the
news is probably imaginative. and not little
of the comment Is more heated than judiciouS.
IL is scarcely To be believed that the United
States has entered into secret treaties Of often
sive and defensive alliance with any foreign
power upon that or any other topic II We
remember Alright. ratification by the Senate is
essential To the validity OF a treaty made by
this country. and no Washington correspondent
has as vet perceived any such convention under
consideration, not even in the privacy OF an
executive session 1t seems safe 10 assume
that this nation will receive some authoritative
notice in advance of being hitched 10 any others
war chariot As for the lurid vaticnations of
an imminent "world-war," they, too. must he
attributed to a superheated state of mind, for
which at the present state of climatic tempcra-
ture there really does not appear TO be much
excuse.
The facts in the case. so far as they at present
appear. are that some private bargainings over
Manchuria have for some time been in progress
between Russia and China. and that the United
States and other powers have protested against
them as unImely while the general negotiations
between the powers and China are still In prog
ress Whether those negotiations were begun
by China, in hope Of thus purchasing Russia's
aid in resisting the other powers, or by Russia,
deeming China's present extremity an opportune
occasion for making her long intended seizure
of Manchuria and other provinces, has not yet
been disclosed. Nor does il greatly matter. The
situation is practically the same in either case.
The point is that while half dozen or more
powers are acting together in concerted negotla-
ton with China for settlement of issues in which
they are all concerned no one Of them should
wifi
China for its own gain and for the probable
disadvantage Of the others. The protest to
China is equally against her seeking such bar
caininCs herself and asserting to them if offered
by any of the powers.
The unfortunate feature of the case is of
course that the general settlement of the Obi
nese question" is being complicated and delayed.
Nothing Is more desirable than that II should
be facilitated and expedited. After such gen
eral settlement is effected there will, no doubt
be various individual settlements to be made
between the individual powers and China. But
these latter should wait until the former is out
of the way. There is little room for doubt as
to what Russia means her private settlement TO
be. She means it to comprise the cesson outright
of Manchura and Leao-Tong and the establish
ment Of a Russian protectorate over the whole
of Mongolia, Sungaria and Eastern Turkestan-
or not such acquisitions by Russia should he
objected TO by any other power may be an open
question. There seem to be those who think
Russia is entitled 10 take whatever she pleases
But If Russia is free thus TO take Chinese terri
tory it will not be easy to dsprove the right of
other powers to go in and do likewise, in which
case the partition of China will speedily be
completed.
The United States is interested, first, in get
ting the pending controversies settled, that It
can withdraw from its present anomalous situ-
alton at Peking. Next it is interested in main
tanning the "open door" policy, which it has con-
spicuously advocated and to which IL recently
secured the express assent and adherence of
the European powers-to which, IL may be
added, the preservation Of China's territorial
integrity is practically essential In the third
place. this country is interested in preserving
its present commercial rights and privileges in