The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-27

States had done all that it could prop
erly do to prevent the COnsumma ton
or this arrangement, and to make clear
10 the pubic the complete diSapprOvaI
which is entertained by the United
states government for this sort Of Sc
cret treaty making, ii was deemed
proper to give out for publication the
following memorandum:
Chinese Correspondence March, 1901.
Telegraphic instructions to the repre-
sentatives of the United States. Rer-
IN. Vienna, Paris, London. Rome. Toxic
and st. Petersburg.
Department of State washington.
March 1, 1901-The following mernOran
dunn, which was handed to the Chinese
minister on Feb 10. is transmitted to
you for your infOrIna ton and conullnf-
cation to the government to which YOU
are accredited.
The preservation of the territorial
integrity of China having been recog-
nlzed by all the powers now engaged
IN Joint negotiation concerning the in
1urleS recently inflicted upon their min
lsters ana representatives by certain
officials and subjects of the Chinese
empire, it is evidently advantageous to
China 10 continue the present interna-
uonal understanding upon this subject
1t would be. therefore, unWise and
dangerous in the extreme for China to
make any arrangement or to consider
j
volving the surrender of territory or
financial obligations by convention with
any particular power; and the govern
ment of the United States, aiming
solely at the preservation of China from
the danger indicated and the cOnser-
vation of the largest and most bene-
hcial relations between the empire and
other countries, in accordance with
the principles set forth in its circular
note of July 3, 1900. and in a purely
fri f,sff
pire and all the powers now interested
ia the negotiations. desires TO express
its sense of the Improperly, inexped-
lency and even extreme danger to the
interests of China Of considering any
private territorial or financial arrange
edge and approval of all the powers
now engaged in negotiation.
CSigned) HAY"
Assuming that the arrangement is to
be carried out, ii. is still the contention
of the state department that nothing
has occurred to change the status Of
the United States towards the -'Open
door" as applied to any part of China,
including Manchuria. As far as written
pledges can commit a power, Russia
stands pledged to accord to the United
States the open door if she takes
control of Manchuria. either directly by
annexation or indirectly, but quite as
effectually, by the means proposed in
this RuSSO-C Chinese agreement. That IS
the view of the state department and
that view is endorsed by the entire
CO binet
The administration believes that the
secret agreement between Russia and
China is in violation of the spirit if
not the letter of the general under
standing to which all the powers sub
scribed last summer and the United
States government is prepared to use
all its moral suasiOn and influence to
prevent it's contamination Further
than that, however, this government IS
not prepared to go.
The president and members - the
cabinet believe it is conceivable that
Russia is entitled. perhaps. to some
separate guarantees from China for the
protection of it's railroad concession in
Manchuria, but not to the extent which
il is understood the cars government
is to obtain by the secret treaty
This government has information re
garding this treaty. and while there Is
no indication of the exact nature or
source of this information, it is consid-
cred accurate aud definite. The presi-
dent and cabinet. * is understood
have no direct information concerning
the imminent rupture between Russia
and japan, or its extent but the de-
Velopments are being watched with
eager interest.
Generally it is not believed here that
there will be a collision between the
two powers. as there lis a strong i'm
preston that Japan would not under
take a war with Russia single-handed,
and there is no indication that she
would be joined by any of fhe other
powers.